Spring 2015 | Page 1
Helge H. Wehmeier Honored
at the 28th Annual Council of 1000
Award and Fundraising Gala
The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® and
nearly 100 members of the German-American community
gathered for a night to remember on Saturday November 1,
2014 to honor Helge H. Wehmeier, Former Vice-Chairman,
President and CEO of Bayer Corporation as 2014 Distinguished
German-American of the Year™.
The 28th Annual Award and
Fundraising Gala
was held at the
stunning Mayer
Brown, LLP conference center in
4
Washington, DC.
Every year since 1987, the award has provided national recognition for outstanding leadership, contributions, and achievements by Americans of German-speaking ancestry in various
aspects of society, including business, the arts, education, politics and science.
With this award, we are honoring Mr. Helge Wehmeier
for his acclaimed corporate
leadership at Bayer Corporation, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayer AG – a global
company based in Germany
with a proud tradition in life
sciences and polymers. Under
his leadership, Bayer Corporation’s revenue doubled in size
to $11 billion, while it won U.S.
national recognition for its advancement of diversity and
fairness in employment prac5
tices as well as work safety. He
1
2
Continued on page 5
Photos (f.l.t.r.): 1: Hardy von Auenmüller, Helge Wehmeier, Dr. Ron Docksai; 2: Dr. John and Susan Manoyan, CarolJean King, Petra Schürmann; 3:
Marie and J. Marc Wheat , Dr. Ron Docksai, Bern E. Deichmann; 4: The honoree with his daughter Claudia (l.) and wife Erika. 5: GAHF Board Member
Werner Hein, MayerBrown.
3
THE AMBASSADOR
Spring 2015 | Page 2
Greetings from the outgoing President
Dear Members and Friends:
Fifteen months ago, you entrusted me with the leadership responsibility for the GermanAmerican Heritage Foundation, and its museum in Washington, DC. It has been a high
privilege and distinct honor to serve as your President for calendar year 2014 while our
organization was in transition – with new officers and a change in executive staff. I am also
delighted that John M. Manoyan has been elected to be our new President. I have worked
closely with him for several years. His financial and legal advice has proven to be invaluable
to me over the past year.
In my view, good progress has been made in our organizational restructuring efforts, and a
broad public interest was shown in the four exhibits which we presented on our premises
in 2014 – thanks to the tireless efforts of Petra Schürmann, our new Executive Director.
With the support of the German-American Mardi Gras Association (GAMGA), the Kölner
Hardy von Auenmüller
Karneval Museum and several other parties, we stretched the year to include a “Fifth Season” by offering a broad-based show of colorful German Karneval costumes and related paraphernalia in our museum, last
February.
Over the summer, we hosted several World Cup soccer parties which culminated in a victory by the German national team
in the championship match on July 13. Concurrent with that, we presented a series of lectures and films commemorating
the German Resistance of various groups during the Third Reich – such as the assassination attempt by Claus Schenk Graf
von Stauffenberg on Hitler’s life, 70 years ago, and an exhibit on the anti-Nazi student movement “White Rose”, on loan
from its Munich-based foundation.
These presentations were followed by an exciting exhibit, called “UTOPIA – Revisiting a German State in American” which
told the amazing story of how five hundred freedom-loving German immigrants left their homeland, 170 years ago, and
settled on the American frontier in an effort to establish an idealistic nation of their own. At our Annual Fundraising Gala
on November 1, we honored Helge H. Wehmeier as 2014 Distinguished German-American of the Year (TM). That gala was
followed by a photo show on “The Fall of the Berlin Wall – Seen from the American Perspective” by California-based artist
Colin Campbell.
Our year-long efforts to obtain the necessary DC permits for the placement of a Berlin Wall section in front of our museum
have made only slow progress. That piece was shipped to the US in August – courtesy of Kühne & Nagel – and is currently
stored on the premises of the German Society in Philadelphia. It is now our intention to raise the necessary funds for an
appropriate installation at our museum on the 25th Anniversary of German Unity on October 3, 2015.
As reported previously, 2014 marked the 300th anniversary of the Germanna settlement in Virginia, and the German Society of Pennsylvania celebrated its 250th year jubilee throughout the year with a series of cultural events – all with a German ethnic flavor, such as concerts, films and lectures on the German-American experience, and a number of social gatherings. Of course, last year also marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, commonly referred to as the
“Great War” because of the number of military personnel involved from all sides – a total of 70 million with 9 million deaths.
Lamentably, nothing was learned from these devastating consequences. Only 25 years later, World War II erupted which
vastly surpassed the above number of casualties. Many German-Americans of my generation experienced that war, lost
family members, were bombed and/or expelled from their homes, and eventually came to this country. All those personal
losses notwithstanding, I am grateful I was given an opportunity here to pursue my career in the chemical industry for 30
years, and my subsequent volunteering efforts for various German Unity and German-American causes over the past 25
years.
This year, two important historic milestones are especially significant for me: First, the city of Leipzig will be celebrating
its millennium in 2015. It was heartening for me to note that the weekly peace prayers, and marches of 1989, were started
at my home church, the 850-year-old St. Nikolaikirche, by its Pastor Christian Führer. These ultimately led to the Fall of the
Berlin Wall, and the unification of Germany a year later – marking the end of the Cold War. The other event occurred in
Armenia, 100 years ago, when three quarters of its population were systematically exterminated by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire.
So - it is our great good fortune that the forebearers of John Manoyan were able to escape that destiny!
Very cordially yours,
Hardy von Auenmüller
THE AMBASSADOR
OUR MISSION
The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® is dedicated to preserve, educate and promote the cultural heritage
of Americans of German-speaking ancestry and to be the voice
of German-Americans in cultural and public policy matters in
the USA.
We serve as a national membership organization through which
Americans, proud of their German heritage and language, work
together on vital issues of common concern.
The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA, Inc.
was established in 1977 and chartered the following year as
the United German-American Committee of the USA, Inc.
as an independent, tax-exempt, educational, not-for-profit
organization.
We are committed to:
•
•
•
•
•
Sharing a positive image of Americans of German-speaking heritage by focusing on their historical contributions to American society
Strengthening the ethnic awareness and cooperation of German Americans
Promoting the German language and culture
Cultivating German-American friendship and cooperation
Supporting cooperative efforts among German-Americans and their organizations
Officers and Board of Directors
John M. Manoyan, Ph.D., President
Ron Docksai, Ph.D., 1st Vice-President
Hank Stoffel, 2nd Vice-President
Hardy von Auenmüller, VP Finance
Dorothee Berendes, Treasurer
Michelle K. Brooks, Secretary
Directors
Erich Ast
Bern E. Deichmann, President Emeritus
Robert Lee Fricke
Guntwin Galleisky
Frederic J. Geiger
Frederick H.W. Hansen
Werner Hein, Esq.
Erik Hotmire
Peter Knapp
Ron Kosmahl
Walter A. Lehmann
Eric Radue
Arthur Sauter, Ph.D.
Thomas Siedenbühl
Helge Wehmeier
J. Marc Wheat
Wendy Wurlitzer
Regional Vice Presidents
Bill Fuchs, Illinois
Siegfried E. Seifart, New England
Robert Lee Fricke, Mountain States
Hank Stoffel, Northern California
Advisory Board
Kurt Pfotenhauer
Waltraud E. Prechter
Joachim Reppmann, Ph.D.
Dr. Jürgen Ruhfus, German Ambassador (Ret.)
John P. Schmitz, Esq.
Dr. jur. Immo F.H. Stabreit, German Ambassador (Ret.)
David L. Valuska, Ph. D.
Executive Director
Petra Schürmann
The Ambassador (Edition Spring 2015)
Publisher: German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®
Editors: Carl Anderson, Petra Schürmann
Layout: Alexander Hast, www.AHAMedia.com
Photos: © GAHF unless noted otherwise
Content: © 2015 by the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®. All rights reserved.
Spring 2015 | Page 3
Message from the President
Dear Members and Friends,
I am honored to have been elected President
of GAHF for this year. Thank you, all, for placing your trust in me to represent our organization. It is always a great privilege to be asked
to serve, in any capacity, and I look foward to
doing so to the best of my ability. I would also
like to express our sincere thanks to our outgoing President, Hardy von Auenmueller. During
his tenure, Hardy guided GAHF with vigorous
and sound leadership, continuing to steer our
organization on the path of improved fiscal and
John M. Manoyan, Ph.D.
financial health. We are also grateful to our officers, board directors, general members, and friends for their support and generous contributions, and we give special thanks to our staff for their dedication
and excellent work.
It is exciting to reflect on the accomplishments of the past years and look forward to what lies ahead in 2015. We remain determined and committed to
fulfilling the vision and mission of our organization, and it is with great pride
that this year, on the 38th anniversary of our foundation, we will reach a most
auspicious milestone: the 5th Anniversary of the German-American Heritage
Museum of the USA®. This event will crown five busy and successful years of
presenting to the public numerous relevant and informative exhibits at our museum about the great German-American saga. We plan to mark this important
occasion with a special celebration to be announced.
Back in 1976, as America was observing its bicentennial, a group of visionary German-Americans met in historic Philadelphia and agreed that the time had come
to recognize and honor the extensive and profound economic, political, scientific,
social and cultural contributions by Americans of German-speaking ancestry to
the growth, prosperity and success of our country. This founding group formally
established our organization the following year, 1977, soon after chartering it as
the United German-American Committee of the USA, Inc.® and now also known
as the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® (GAHF).
It was with considerable patience and foresight, persistent effort, and prudent
stewardship that our organization, thirty years later, under the outstanding
decade-long leadership of President-Emeritus Bern E. Deichmann, acquired
Hockemeyer Hall, a townhouse built in 1888 in the old Penn District of Washington, DC. The 120-year old structure was converted into a handsome foundation
headquarters and museum that formally opened its doors on March 20, 2010,
thus fulfilling the long-cherished dream of the founding members of establishing the Foundation Headquarters and the first national German-American Heritage Museum of the USA® in our nation’s capital.
On behalf of everyone at GAHF, we are deeply grateful to you for your continued sponsorship and involvement that makes our achievements, programs,
and aspirations possible. At the dawn of this new year, I ask for, and welcome,
that renewed help and support, just as previous GAHF presidents have, and I
look forward to continuing to serve our organization, and to working with each
and every one of you. Let us stay on a path of progress to meet, together, the
challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and to keep GAHF a vibrant institution for all of us to enjoy, experience, and be proud of.
May we all be blessed with good health and happiness in 2015!
With sincere thanks and warm regards,
John M. Manoyan, Ph.D.
President
THE AMBASSADOR
Spring 2015 | Page 4
support the
german-american
heritage Foundation
JoIN ThE FIVE-YEaraNNIVErsarY FuND DrIVE
CommEmoraTINg ThE oPENINg
oF ThE gErmaN-amErICaN
hErITagE musEum oF ThE usa®
Happy Birthday, Hockemeyer Hall!
March Marks the Fifth Anniversary of Our Museum’s Opening
On March 19, 2010, our founders’ long-held dream
to have a presence in the nation’s capital became
reality: The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® opened its headquarters and museum at 719 Sixth Street NW in Washington, DC.
The generous donations of our members and
sponsors enabled the GAHF to acquire and renovate Hockemeyer Hall, a Victorian townhouse in
Penn Quarter previously owned by the successful
opening event with Senator
German-American merchant John Hockemeyer. The
Lugar, Ambassador Scharioth
Under the leadership of Bern Deichmann, Presi- (r.), and Bern Deichmann (l.) on
dent Emeritus, architect Hans Stein, and Ruediger March 19, 2010.
Lentz, the museum’s first executive director, as well as graphic designer
Nicole Hamam, a distinguished cultural center was created - with a sleek
interior design that masterfully interweaves the colors of Germany and the
United States, greeting visitors with a friendly atmosphere.
During the last five years, our exhibits in combination with lectures, panel
discussions, and film evenings have proven to be very successful in informing a growing audience about the manifold ways German-Americans have
considerably contributed to building this great nation. To date, the museum
has welcomed more than 10,000 visitors, and produced the following noteworthy exhibits:
The Star & the Laurel: The Birth of the Automobile
Helping Shape America: German-Americans in the U.S. Congress
Creating a Comic Universe: Rolf Kauka’s Fix & Foxi
The Civil War Seen through the Eyes of Two German-American
Caricaturists: Thomas Nast and Adalbert Volck
- Berlins: Made in the USA
- German Karneval – Then & Now
-
In 2015, the German-American Heritage Museum will again bring many
exciting events to audiences in DC:
gET aCkNowLEDgED oN ThE
FIVE-YEar-aNNIVErsarY waLL oF rECogNITIoN
suPPorT LEVELs
$200 (tax-deductible contribution)
Benefits of basic membership for one year
Recognition in the Five-Year Commemorative Anniversary Brochure
$500 (tax-deductible contribution)
All of the above benefits
Mention on the donor page of our website www.gahmusa.org
$1,000 (tax-deductible contribution)
All of the above benefits
Mention in the quarterly newsletter
Invitation to VIP events
$ 2,500 (tax-deductible contribution)
All of the above benefits
Mention on commemorative panels of Five-Year Anniversary Exhibit
$ 5,000 (tax-deductible contribution)
All of the above benefits
2 Tickets for the Annual Distinguished German-American Award Gala 2015
Mention on the
Commemorative Five-Year-Anniversary Wall of Recognition
All contributions are kindly requested by September 30, 2015
in order to be able to grant recognition as outlined above.
Visit
www.gahmusa.org
and click “DoNaTE”
March 21: 12AM – 6PM
Open House Celebrating Five Years of Hockemeyer Hall as our Home
1PM & 3PM Screening of the documentary “100 Years of Hollywood” by Kai
Christiansen honoring the visionary German immigrant Carl Laemmle who
opened Universal Studios in Hollywood on March 14, 1915
4PM
Drawing of Anniversary Raffle - First Prize: Round-trip flight to Los Angeles donated by Omega World Travel with a weekend getaway for two at the
LAX Hilton Hotel (Visit www.gahmusa.org for more details)
April 4: 11AM – 5 PM
Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the End of The Civil War:
Frühschoppen with guest speaker G. William Quatman presenting his recently
published biography about General Godfrey Weitzel - Reopening of our exhibit
“The Civil War Seen through the Eyes of Two German-American Caricaturists”
May 2: 11AM Frühschoppen with guest speaker Arnim von Friedeburg on
the end of WWII 70 years ago
Opening of Travel Exhibit “Der Weg zur Einheit” – Courtesy of the Bundesstiftung
für Aufarbeitung on the occasion of 25 Years of German Unity
May 30: 11AM Frühschoppen and Lecture by acclaimed international journalist Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto, recipient of the Friedrich Hecker Freedom Award
in 2009, exploring the Civil War from a German-American perspective
June 18: 6.30PM Red Carpet Event & Exhibit Opening at the GAHM
“1915-2015: 100 Years of Hollywood and the Influence of German Immigrants”
I hope that members and friends of our organization will continue their support
by making a special contribution to our 5-Year-Anniversary Fund Drive, which
kicked off in March 2015.
Petra Schürmann, Executive Director
Dates & events subject to change. Please call (202) 467 5000 or visit www.gahmusa.org for updated information.
THE AMBASSADOR
Spring 2015 | Page 5
Continued from page 1
also played the pivotal role in assuring that Americans had access to the medicines needed during the anthrax crisis of October 2001. His active leadership at
that time on Capitol Hill and in meetings with White House officials still serves as
a template for the forging of private-public partnerships.
Wehmeier was born in Germany in 1943 and is an alumnus of the International Institute for Management Development and at Institut Européen d’Administration
des Affaires in Fontainebleau, France. After finishing his education, he began his
career at Bayer, but soon immigrated to the United States, arriving in New York in
1967. There, he continued his career at Bayer, eventually to become in charge of
operations at its headquarters near Pittsburgh.
1
The Mayer Brown, LLP Conference Center was the perfect location to hold such an event. The
law firm, which dates back to the 19th century, was not only founded by German-Americans,
but its current DC office building was also designed by renowned German-American architect Helmut Jahn.
The gala began with a cocktail reception in the main lobby
followed by opening remarks by GAHF President Hardy von
Auenmüller. Board members and the emcees for the evening,
Michelle Brooks and Erik Hotmire, guided guests into the dining room for a formal dinner with savory entrées such as cod
fillet and beef rouladen, accompanied by pumpkin soup and
a delicious Black Forest cake for dessert.
Many distinguished members of the German-American community were present, including Rüdiger Bohn, Head of the
German Information Center at the German Embassy, who de- 3
livered a speech congratulating Wehmeier for his achievements and contributions.
2
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the musical showcase for
the evening was Berlin-themed, and performed by Burnett Thompson’s Jazz Piano Duo and
vocalist Debra Tidwell. Songs included the classics “There’ll be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin”, “Du und I’“, and “I’ve Always Wanted to Dance in Berlin.”
The official award ceremony began at 9:15 PM with a keynote address by 1st Vice President Dr. Ron Docksai. Upon being
honored by Hardy von Auenmüller, Helge Wehmeier gave a moving speech describing his arrival in New York in 1967 and
adjusting to life in the United States at a time when World War II was still a recent memory for many Americans.
Wehmeier also expressed gratitude for both his adopted home in the US and
his original home in Germany noting at the end that “the hyphen in GermanAmerican is called in German a Bindestrich - a stroke that binds together.” As to
German heritage he added “I can think of no better bond than that of German
with American.”
Photos: 1: Board members Dorothee Berendes (l.) and Ron Kosmahl with Katharina von Muenster
2: P. Schürmann welcomes the guests of honor Rüdiger Bohn, German Embassy, and his wife
Corinna. 3: Flew in from Paris for the gala: Kerry Halferty Hardy 4: Our charming gala emcees:
GAHF Secretary Michelle Brooks and BM Erik Hotmire.
4
PAST EVENTS
THE AMBASSADOR
Spring 2015 | Page 6
Abschiedsfest with Julia Muench
Utopia Exhibit Ending on a High Note
1
There was no better way to bid farewell to the “Utopia”
exhibit than with a piano recital by a direct descendant
of Utopia’s Giessen Emigration Society founder Friedrich
Muench! Julia Muench performed a number of pieces on
GAHM’s very own Wurlitzer piano in a composition titled
“An Epic German Emigration Story.”
Drawing on songs from the time period of the 2
Giessen Emigration Society, focus of the exhibit “Utopia” brought to us by the Traveling Summer Republic, Julia Muench’s
repertoire included pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, Stephen Foster, and Robert
Schumann. The combination of European and American composers tied into
the transatlantic spirit of the Giessen Emigration Society, who in 1834, emigrated Germany and settled in Missouri. In Julia Muench’s own words “For this dedication program, I have chosen music of composers living during the lifetime of
Friedrich Muench, from both, the European and American continents.”
The recital began with Beethoven’s “The Tempest” to parallel the Emigration
Society’s perilous departure, followed aptly by Chopin’s “L’Adieu” Farewell. To
symbolize the society’s arrival to America, Muench played two folk songs by
3
the renowned American composer Stephen Foster, and later conveyed the
sense of unfamiliarity in America with Robert Schumann’s “Strange Places and People”. To bring German-American history
alive, Julia Muench played an arrangement composed by Friedrich Muench, titled “Wine Song for Fresh German Youth”.
Several guests were in attendance for this special event, including other members of the Muench family as well as Peter
Roloff (3, l), Utopia project manager for the Traveling Summer Republic.
Trachtenfest in Pennsylvania
Colorful Celebration of Danube Swabian Culture
By Michael Fricker
It was a beautiful time when on November 29, a Trachtenfest was held
in at German-Hungarian Hall in Oakford, Pennsylvania, which brought
together the Danube Swabian Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity, The Danube Swabian Association of Trenton, New Jersey and the
United German Hungarians of Philadelphia and Vicinity to celebrate
their unique Trachten (regional costumes), dialect and culture.
The ancestors of these people thrived on the lands of the Austro-HunGerman-Hungarian
Kristen Reiter (left) and Emma
garian Empire. The countries that are today Hungary, Serbia and RoCultural Group Children
Walter (right) of the German
performing at Trachtenfest
Hungarian Cultural Group
mania were once ruled and populated by ethnically German people
sporting matching dirndls
that were settled there as far back as the 1700s by the Emperors and Empresses of the German and
Austrian realms. While the most popular term for these people today is Donauschwaben, they go by many names like
German-Hungarians or Ungarn-Deutsche which relates to people being ethnically German but living in Austro-Hungarian
lands. The United German Hungarian’s Cookbook, entitled, “Mahlzeit,” defines the groups that make up what many refer
to as the Schwoweleit. “These Germans lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, and include the Banat Swabians (Banater
Schwaben), Satu Mare Swabians, the, Bačka Germans (Batschka) and other Germans from Serbia’s Vojvodina and Croatia’s
Slavonia”, explains Werner Fricker Jr.
The Trachtenfest dates back to 1992 when the first joint event of the three Danube Swabian organizations of New Jersey,
Philadelphia and its vicinity was held, followed by two other Trachtenfest events in 1999 and 2006. In 2014, it was at the
urging of Fred Gauss that the three clubs once again join forces to achieve something great. From that initial goading,
Marlene Fricker took the reins of a group excited about the possibilities.
Three events were planned. The first was a Cultural Exhibit that was hosted at the Philadelphia Donauschwaben from June 13 to 15 and featured
over 1000 artifacts, books and photographs. The Trachtenfest was set
for November and would be the second cultural part of what was now
deemed, “Living History Days 2014.”
The Heimatklänge Orchestra provided music for the evening, and a
fun program of song, dance performances, and poetry in DonauCombined dancers of all three clubs
schwäbischem dialect entertained the guests. It was obvious that the
performing “Veilchenblaue Augen”
German-Hungarian, Donauschwaben, culture is alive and well!
THE AMBASSADOR
PAST EVENTS
Spring 2015 | Page 7
25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall:
Photo exhibit with works of Colin Campbell
1
3
2
A crowd of almost 100 people gathered at the German-American Heritage Museum for the official opening of the latest exhibit on display, “The Fall of the Wall - Seen from an American
Perspective,” on loan from San Francisco-based photographer
Colin Campbell (1, l). This stunning collection of photographs,
taken in Berlin just hours after the news broke that East Germans could travel freely to the West, conveys the euphoria as
demonstrators rushed to the Brandenburg Gate to knock down
the Berlin Wall. Alongside the exhibit is a fragment of the Wall
graciously on loan from GAHF Board Member, Fred Geiger.
To pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the Mauerfall, guests
recounted where they were when the Wall came down. The
mood was quite emotional for many as they thought the Wall
would never fall. Many distinguished guests were in attendance, including Rüdiger Bohn (1, r), Head of the German Information Center, photographer Colin Campbell, and his wife
Naomi. The exhibit was on display through Saturday, January
17, 2015.
Parade of Trabbis in Chinatown
On Saturday, November 8th, the International Spy Museum paid tribute to the fall of the Berlin Wall at the eighth
annual “Parade of Trabants.” Several Trabbis, the iconic
East German car, made their way to Penn Quarter and
were on display throughout much of the day outside the
Spy Museum. Raffle winners were able to get the chance
to ride in one. A replica of the Berlin Wall and a U.S. Army
checkpoint were also on display. The highlight of the
event was when the Trabbis drove through that Berlin
Wall. As a cross-promotional event, guests at the Parade
of Trabants were invited to our museum for “Berliner &
Kaffee” where they had the opportunity to see the “Fall of
the Wall” photo exhibit created by Colin Campbell.
Memorable Visit of Monarch Academy Public Charter School at Our Museum
On Tuesday, November 18th, fourth-grade students from the above
school in Anne Arundel County, MD visited the GAHM to gain additional insight on the history of immigration of the United States. The
students learned about 400 years of German-American immigration,
as well as the contributions and achievements made by famous German-Americans, such as Molly Pitcher, Babe Ruth, and Levi Strauss,
among others. Giving the students an opportunity to learn about the
German-American history of their local community, a special presentation was presented on Baltimore’s German-American history.
The fourth-graders then set out to complete a scavenger
hunt across the museum with the winning team being
awarded a German advent calendar.
The GAHM staff was delighted to have them visit and to educate them about the achievements of German- Americans.
If you are planning your next field trip to our museum,
please contact Carl Anderson at [email protected]
or at 202-467-5000.
THE AMBASSADOR
PAST EVENTS
Spring 2015 | Page 8
Visitors from Minnesota
The Board of the Concordia Language Villages
Arranges a Get Together at the GAHM
The GAHF was elated to host a meeting and special reception for the
Board and Executive Committee members of the prominent Concordia
Language Villages headquartered in Moorhead, Minnesota. Initiated by Christine
Schulze, Vice President of Concordia, who
has been a part of the organization for 40
years and also serves as the chair emeritus
of the Alliance of International Education and Cultural Exchange, she was joined by Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton, Dean of Waldsee, the German Language Village. He gave an intriguing lecture titled “Walls That Fell and Walls Still to Fall: What the Fall of the Berlin Wall Means for Us
Today”. This was followed by stimulating a conversation on the consequences of the fall of
the Wall and the next phase of European unity. Dr. Hamilton is also the Executive Director at
the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins University, the Executive Director
of the American Consortium on EU Studies, and Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Research
Professor. Following the lecture was a social hour with light refreshments, an opportunity
for guests to explore the theme of the Berlin Wall further, and a chance to look at “The Fall
of the Wall” exhibit. The GAHF was thankful for the opportunity to establish ties with yet
another American educational foundation.
Christmas Party & Weihnachtskonzert with the Popp Family
The GAHF ended its 2014 cultural events lineup with an enchanting
Christmas party and concert featuring live zither music performed by the
Popp family of Zürich, Switzerland. The trio consists of Johannes Popp
(zither) and two of his children, Simon (piano) and Magdalena (flute). The
program began with a concerto by Leonardo Leo followed by compositions by Mudarra, Brahms, and Haydn. Guests sang along to the second
part of the program with a selection of German and American Christmas
favorites including “O, Du Fröhliche,” Kling, Glöckchen,” and “Jingle Bells.”
Johannes Popp has a unique German-American connection as his greatgrandfather left Germany during the 1800s and settled in Wisconsin. Not
striking any luck in the United States, he returned to Europe where the
family still resides today.
Guests snacked on Lebkuchen, Stollen, and enjoyed delicious warm Glühwein. Excitement abounded over the holiday raffle fundraiser, with firstplace winner receiving a weekend getaway for two at the Sheraton University Hotel in Philadelphia, with transportation
provided by Amtrak. The lucky winners of the first prize were GAHF members John and Jane Pontius from Rockville, MD.
Second prize, a voucher for the chauffeur service “Sunny”, went to GAHF member Katherine Fargey, and third prize, a
Christmas gift basket, was presented to our guest Matthias Hahn.
Bringing in the New Year with Claire Huangci
As a toast to the New Year, the GAHF’s Classical Concert Series continued with a stellar performance by the legendary
pianist Claire Huangci. Dubbed by the late Vladimir Krainev as having “the fastest fingers in the world”, Huangci enchanted
our audience on Saturday, January 10th with a piano recital featuring a number
of fast-paced classical sonatas. The concert began with Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata’s in G Major, followed by Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat, famously
known as Les Adieux or by its German title “Lebewohl”. Claire Huangci then played
Frédéric Chopin’s moving Funeral March and ended the concert with a brilliant
rendition of Tchaikovsky’s works. Making the concert even more special, Huangci
played on our very own Wurlitzer baby grand piano, which was donated to the
GAHF last year by board member Wendy Wurlitzer. The concert was followed by a
meet and greet with the artist, where she signed and sold out all copies of her new
album “The Sleeping Beauty”. We feel so honored to have had Huangci play on our
Wurlitzer piano and look forward to the continuum of top-notch cultural programming - as part of our Classical Concert Series in 2015.
THE AMBASSADOR
MEMBER’S CORNER
New Officers and Board of Directors
At the Annual Membership Meeting and 4th Quarterly Board Meeting in November 2014,
the following GAHF Officers were elected:
Dr. John M. Manoyan, President
Dr. Ron Docksai, First Vice President
Hank Stoffel, Second Vice President
Hardy von Auenmüller, Vice President Finance
Wendy Wurlitzer, Treasurer
Michelle K. Brooks, Secretary
Wendy Wurlitzer resigned in January 2015 as GAHF Treasurer but remains a Board Member.
The Board of Directors thanks her for her dedication and commitment to the GAHF. At the first
Quarterly Board Meeting on February 28, 2015, Dorothee Berendes was elected Treasurer
who accepted the Board’s nomination. Helge Wehmeier, recipient of the 2014 Distinguished
German-American of the Year Award, was recently elected to join the Board. Congratulations
were extended to both Board Members on their appointments with best wishes.
Congratulations, Fort Germanna!
Spring 2015 | Page 9
Welcome,
New Members!
are very happy to welWecome
the following new
members to the GermanAmerican Heritage Foundation of the USA®, and thank
them very much for their
interest in our work and for
their support:
Ellen Blankertz, VA
Joseph Coughlin, CO
Fuad El-Hibri, MD
Erika Freya Harms, VA
Charles Fleming Krewson &
Richard Freuring, NY
Dr. John Pieper, MO
Paul Rhein, DE
Dr. Dieter Schellinger, DC
John & Nancy Showers, PA
Thomas Snyder, CA
Helge & Erika Wehmeier, PA
Our partner organization’s archaeological site
“Fort Germanna / Enchanted Castle” has been
nominated for inclusion on the World Monuments A Special Thank-You
Fund 2016 Watch List. The Watch List, published
every two years, calls international attention to We’d like to express our specultural heritage sites around the globe.
cial thanks to the following
members and sponsors for
The Germanna Foundation re-started archaeo- their outstanding generosity
logical exploration and interpretation of the Fort and recent support:
Germanna and Enchanted Castle site (listed on
the National Register of Historic Places). IncreasErich Ast, PA
ing awareness of the fragile site’s significance is its
Bayer Corporation
main reason for seeking inclusion into the 2016 Watch List. The nomination also helps the GerPNC Bank
manna Foundation prepare to seek Historic Landmark status as recommended by the Virginia
Waltraud Prechter, MI
Department of Historic Resources.
Albert Schlenker, CA
The German Society of
Pennsylvania
Hardy von Auenmueller, PA
Don’t miss THE ECONOMIST article “The Silent Minority” published on February 7th, 2015, Helge & Erika Wehmeier, PA
which mentions the German-American Heritage Museum.
The GAHM in the News:
Event Listings in the GAHM e-Newsletter
New!
GAHF Corporate
Membership
In an effort to support our member organizations with regards to outreach and publicity, we
offer more added value to our Member Clubs, incl. promoting their events in our monthly
GAHM e-Newsletter that is sent to more than 5,000 GAHF friends. Consider a Club Membership on Gold Level and contact us at [email protected] with your event information. Please Corporations and foundasee page 11 for more details.
tions are now invited to join
our GAHF family as a corporate member for $5,000/
New Wall of Recognition at the Museum
year. Main benefit is to use
the auditorium at the GAHM
A Five-Year-Anniversary Wall of Recognition will be unveiled at our Annual Council of 1000 for one corporate event per
Award Gala this fall and installed in the museum’s entrance area acknowledging all donors year, and to be featured on
who contributed $5,000 and more by September 30, 2015.
our website www.gahmusa.
The GAHF hopes that our members and friends continue their support by making a special org. Please see page 11 for
contribution to our 5-Year-Anniversary Fund Drive, which kicked off in March 2015.
more details.
THE AMBASSADOR
IN MEMORIAM
Spring 2015 | Page 10
In Memory of our Distinguished
German-American of the Year™ for 2007
and Member of our Board of Directors
Margrit Beran Krewson
March 31, 1936* – November 6, 2014†
As a Nation we are forever indebted to Margrit Beran Krewson for bringing the Birth Certificate of America to the United States as a permanent Exhibit in the Library of Congress. Mrs.
Krewson served as the German/Dutch Area Specialist in the Library of Congress from 1980
until 1998. Prior to that appointment, she held several positions in the Library’s Loan Division,
first as Head of the Circulation Section and then as Planning Officer. She was responsible for
raising funds for three major Library Exhibits that also traveled to Germany. During her tenure
she raised more than a million dollars for the Library’ acquisition and outreach programs.
During her retirement, she spent an additional six years, working tirelessly and spending
some of her own funds concluding the Library of Congress’ acquisition of the Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 World Map, best known as the Birth Certificate of America. For more than 350
years the map had been in the possession of Johannes Prince Waldberg-Wolfegg, Waldsee
and his forefathers. Margrit Krewson raised an additional four million dollars for the purchase
of another large World Map, the Carta Marina of 1516 which was part of the Waldseemüller Portfolio. This was the catalyst that prompted Jay Kislak to donate his collection of Early
Americana to the Library of Congress. In addition she facilitated the display of two exhibits,
“Treasures from the Saxon State Library” at the Dade County Library in Miami, and “600 Years University of Leipzig” at the
Grolier Club in New York City.
Margrit B. Krewson is the author of more than twenty bibliographic publications and exhibit catalogs on German and Dutch
subjects. She has also published in Bibliotheksdienst, the German professional library journal. She lectured widely, including Harvard University. She held memberships in the American Library Association, German-American Heritage Society,
Netherlands-American Amity Trust, the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®, and the Cosmos Club. She was
the initiator of the VIP Lecture Series, bringing noted ambassadors to the Tampa Bay Committee on Foreign Relations at the
University of Tampa.
She received numerous honors and awards:
Groβes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich
Orden van Oranje-Nassau (Ritter) van de Nederlanden
Orden der Krone (Ritter) van Belgien
Superior Service Award from the Library of Congress
First Honorary Member of the Map Society of the Library of Congress
2007 Distinguished German-American of the Year™ from the GAHF
Margrit Beran Krewson was born in Hamburg, Germany and was educated in Heidelberg at the undergraduate level. She
received an MA Degree in Germanic Language and Literature from the George Washington University in Washington, DC,
where she was awarded the BUKA Prize for outstanding scholarship in Germanic Area Studies. Margrit Krewson will be
interred at the Arlington National Cemetery with her beloved husband of 58 years, Charles Fleming Krewson III who predeceased her last year. She is survived by her daughter, Colonel Caroline H. Krewson, USAF (Ret.) of Alexandria, VA and Charles
F. Krewson IV of New York, NY.
We will hold Margrit B. Krewson in our Memory as a person who worked tirelessly to further sound relations and friendship
between the United States and Germany and worked diligently and continuously to expand the permanent German and
German-American Collections of the Library of Congress. Her counsel will be sorely missed.
THE AMBASSADOR
MEMBERSHIP
Spring 2015 | Page 11
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Support Our Mission by Becoming a Member or Renewing Your Membership.
The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® (GAHF) is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational 501(c)(3) organization with no government funding chartered in 1977 as United German-American Committee, Inc.
The foundation’s work which includes operating the German-American Heritage Museum ™ (GAHM) in Washington D.C. is
only possible through the generous contributions of our members, donors, and sponsors.
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP
CLUB MEMBERSHIP “VEREIN’S CIRCLE”
STUDENT (non-voting):
$ 25
ASSOCIATE MEMBER (non-voting): $ 50
BASIC MEMBER:
$ 100
SUPPORTER:
$ 250
BENEFACTOR:
$ 500
COUNCIL OF 1000:
$1,000
PATRON:$5,000
BASIC:
BRONZE:
SILVER:
GOLD:
BENEFITS:
ALL LEVELS
Reduced admission to museum events
Quarterly GAHF newsletter The Ambassador
BASIC
All of the above
Courtesy Copy of German World Magazine
Discounts on a selection of products and services offered
by GAHF partners (Review “Members’ Corner” at
www.gahmusa.org )
SUPPORTER
All of the above
Mention on membership page of our website
BENEFACTOR
All of the abovee
Recognition in GAHF newsletter The Ambassador
COUNCIL OF 1000
All of the above
Invitation to exclusive VIP events
PATRON
All of the above
2 Tickets for Annual Distinguished German-American Award Gala
$ 1 PER MEMBER ($25 minimum)
$ 26 - $149
$ 150 - $499
$ 500 and above
BENEFITS:
ALL LEVELS
Listing of organization’s name incl. link on www.gahmusa.org
Courtesy copy of German World Magazine
BRONZE
All of the above
Listing in GAHF newsletter The Ambassador for one year
SILVER
All of the above
Organization’s portrayal incl. picture on GAHF website
GOLD
All of the above
Promotion organization’s events in GAHM’s monthly eNewsletter
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP $ 5,000
BENEFITS:
• One time use of museum’s auditorium for corporate event
• 2 Tickets for Annual Distinguished German-American Award Gala
• Display of company’s promotional material at museum
• Recognition in GAHF newsletter The Ambassador
• Company portrayal and picture on GAHF website
• Company Logo on GAHF website
German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®
719 Sixth Street NW – Washington DC 20001
(202) 467 5000 – [email protected] – www.gahmusa.org
"
_ Yes, I/we would like to support the GAHF in 2015 through a membership on _____________ level
_ Yes, I/we would like to make a contribution to the Annual Operating Fund of the German-American Heritage Museum of
the USA™ in the amount of $ ________________________
PAYMENT METHOD
_ I/We paid online on www.gahmusa.org
_ Check payable to GAHF is enclosed
_ Please charge my credit card _ VISA _ Mastercard
Name: __________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________
Email/Phone: ____________________________________
All contributions are tax-deductible within governing tax laws.
Name on Card: ___________________________________
Card Number: ______________________________
Exp. Date: ___/____
ZIP: ____________
Signature ________________________
Date: ___________
German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®
719 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 467-5000 • Fax: (202) 467-5440
Email: [email protected] • www.gahmusa.org
Address Service Requested
@ GAHMuseum
DISCOVER EINSTEINCHEN
OUR ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
EVERY GERMAN-AMERICAN HAS A STORY,
SHARE YOURS WITH US!
German-Americans are still the single largest ethnic
group in the USA, but their stories go largely untold.
By recording your stories with the EINSTEINCHEN oral
history project, you help preserve German-American history.
This project has been sponsored by the Transatlantic Program of Germany with funds of the
European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
Visit www.gahmusa.org -> Oral History Project and Join!