Greeting from the General Chairman

Welcome Friends!

2009 is a great year for German-Americans, and come September we will celebrate accordingly. It is my honor to invite all of you to the 52nd Annual German-American Steuben Parade in New York City.

This year´s Steuben Parade will feature 25 groups from Germany, among them some of the best marching bands, carnival groups and Trachten we have ever seen on Fifth Avenue. We are also proud to welcome German-American groups from across the country - from the tri-state-area to Wisconsin and California - and we are happy to welcome a special guest from Philadelphia: the famous Aqua String Band of Mummers Parade fame.

Among the themes highlighted in this year´s Steuben Parade is the 60th Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. For both of these historic events - the founding of a free country in Germany and its reunification - Germans have to thank their American friends. It was the friendship and help of the Allies under the leadership of the United States that made the existence of a strong and peaceful Germany possible; it was the American effort and the work of Presidents from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan that brought down Communism.

There are more anniversaries: This July, it has been 40 years since the first man set foot on the surface of the moon. This modern pioneer, Neil Armstrong, is a German-American. His mother, Viola Engel, had her roots in the village of Ladbergen (Westphalia) in the 1860s.

It has been 70 years since another great German-American ended his career: On July 4th, 1939, the New York Yankees celebrated Lou Gehrig Day to honor one of their greatest players. The honoree famously declared himself "the happiest man on the face of the Earth" while the stadium band played "Du, Du liegst mir im Herzen".

German-American history and culture is everywhere, and we are proud of it. We celebrate at our 52nd Annual Steuben Parade, but also with many events throughout German-American Friendship Month, which runs throughout September. Check out the schedule on this web site to stay updated on all events and ticket information.

Before we start celebrating, I want to thank my fantastic team of volunteers who make the events in September possible. Many of them donate money and time to the German-American community so that we can continue to keep our culture and tradition alive, to celebrate the historic achievements of German immigrants, and to foster the friendship between our two countries.
If you want to get involved, you may contact us through this web site, or donate to our efforts. All help and certainly every dollar is greatly appreciated for it helps us grow our Parade and audience for many years to come.

I am looking forward to seeing you in September - at the events of German-American Friendship Month and, of course, on Fifth Avenue for the 52nd Annual German-American Steuben Parade.

Warm regards,

Lars Halter
General Chairman
German-American Steuben Parade

May 2009

German-American Steuben Parade Committee • P.O. Box 3386 • Church Street Station • New York, NY 10008 • Tel. 201-763-7285 • Email: info@germanparadenyc.org