In the United States on October 6th, National German-American Day celebrates the German heritage millions of Americans claim.

Celebrate your German-American heritage. Invite friends and family to taste the foods and customs of Germany. Share the language. Discover words the English language adopted from German. Explore the history of immigration by visiting museums near you. Use #GermanAmericanDay to post on social media.

National German-American Day was initially celebrated in the nineteenth century. However, it fell out of favor during World War I.

Then in the 1980s, things began to change. As is tradition, President Ronald Reagan made his world tour in 1982, which included West Germany. Amid a cold war and a divided Germany, the newly elected U.S. President spoke to the people of Bonn. He opened his speech by relating the history of the 13 German families who founded a colony on American soil. He spoke of contributions, advancement, science, and art and the honor to celebrate the German heritage that more than 7 million Americans claim.

To honor the 300th anniversary of German-American immigration and culture into the United States, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October 6th as German-American Day. It was on August 6, 1987, that Congress approved S.I. Resolution 108, designating October 6, 1987, as German-American Day, and it became Public Law 100-104 when President Reagan signed it on August 18. He issued Proclamation #5719 on October 2, 1987, and at this time, the President called on Americans to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. It has been commemorated each year since with Presidential Proclamations.

“The noblest objective of our diplomacy is the patient and difficult task of reconciling our adversaries to peace. And I know we all look forward to the day when the only industry of war will be the research of historians.”

– Ronald Reagan