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MAINZ — The Ministry of the Interior and for Sports hosted a German-American Day celebration at the state chancellery commemorating German-American relations and the transatlantic partnership within the state, Oct. 12.
Germantown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was founded Oct. 6, 1683, by German and Dutch settlers. Today, about 17 percent of Americans have German ancestry.
In 1983 former President Ronald Reagan proclaimed Oct. 6 as German-American Day to celebrate and honor the 300th anniversary of German immigration and culture in the United States. In a formal ceremony Reagan called on Americans to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
Michael Ebling, Secretary of the Interior and for Sports Rheinland-Pfalz, invited key leaders in the Kaiserslautern Military Community to take part in this year’s ceremony. Ebling underlined the significance of close ties to U.S. forces with their presence over seven decades, and how this shaped relations within the state in his speech.
Norman Thatcher Scharpf, U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt consul general, commended the role of the strong transatlantic relationship for three centuries.
Prior to the festive ceremony, a panel discussion took place with members of various agencies, such as the Atlantic Academy in Kaiserslautern, Polizei Rheinland-Pfalz and the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt. The discussion centered around transatlantic relationships over decades.
Additionally, Roberto Saldanha da Costa, 86th Airlift Wing Host Nation advisor, gave an overview of past situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Operation Allies Welcome and the war in Ukraine, and described how building and sustaining strong, resilient partnerships can withstand such circumstances.
In a discussion hosted by David Sirakov, Atlantic Academy director, Da Costa also stressed the significance of grassroots initiatives like the WiR! program. The WiR! program is a state initiative to promote and maintain German-American relations in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It is partnered with the German-American Community Office in Kaiserslautern.
The evening was rounded off with musical entertainment and an opportunity to meet and greet military and civilian key players.
