Steuben Parade Recognized by NYS and NYC Officials

They are given out regularly and sometimes without much fanfare: Proclamations. The German-American Steuben Parade is honored to be awarded with several every year, but regrets that too few people get the chance to read what legislators (and their staff) write there. This is unfortunate, because many Proclamations aside from expressing respect for the German-American heritage, it´s culture and traditions are also quick lessens in German-American history.

The Steuben Parade Committee is pleased to present scans of some of the Proclamations we got this past season.

One of them is issued by the New York State Senate and signed by Senator Ruben Diaz from New York´s 32nd District. Its pays tribute to the "prominent German-Americans, including: President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Yankeed Baseball Legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Physicist Albert Einstein, Mayor Robert F Wagner, and Nobel Prize Winner and New York City´s own Dr. Günther Blobel" presenting a remarkable line of Americans of German heritage from all walks of life.

The same Proclamation also offers some interesting statistics: It says that, according to the latest available census data Germans are the single largest ethnic group in 24 of America´s 50 states as well as 28 of New York State´s 62 counties.

Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer acknowledges the fifth year of Lars Halter being General Chairman of the Steuben Parade and applauds the Grand Marshals. Like most Proclamations it names Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Dr. Michael Möller personally. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz does the same and congratulates the Grand Marshals for "shining a light on the many extraordinary contributions that German-Americans bring to the rich cultural life" of Brooklyn - and the nation.

Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall focuses more on the historic contributions of the Parade´s namesake General von Steuben and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. thanks the many volunteers who put their time and efforts into staging the Steuben Parade. Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro remembers German-American influences on Staten Island where most German immigrants made a home in the North Shore neighborhoods of Clifton and Stapleton and founded breweries including Bechtel´s, Bachmann´s, Bischoff´s, Rubsam and Horrman´s.

Help us prepare for the 54th Parade!

We are looking for volunteers and sponsors to help the Parade Committees prepare for our 54th year.  Any help is appreciated, we are looking for staff for parade day, sponsors for floats and performing groups, and donations to help spread our message of friendship and community support.

We also need help spreading our message across the web on informational sites like Wikipedia, event sites, and German-American sites. -Mark Ameres

West Point Cadets toast Gen. Steuben at their Oktoberfest (Oct. 2010) For many years, Officers and Cadets from the Military Academy at West Point have marched in the Annual Steuben Parade to pay tribute to the Prussian General who helped establish the Academy on the Hudson River and wrote the drill manual that to date is the basis for military training in the US Army. Recently, the Officers and Cadets of the German Language Club celebrated Oktoberfest, and members of the Steuben Parade Committee were in attendance. → more President Obama proclaims "German-American Day" (Oct. 6, 2010) For over two decades, October 6th has been celebrated as "German-American Day" in the entire USA. This holiday was first declared by then President Ronald Reagan who signed the first proclamation in 1987. Today, President Barack Obama has followed and just signed the presentation for 2010, in which he remembers the arrival of the first German settlers on October 6th, 1683 as well as the achievements of many who came after them. The President also mentions the strong ties between Germany and the United States in today´s time and the shared vision of both countries for "a safer, more free, more peaceful, more prosperous world". Click here to view the document!

STEUBEN PARADE MAKES HEADLINES ALL OVER GERMANY (Sept. 2010) Thanks to great coverage by German Press Agency "dpa" and their New York based correspondent Chris Melzer, this year´s Steuben Parade made it into hundreds of newspapers throughout Germany. The following stories are written in German, and they are part of the reason why so many groups from Germans, Switzerland and Austria are visiting New York every year to be part of the events on Fifth Avenue. → more (in German) STEUBEN PARADE DRAWS RAFFLE WINNERS (Sept. 2010) One of the most important fundraisers the Steuben Parade Committee organizes every year is our raffle with valuable prizes including a roundtrip ticket for 2 people to Germany. At this year´s Oompahfest in Franklin Square - the official after-party of the Steuben Parade - Miss German-America, Stephanie Russell-Kraft and her Court picked our winners. The winner of the Grand Prize, a flight for two people to Germany, is → more
STEUBEN PARADE IS READY TO MARCH, ONLY FIVE DAYS TO GO! The Steuben Parade has thousands of marchers and 25 floats ready to march. For our 53rd event, we are expecting 15 groups from Germany and Austria, and clubs from as far as California, Florida, & Chicago. → more	STEUBEN PARADE GALA BANQUET - A BLACK-TIE HIGHLIGHT OF PARADE WEEKEND German-Americans from all over the US will celebrate their heritage and culture with another magnificent Steuben Parade on Fifth Avenue. The Gala Banquet is a highlight for the German-American society and Benefit for the Parade. → more
Meissen Porcelain Salutes the Steuben Parade during Meissen's 300th Anniversary Celebration The upcoming German-American Steuben Parade is proud to celebrate one of Germany´s greatest and most historic brands with a special one-night-only exhibition during a Gala Banquet in benefit of the Parade at the New York Hilton & Towers on Friday, September 24: The exhibition honors the "Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen" celebrating its 300th Anniversary. → more Mayor Bloomberg and Dr. Ruth Westheimer kick off “German-American Friendship Month” “German-American Friendship Month” has started with a bang – or, to be precise – with four bangs hammered out by “Dr. Ruth” Westheimer as she closed the trading session at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday with a giant wooden gavel. “Dr. Ruth”, legendary sex therapist and author, is a Grand Marshal in the upcoming Steuben Parade and has been a Guest of Honor at two exciting events on the first day of September. → more Embodying German-American Friendship: My Royal Summer as Queen of the Court Almost 23 years ago, President Reagan declared Tuesday, October 6, 1987, to be German-American Friendship Day. That happens to be my birthday – the very day I was born to a German mother and an American father. I’ve always joked that German-American friendship is my own personal story. I grew up in Southern California, and my American roots are undeniable. But my German grandmother, who lives in northern Bavaria, has also been one of the most powerful influences in my life. She has, at times, acted more like a mother than a ’grandmother,’ raising me the only way she knew: as a German. → more

"Dr. Ruth” to lead German-American Steuben Parade The legendary Therapist and Author will be a Grand Marshal on Fifth Avenue German born sex therapist, author and media legend “Dr. Ruth” Westheimer will be a Grand Marshal in the German-American Steuben Parade on Fifth Avenue on Sept. 25th. Every year, the German-American Committee of Greater New York honors distinguished German-Americans with that title and has them lead the colorful parade up Fifth Avenue. → more

Donate to the Parade... and win a Trip to Munich!

You enjoy German beer and Gemütlichkeit? You must love Munich... and we will get you there. Donate to the German-American Committee of Greater New York, support the Steuben Parade and other cultural activities, and enter our raffle with the chance to win a trip to Munich for 2 on Continental Airlines.

To donate now, please go to http://www.germanparadenyc.org/donate.html and show your support at the level you feel comfortable with. Every donation, no matter how large or little, will give you a chance to win a trip to Munich or 4 tickets to see the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. We kindly ask you to give as generously as possible to support the work of our German-American Committee. Your donation is fully tax-deductable.

To view our donation letters and to find out how to donate without using the Internet, please click here.

Thank you - and good luck!

Miss German-America

Stephanie Russell-Kraft is "Miss German-America" - The Committee is proud of their new Royalty

Stephanie Russell-Kraft is a symbol of German-American Friendship. Born to a German mother and American father on October 6, 1987 - the very day President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation for the first Annual "German-American Day" -, she has been enjoying both sides of her heritage ever since. → more

View the 2009 Parade Video on YouTube.com/SteubenParade