German-American Day, 1996

Proclamation 6931 of October 5, 1996

German-American Day, 1996

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Germans were among the first settlers of the United
States. They, like other immigrants to our country,
came to America seeking a better life for themselves
and their families. In building this better life, they
have immeasurably enriched the lives of their fellow
Americans.

From the beginning of the colonial period and
throughout the history of our republic, German
Americans have contributed their intellect, wealth, and
culture to building, defending, and improving American
life. Organized settlement in America by Germans began
as early as 1683, with the arrival of German Mennonites
in Pennsylvania at the invitation of William Penn.
Pennsylvania soon became the center and stronghold of
German settlement throughout colonial times as small,
vigorous communities spread to Maryland and the other
colonies. Today, robust German-American communities can
be found throughout the United States.

The strength of character and personal honor so
important in the German cultural tradition have also
found their way into the core values of American
society. More U.S. citizens can claim German heritage
than that of any other national group. And every
successive generation of German Americans seems to
produce new heroes and heroines who earn the admiration
of a grateful world.

For example, Carl Schurz served as a Union General in
the Civil War and later rose to become a distinguished
American statesman, both as Senator from Missouri and
as Secretary of the Interior. Johann Peter Zenger, the
publisher of New York Weekly Journal in the early 18th
century, was an early and vigorous champion of the free
press in America. And German-born Albert Einstein made
monumental and historic contributions to our
understanding of the universe.

Our culture has also benefited abundantly from German-
American women. Anna Ottendorfer was a talented
newspaper publisher and philanthropist. The four
Klumpke sisters enriched American life with their
contributions to art, medicine, music, and astronomy,
while Lillian Blauvelt and Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler
enhanced American music.

America has welcomed Germans in search of civic
freedoms, and their idealism has reinforced what was
best in their new country. German-American men and
women have contributed immensely to the fabric of our
Nation, and it is appropriate that we pause to honor
their important role in building our country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, October 6, 1996, as
German-American Day. I encourage Americans everywhere
to recognize and celebrate the contributions that
millions of people of German ancestry have made to our
Nation's liberty, democracy, and prosperity.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
first.