German-American Day, 2023

Proclamation 10647 of October 6, 2023

German-American Day, 2023

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On German-American Day, we honor the over 40 million
Americans who claim German heritage and the countless
ways they have strengthened the diverse fabric of our
Nation.

They have since the beginning. In 1683, 13 German
families fled religious persecution at home and founded
the first German settlement just outside of
Philadelphia. Ever since, the story of German Americans
has been inextricable from the story of America: German
Americans fought for our freedom in the Revolutionary
War, debates over the deliberations of the Continental
Congress happened in German coffeehouses, a local
German newspaper was the first to break the news that
the Declaration of Independence had been signed, and so
much more.

Today, German Americans continue to enrich our Nation's
character and culture as leaders in every sector and
community. They also form the cornerstone of our
Nation's strong bonds with Germany and its people. As
capable allies and close friends, the partnership
between Germany and the United States is essential to
our joint efforts to address global challenges--from
tackling climate change and food insecurity to
defending human rights and democracy. And together, we
will continue to stand up for the values that unite
us--freedom, liberty, and sovereignty--including
standing with the brave people of Ukraine as they
defend themselves against Russia's brutal aggression.

On this day--340 years after the first German
settlement was founded on American shores--let us
celebrate the incredible legacy of generations of
German Americans and the unbreakable bonds of
friendship between our two countries.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, do hereby proclaim
October 6, 2023, as German-American Day. I urge all
Americans to celebrate the rich and varied history of
German Americans and remember the many contributions
they have made to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.