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History

The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® serves as the only national membership organization through which Americans, proud of their German heritage and language, work together on vital issues of common concern. With almost 18,000 members throughout the United States, we continuously strive to add programs and services which nationally highlight the contributions and achievements of our ethnic group.

Since Jamestown, the first colonial settlement in the New World was founded 400 years ago, immigrants from Germany and German speaking countries have had a considerable influence in economically and politically building up America. Unfortunately, this has been largely forgotten.

The United German-American Committee of the USA (UGAC) was founded in 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by a group of individuals and organizational delegates interested in elevating the nationwide profile of German-Americans. The UGAC was chartered in Pennsylvania in 1978. It is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Educational organization. Our founder, Dr. Hans R. Haug, recognized that while there were many local and regional German American clubs and organizations, there was no organization which represented our ethnic group on a national level.

Highlights in Our History

• Participated in the Tricentennial celebrations in 1983 marking the three-hundredth anniversary of the emigration of thirteen Quaker and Mennonite families from Krefeld, Germany to Pennsylvania and of the founding of their settlement of Germantown
• In support of German-American relations, we participated in raising funds to have the New York Art Foundry cast a 25-foot bronze statue, Das Auswanderer-Denkmal, which now stands in the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany
  
• Generated public and financial support for the establishment of the German-American Friendship Garden on the grounds of the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.
• In order to achieve the dreams of the founding members the organization opened an office in Washington, DC in 2004
• In October 2008 we acquired Hockemeyer Hall, 719 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, DC to become the first national German-American Heritage Museum of the USA. The grand Opening of the Heritage Museum took place on March 20, 2010.