Missouri Germans Consortium

Corridor Bill Signed!

We want to congratulate the Missouri Humanities Council as we hear that Gov. Nixon signed the German Heritage Corridor into law on July 1, 2016!  That is great news and our Congratulations goes out to their entire staff as we know they worked hard on that.  “The newest initiative of the Missouri Humanities Council, the German Heritage Corridor, spans dozens of counties and hundreds of cities, towns, and other municipalities.  Working collaboratively with local governments, cultural organizations, and other community leaders, we’ll be working to shine a spotlight on Missouri’s most treasured heritage sites.  Whether its your local drive-in from an era gone by, a general store still going strong after a century, or some other feature, we’d like to showcase it. Share your story today! Go to http://www.mohumanities.org/ to find out more!” Missouri Humanities Council.

WE ARE STL

 We all know that St. Louis has a strong German connection, but did you ever wonder why or how? On Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 6:30 pm St. Louis County Parks is co-sponsoring with the St. Louis County Library a new series of programs called We Are St.Louis where you can learn more about all of the different backgrounds that make St Louis so great – starting with the Germans!  Missouri Germans Consortium Director Dorris Keeven-Franke brings you the people, events and places that make St. Louis so German! Call and register today as space is limited 314-994-3300. More….

GERMAN AMERICAN DAY 2016 BEING PLANNED NOW!

Save the Date! October 1, 2016  The German American Committee is planning this years German American Day and is in search of sponsors, and wineries and breweries that would like to get involved with this years fun event. More details to follow  – if you or someone you know would like to be part of this years celebration please contact Chairperson Dorris Keeven-Franke at missourigermans@gmail.com

New Honorary German Consul

”On Thursday 30 June 2016, Paul Obernuefemann (l) was officially sworn in as the new

German Honorary Consul in St. Louis by German Deputy Consul General, Mario Soos (r). His appointment took effect July 1st, 2016.We look forward to seeing him at all of our German American events!

MGC would like to congratulate his predecessor Lansing Hecker on his retirement after 12 years of untiring dedication. We asked Herr Lansing what was most memorable about his tenure and he shared the following with us “ 12+ incredible years working with…

5 German Consul Generals,4 German Ambassadors,4 German Presidents and 1 US President. Actually meeting Angela Merkel in her office on the day she was first elected Chancellor,Almost 2,000 German passports issued and 1,000’s of other official services, 6 “thank you” trips (2-weeks each) to Germany, 10 German sister cities organizations, 2 Missouri governors, 2 St. Louis mayors and many other mayors on both sides of both rivers, 2 County Executives and I also attended more German-America fests, celebrations and events on both sides of both rivers than I can count.

I also made more new friends and nice acquaintances, but will always remember my German

citizens and their families, who were always so nice and appreciative of having a “local” consulate that would “save them” from having to make the “dreaded trip to Chicago”.They also appreciated that Germany is the ONLY country IN THE WORLD that offers their citizens the option of applying for a bio-metric passport through an honorary consul and saving another trip to Chicago. Paul will also be appreciated for this one amazing service, particularly with families with young children and seniors who have considerable difficulty traveling to Chicago.

Overall, it was the best (non-family) “life experience” anyone can ever imagine, which my predecessor, Anna Beck, warned me about when she first asked me about the possibility of being considered as a candidate back in 2003. She was right, too.”

Don’t forget! If you are looking for something German to do in Missouri, check out our events calendar! If your German organization is having fun anywhere in Missouri, please let us know and we will be happy to share with everyone. And if you are wanting to keep up with all of the Missouri Germans stories, events, and news we urge you to sign up to follow us!