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PRINTER'S NO. 3314
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 497
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY MALAGARI, FREEMAN, CONKLIN, PICKETT, M. MACKENZIE,
McNEILL, PASHINSKI, HOHENSTEIN, GUENST, HADDOCK, HILL-EVANS,
MENTZER, SANCHEZ, RIVERA, NEILSON, D. WILLIAMS, GALLAGHER AND
HEFFLEY, APRIL 28, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, APRIL 29, 2026
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, On October 6, 1683, 13 families, having sailed
earlier from the German City of Krefeld, established Germantown,
Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in America; and
WHEREAS, Germantown became the first American community to
formally protest the evils of slavery in 1688; and
WHEREAS, Between the 1680s and the American Revolution, the
majority of an estimated 100,000 German immigrants coming to
North America settled in this Commonwealth, comprising a third
of Philadelphia's population by the 1760s; and
WHEREAS, In the many years since, millions of German
immigrants have come to the United States and this Commonwealth
in pursuit of personal and religious freedoms and economic
opportunity; and
WHEREAS, Their descendants continue to shape the cultural
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landscape of this Commonwealth, with more than 2.6 million
Pennsylvanians reporting German ancestry, making it the largest
ancestry group in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1764, the German Society of
Pennsylvania is the oldest German organization in the United
States and serves the State's German-American community; and
WHEREAS, The German Society of Pennsylvania, based in
Philadelphia, seeks to foster a better understanding between the
United States and Germany by advocating awareness of German
culture, traditions and contributions to the history, culture,
economy, science and technology of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Today, Pennsylvania and the Federal Republic of
Germany enjoy a close relationship through our shared history
and common interests; and
WHEREAS, Germany is one of this Commonwealth's most important
trade partners, with $1.72 billion in Pennsylvania exports going
to Germany in 2024 and 44,100 workers employed by German-based
companies as of 2022; and
WHEREAS, German Americans are rightfully proud of how their
deep cultural, historical and familial ties have helped
strengthen this robust transatlantic relationship; therefore be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the German
heritage of this Commonwealth; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives celebrate the
important relationship between this Commonwealth and the Federal
Republic of Germany.
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