Posted by Oktoberfest 2023
Dir. Katja Sipple
Please join us for Oktoberfest 2023 at the German-American Heritage Museum. Come and mingle with fellow lions and hear fascinating stories about German-Americans and their major contributions to the American way of life as we have today. We are excited to announce that by special arrangement, beer from Weihenstephan will be served, not only the world's oldest brewery (est 1040) but also one of the most innovative. As the oldest still-existing brewery in the world, it stands upon the Weihenstephan hill, surrounded by the comparatively very young Weihenstephan science center of the Technical University of Munich. This is home to a unique tradition and brewing culture developed over the centuries.
The most authentic German Pretzels in the Washington DC area will also be served. Hank Ward is the owner of Das Pretzelhaus. A native of Stuttgart in the southwestern part of Germany, Hank was inspired to learn how to make German pretzels almost two decades ago. He has supplied the Washington, DC, and Baltimore areas with delicious handcrafted pretzels since 2008. His clients include a number of restaurants and wholesalers in the wider metro area.
A 30-min presentation by GAHM Director, Katja Sipple will start at 6:40pm. There will be time afterward for Social and a tour of the museum.
Cosponsored by Yale Club of Washington DC.
German-American Heritage Museum is the only national museum to celebrate, display, and commend the achievements of immigrants who came from German-speaking countries and achieved the American dream. It traces their progress with a timeline, which runs the full length of the exhibition hall. This timeline represents the 400-year presence of German-speakers, who came to America, starting in the 1600s. As one enters the museum, the stairs featuring the names and faces of famous German-Americans welcomes museum visitors and beckons them to venture upward, to the second floor where they will see a number of panels, pointing out the various dates in American history in which German-Americans have had an immense influence.
The museum also houses relics from immigrant families with existing ties to their German heritage. You will be surprised when you see these artifacts and the 350lb. bust of Handel as you round the corner. The museum designates an entire wall to families with a long line of German history and the German heritage clubs operating in the United States today. It is because of these paneled groups and families, and the hard work and dedication of the German-American Heritage Foundation and its members, that this museum was able to become a center devoted to the cause of promoting and educating the public about German-Americans and their history.
Katja Sipple comes to the German-American Heritage Foundation with more than 15 years of experience in non-profit organizations. After her undergraduate studies in Virginia, she pursued a master’s degree in political science at the Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität in Würzburg, where she also began her career as a journalist for a daily newspaper.
After returning to the United States, Ms. Sipple was responsible for media relations at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga. before moving to Seattle, Wash. where she was director of media relations for the University of Washington School of Law. In 2005, she moved back to the East Coast, and established an outreach and development program at the German School Washington, DC while simultaneously pursuing another master’s degree in international relations at American University.