HR 497 — A Resolution recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania.

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
 1   Recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in
 2      Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, On October 6, 1683, 13 families, having sailed
 4   earlier from the German City of Krefeld, established Germantown,
 5   Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in America; and
 6      WHEREAS, Germantown became the first American community to
 7   formally protest the evils of slavery in 1688; and
 8      WHEREAS, Between the 1680s and the American Revolution, the
 9   majority of an estimated 100,000 German immigrants coming to
10   North America settled in this Commonwealth, comprising a third
11   of Philadelphia's population by the 1760s; and
12      WHEREAS, In the many years since, millions of German
13   immigrants have come to the United States and this Commonwealth
14   in pursuit of personal and religious freedoms and economic
15   opportunity; and
16      WHEREAS, Their descendants continue to shape the cultural
 1   landscape of this Commonwealth, with more than 2.6 million
 2   Pennsylvanians reporting German ancestry, making it the largest
 3   ancestry group in this Commonwealth; and
 4        WHEREAS, Established in 1764, the German Society of
 5   Pennsylvania is the oldest German organization in the United
 6   States and serves the State's German-American community; and
 7        WHEREAS, The German Society of Pennsylvania, based in
 8   Philadelphia, seeks to foster a better understanding between the
 9   United States and Germany by advocating awareness of German
10   culture, traditions and contributions to the history, culture,
11   economy, science and technology of the United States; and
12        WHEREAS, Today, Pennsylvania and the Federal Republic of
13   Germany enjoy a close relationship through our shared history
14   and common interests; and
15        WHEREAS, Germany is one of this Commonwealth's most important
16   trade partners, with $1.72 billion in Pennsylvania exports going
17   to Germany in 2024 and 44,100 workers employed by German-based
18   companies as of 2022; and
19        WHEREAS, German Americans are rightfully proud of how their
20   deep cultural, historical and familial ties have helped
21   strengthen this robust transatlantic relationship; therefore be
22   it
23        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
24   6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it
25   further
26        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the German
27   heritage of this Commonwealth; and be it further
28        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives celebrate the
29   important relationship between this Commonwealth and the Federal
30   Republic of Germany.

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