Mr. Bern E. Deichmann, President of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA,
Board of Directors,
Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer,
Distinguihed guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,


Good evening.

Thank you for inviting me to this wonderful event this evening. It is a privilege to be here and to attend the 22nd Annual Award & Fundraising Gala of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA. It is a pleasure to share with you the distinguished tradition in paying tribute to Americans of German-speaking ancestry and to celebrate our common heritage.

Americans of German speaking ancestry comprise an estimated 42 million people, almost 15 percent of the US population. They have contributed and contribute in so many ways to building this great nation. From Kurt Weill to Kurt Vonnegut, from Levi Strauss to Anheuser Busch, from Heinrich Steinway to Henry Kissinger, from Günter Blobel to Norman Schwarzkopf - and tonight allow me to particularaly highlight Wernher von Braun and his scholar and collegue Jesco von Puttkamer - these and many more distinguished persons have become  legends, their careers have shaped political, economic, scientific and cultural life of the US, and their names have become household names which travelled around the globe.

In fact, “few people have blended so completely into the multicultural tapestry of American society and yet have made such singular economic, political, social, scientific and cultural contributions to the growth and success of the United states as have Americans of German extraction”. It was former President Reagan who choose these words of praise and admiration, when he established German-American Day 21 years ago. 42 million Americans can be proud:  of their American patriotism and their German speaking ancestry.

All these reasons make the mission of the German American Heritage Foundation so significanct: Preserving and promoting German heritage in language and culture throughout the United States and working together on vital issues of common concern is essential for fostering  transatlantic understanding and cooperation. I would like to thank Mr. Deichmannn as President and the Board members of the German Heritage Foundation for their unwaivering commitment and dedication in supporting the foundation and in leading it to new horizons: on October 15th you have acquired the famous Hockemeyer Hall in North West Washington DC. At this great location you will inaugurate the first National German-American Heritage Center of the USA next spring.  Congratulation to you for this farsighted and wise decision.

With this promising perspective in mind we are here today to honor the exemplary leadership, the outstanding achievements and the genorosity of two remarkable Americans of German ancestry: Prof. Jesco Freiherr von Puttkamer - and posthumously -  Wilma L. Schmidt, who both  will receive the Distinguished German-American of the Year Award 2008.

Before we do, I would like to thank the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, one of America’s oldest and most active German-American organizations, for being such a generous host and for providing this wonderfull setting and ambiente and the Kauriga Orchester for its enchating tunes.


Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you know, I have arrived in NY a couple of month ago So I have not had the opportunity, the pleasure and honor to personally meet Wilma Schmidt who passed away this mid-September at the age of 90. I know that many here in the audience have appreciated Wilma Schmidt as an extraordinary and charming lady – perhaps not a surprise for someone born in Göttingen and raised in Berlin combining the virtues of both cities. Wilma Schmidt was someone who loved music and liked to travel – and someone who believed in charity and volunteer work.

Without the generosity and incessant devotion of benefactors like Wilma L. Schmidt, even the German American Heritage Foundation  could not survive, let alone thrive. One of her sincerest wishes was to see the German-American Heritage Center be established in Washington. It is thanks to individuals like her that this dream will come true. Sadly, she cannot experience the fruits of her generosity. I believe it is a most appropriate gesture that the Exhibit Hall of the German-American Heritage Center in Washington will bear her name.


Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I kindly invite you to observe a moment of silence to honor Wilma L. Schmidt.
Thank you.


Ladies and Gentlemen,
Jesco von Puttkamer is truly a most inspiring, ingenious and innovative person – inside or outside of NASA, on earth and who knows where. He has been honoured in various ways for his exceptional career and service to mankind. The letters of congratulations that he received today are vivid proof of his outstanding reputation.

Much has been said and written about him. He fascinates adults as well as students and children alike. Everyone reads his books and enjoy his shows and films.

In 1962 Wernher von Braun sent a cable calling on Jesco von Puttkamer, then a young engineer in Aachen/Germany: “Come to Huntsville. We are going to the Moon”.  Jesco von Puttkamer replied instantly: “And where do we go from there?” Jesco von Puttkamer has always focused his attention far into outer space. For him the moon was a necessary, but not an ultimate stop, probably just a stopover to Mars.

An advocate for life on Mars and a visionary-in-chief for NASA, he is now devoting his experience and knowledge to the project “Vision for Space Exploration”. The core goal of this endeavour is to build a sustainable presence of humans on the Moon, as mandated by President Bush in 2004. NASA’s new fleet will retire space shuttles and take robotic explorers and ultimately human pioneers to Mars and possibly beyond.

I don’t believe that the Distinguished German-American of the Year Award as ever been presented to a Martian. Well, today it is.  Prof. Jesco von Puttkammer is a man from Mars - I dare say -  and I mean that as a compliment:  boundaries do not limit him as he reaches beyond the confines of Earth.

Jesco von Putkammer’s life credo is, and allow me to quote in German: “Ein Land ohne Visionen hat eine Jugend ohne Perspektiven, und mit einer Jugend ohne Perspektiven erlebt so ein Land einen Werteverfall und hat keine Zukunft.” – „A nation without visions has a youth with no prospects. And when a nation’s youth has no prospects it is doomed to a depreciation of values and therefore has no future.“

Your credo will live on into future generations. For you, human space flight is an ethical obligation to future generations. Indeed, pursuing your vision of space flight and exploration of outer space is an inspiration for young people, in particular in the US and in Germany.


Jesco von Puttkamer inspires not only as an exceptional visionary mind with a keen imagination – as a kind of John Lennon of Space. He embodies a unique combination of vision with practical skill and effective implementation.

As member of Wernher von Braun’s Rocket Team at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Jesco von Puttkamer was key to the success of the Apollo landing programm. In 1974 he transferred to NASA headquarters and since then has significantly contributed to its many technical and scientific achievements such as the Skylab and the Space Shuttle programs.

His outstanding accomplishments have also had significant political impact.- during and after the Cold War. During the Cold War space activity was still defined by the arms race between the United States and the former Soviet Union. After the Cold War, in 1998, the International Space Station ISS was launched. Again, Jesco von Puttkamer participated in its creation and advocated international space cooperation.

Today, the ISS serves as an example that former Cold War adversaries cooperate in an international alliance in the universe - together with Europe, Canada and Japan. It is the greatest human outpost in space and laid the foundation of a new era of space relations. Starting from 2010, all astronauts bound for the ISS will leave from Star City, Russia. And this September three Chinese taikonauts experienced their first space walk. And I am sure that Jesco von Puttkamer will agree, when I express our hope that China will be fully integrated into the international space cooperation.

Time does not permit to mention all the accomplishments Jesco von Puttkamer deserves credit for. But I would like to draw your attention to some of his achievements, which may not be that well known, but which are essential in fostering transatlantic ties.

Jesco von Puttkamer is a devoted advocate for space education.  And just as he reaches beyond the confines of earth, he reaches beyond borders on earth itself. Close cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency ESA has always been important to him.  Jesco von Puttkamer’s transatlantic efforts to build on these common European-American interests deserve special appreciation.

He helped create the “German Space Education Institute” in his birth city Leipzig, where he encourages the extracurricular advancements of prospective engineers and scientists. In April 2007 - sponsored by the German Space Education Institute - a group of six German students, ages 13 to 17, for the first time  participated in the “Great Moon buggy Race” in Huntsville / Alabama.

Jesco von Puttkamer is famous for his TV lectures in Germany and also for the Science Fiction literature he wrote during his time as an engineering student to pay for his studies. He also worked as Technical Advisor to Paramount Pictures for “Star Trek – The movie” of 1979. True to himself he coined the famous slogan: “Space – the Human Adventure is just beginning.”

And so, the world-renowned rocket scientist made human space travel popular and sponsored broad understanding for space programs.


Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is the merit of science and research that allows humans not to only look, but also to reach for the stars. Both disciplines help mankind to explore the new frontiers of the 21st century. Understanding the philosophical nature of human existence and aiming to provide answers for the future is a daunting and tempting challenge for mankind. It takes men like Jesco von Puttkamer to teach us how to look beyond the horizon and to share the ambition to consider what today seems  inconceivable to be within reach.

Americas space program has been inspirational to the world. It has made landmark scientific discoveries. And it is the contribution of German-born Americans that helped shape space research and industry from the beginning. Jesco von Puttkamer, born in Leipzig, has been an instrumental part of this endeavor for 46 years and his outstanding and distinguished career has been intertwined with the historic accomplishments of human space flight for half a century.

It is more than fitting that you, Jesco von Puttkamer, receive the nationally recognized and prestigious 2008 Distinguished German-American of the Year Award at a time when America celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement and we remember the first courageous German pioneers to arrive there in 1608.  And it is as appropriate that today’s celebration takes place in the City of Brotherly Love – where 325 years ago the first German families settled in Germantown.

You are a symbol of pioneering leadership encouraging us to take on the challenges of the 21st century and explore new frontiers in the spirit the German-American heritage.

Congratulations and continued success with all of your future personal and professional endeavors.