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Celebrating 20 Years of "Freedom Without Walls"

(© Bob Radske)

On the eve of the 52nd annual Steuben Parade, illuminating the strong ties of friendship between Germany and the United States, New York’s world-famous landmark, the Empire State Building, shone in the national colors of the German flag. On September 19, the Steuben Parade, the biggest German-American procession in the United States and one of New York City’s most colorful parades, drew large crowds and a sea of black, red and gold to Fifth Avenue. It was the time of year again, when thousands of Germans and Americans of German origin came together with friends of the German-American community to celebrate their heritage and friendship. Joined by tourists and visitors from all over the world, with a lot of oompah and pride, Germans and Americans turned Fifth Avenue into “Fest” Avenue.

Among this year’s float themes, two important historic German events were honored: the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago and the 60th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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Germans, Americans and German-Americans of all ages watching the Steuben Parade

(© Bob Radske)

Four Grand Marshals, representing German-Americans from all walks of life, led the 52nd annual Steuben Parade: Christian Haub, Chairman of A & P, whose family is associated with the Tengelmann supermarket empire; Parade co-founder Theobald Dengler, who celebrated his 80th birthday the day of the Parade; Fox 5 news personality Linda Schmidt, who served as emcee the two previous Steuben Parades and Congressman Michael McMahon, who is German-American through his mother’s side. 

Twenty-seven groups traveled across the Atlantic to participate in this year’s Parade, some of them visiting New York for the very first time. They were part of hundreds of German-American associations and clubs that marched from 69th to 86th Street, fashioning historic attire, fancy uniforms and colorful costumes while clapping or dancing to the marching sounds of brass, drums and flutes that mixed with popular folk, rock and jazz tunes. The German Consulate joined the fun with one float; bringing the website “for all things German in New York”, www.GermanyinNYC.org, to the crowds.

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Members of the German Consulate on the "GermanyInNYC" float

(© Bob Radske)

The friendship celebration continued with the Oktoberfest in Central Park, where Parade participants as well as spectators shared beer, sausages and stories.

The Parade, named after Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian-born general who served under General George Washington and helped pave the way to American Independence, was founded in 1957. Since then it moved from the Ridgewood section of Queens to Fifth Avenue. In recent years, the Steuben Parade became the highlight of the German-American Friendship Month.
This September celebrated the German-American Friendship Month for the third time in a row. Launched on September 1 by Consul General Horst Freitag, who rang the closing bell of the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in Times Square, the Parade Committee has been organizing a rich diversity of German-American cultural events and festivites that will continue until the end of this month.