Our 241st Anniversary Dinner will be held on November 2, 2024.
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Welcome to the German Society of Maryland
The German Society of Maryland aims to preserve and promote the German heritage, language, and traditions through educational, social and benevolent programs; and to develop the unity and continuity of the German American community in the State of Maryland.
Membership: Anyone interested in promoting and preserving the German heritage in Maryland may join the Society. We welcome you regardless of ethnic or religious background. Annual dues are $25 per year. Teachers receive a reduced membership rate of $15. Student membership is free. Lifetime memberships are $250.
Donations: The German Society of Maryland is a non-profit, charitable corporation under the provisions of
§501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are welcome and are fully tax-deductible.
Featured Upcoming Events
241st Anniversary Dinner, November 2, 2024
Matthew’s 1600
1600 Frederick Road
Catonsville, MD 21228
November 2, 2024, 6:00–9:00 PM
All members and friends of the German Society of Maryland are invited to attend a banquet celebrating the 241st anniversary of the German Society of Maryland. The dinner will be held at Matthew’s 1600 in Catonsville.
Music will be provided by Frances and Emmanuel Borowsky, a brother-and-sister duo featuring cello and violin. Ms. Katja Sipple, Executive Director of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA, will make a short presentation after dinner.
Tickets may be purchased for $80 per person.
Some Recent Activities
German Society Booth at the Germantown Oktoberfest
Through the courtesy of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, the German Society had a booth at the Germantown Octoberfest on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Society President Steven Harper, First Vice President Bill Kommalan, and member Barbara Harper staffed the booth. Germantown has experienced major growth over the last 50 years, and many current residents know little about the German heritage of their town and state. We signed up a number of new members, whom we hope to see at future German Society events.
Tour of the Schifferstadt Architectural Museumand a Cold Beer at the Frederick Oktoberfest
On September 28, members and friends of the German Society of Maryland had a private tour of the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum.
After the tour, the group re-gathered at the Frederick Oktoberfest and enjoyed a beer together.
About Schifferstadt
Joseph and Cathrine Brunner arrived in Frederick County in 1736. They named their new 302-acre farm Schifferstadt after their hometown in Germany’s Palatinate region.
In 1758 they replaced their initial log cabin with a stone farm house. That home is now one of the oldest in Frederick county and is an example of how German settlers adapted their tradition to the American frontier.
The museum possesses the only 5-plate stove still in its original location (see photo below). The inscription on the plates read: Wo Euer Schatz Ist Da Its Auch Euer Herz (Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart).
Maryland German Festival July 13 &14, 2024
It was great seeing so many of our members at the German Festival! And a special thanks to all those who volunteered in our booth or helped check IDs at the front gate.
We look forward to seeing you next year!
Private Tour of the Baltimore Immigration Museum June 30, 2024
On Sunday June 30, 2024, the Baltimore Immigration Museum gave a private tour of the museum to members of the German Society.
Members were welcomed to the museum by Brigitte Fessenden, President of the Baltimore Immigration Museum. Brigitte is also a past president of the German Society and serves on the Society’s Board of Directors.
Nicholas Fessenden, Historian for the Immigration Museum, spoke about German immigration to the United States and the role that the port of Baltimore played.
Located in Locust Point, the Baltimore Immigration Museum is housed in the former Immigrant House, which was built in 1904 by the neighboring Deutsche Vereinigte Evangelische Christus Kirche (now the Locust Point Community Church UCC) to provide temporary housing for newly arrived immigrants, especially from Germany.
Members had been encouraged to submit the names of ancestors who landed in Baltimore so that museum databases could be searched for information about those people. During the event, participants were able to sit down with a museum volunteer to review what materials had been found their family members.
Participants also enjoyed coffee, iced tea, and other refreshments, as well as homemade Bienstich (Bee Sting) cake baked by German Society President, Steven Harper.
2024 Annual Business Meeting
April 13, 2024
Members of the German Society of Maryland gathered for the Annual Business Meeting on April 13, 2024. Prior to the business portion of the meeting, members enjoined a a light supper of German food and drink catered by Hausfrau Catering.
During the meeting, members elected former-President Kraig Dean to be a Lifetime Director of the Society and Lynette Dean was elected to a 3-year term as a Director. Members also approved bylaw changes reducing the quorum needed for Board Meetings from ten to seven, authorizing online meetings of the Board, and creating the position of Emeritus Director. This new class of directors honors Lifetime Directors who are due to age or health are no longer able to actively serve as directors.
President Steven Harper also reviewed the year’s activities and introduced the winner of the Summer Study Scholarship, Charlie Schmidt, to the assembled members. Charlie is a homeschooled student from Catonsville, MD. He and his parents are members of the Society.
240th Anniversary Dinner (November 4, 2023)
On Saturday, November 4, the German Society of Maryland celebrated its 240th Anniversary with a dinner at the Fogo de Chao restaurant at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
The celebration opened with a toast to the Society with wines from the Weegmüller winery in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, specially purchased for the occasion. After the singing of the German and American national anthems, Pastor Siegfried Otto (a past-president of the Society) offered an invocation and attendees then enjoyed an outstanding meal, albeit Brazilian and not German! During the dessert course, Dr. Nicholas Fessenden (President of the Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland) gave a short presentation on the history of our Society. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s dinner.