Germanna Goes to Germany!

     A people is nothing without the memory of its history and its roots.  -- Harry Klein

The Germanna Foundation’s annual 10-day trip to Germany is the trip of a lifetime.

Areas expolored include the Siegerland area of the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, where the 1714 settlers and the later Little Fork (Fauquier County, Virginia) settlers originated.  Another stop is the Kraichgau region of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in southern Germany, home to most of the 1717 and subsequent colonial Virginia settlers. The Rheinland-Pfalz area finds us visiting on occasions as well. The Germanna travelers enjoy "customized" tours of the villages corresponding with the geographic areas of their ancestors or just because you want to.  All parts of the trip are loaded with fun and exciting discoveries.  Here  is a brief  sampling of the unforgettable experience  you can have:

 
Churches

Among the most significant places visited in village after village are the churches. Here the immigrant ancestors worshiped before leaving for America. Here the couples were married and babies were baptized. We often get to see the original church records and hold in our hands the very silver chalices from which our ancestors took communion.  We walk through the portals of time.

"When my daughter Sara Allegood and I got off the tour bus in Trupach, we were greeted as long lost cousins.  Everyone asked our names and our ancestors's names. They were eager to connect with us.   We still remember the graciousness and warm welcome from everyone there. We shared family histories and Trupach memories over the coffee and pastries that  were delicious and beautifully presented on personal family linens.   All of our stops were wonderful, but to us, Trupach will always be our best memory."

     -- Karen Titus

"There was a special feeling in seeing one of my ancestor's name in the church book in Oberfischbach.  Walking through the same villages that my ancestors walked near Siegen and seeing where my ancestor Hans Jacob Holtzclaw taught school before coming to America was simply indescribable."

    --  Dorothy J. Burgess

"We heard the bell ringing from the church our direct ancestors worshiped in, we held the communion cup they drank from, we viewed the houses they lived in, we touched the water from the stream named after our Fischbach ancestors.   My father, brother and I finally made a connection with our past."

  -- Steven Fishback

Village Walking Tours

The Germanna Foundation’s travelers receive a red carpet welcome in the villages from which Germanna settlers emigrated. The local Heimatverein (local history and civic improvement society) often greets us and offers us a sample of favored local beverages. (Yes, they are delicious!) Frequently, the mayor welcomes us and leads us on a walking tour of the village.  We almost feel like celebrities.  In some villages, the very houses in which the emigrant families lived still survive.

"I will always remember the outdoor church services in Otisheim, home of the Broyles family, where a German woman helpfully pointed out the hymn's words for me as we sang.  Also, the visit to Schwaigern, home of Johann Michael Willheit, was another memorable time for me."

    --  Jeannette Emerson

Castles

There is nothing like visiting an ancient castle to sense the power and wealth of the ruling elite when modest peasant farmers and village craftsmen and their families chose to leave their home for a better life in America. Castles in Siegen, the Upper Castle and Lower Castle, the magnificent Baroque and Rococco palace at Bruchsal in the Kraichgau, and the ruins of the grand castle at Heidelberg are examples of these historic seats of power.

"Our tour guides, Katharine and Madison Brown, were WONDERFUl! THANK YOU!!  I was impressed with the beauty of Germany, the rich history, the friendly people and their love of history.  Also, the great tour bus drivers and nice clean hotels made the trip even better."
 
   -- Martha & Charles Cummings
 

Hotels and  Great Food

We stay in gracious four-star hotels, where we sleep on featherbeds at night and breakfast on wonderful wursts and cheeses and fresh breads in the morning. 

We enjoy a superb range of regional and seasonal specialties at excellent restaurants where the owner-chefs take pride in their cooking and service—no chain restaurants or rubber-chicken circuit group dinners typical of many tours.

Can you  smell  the  inviting food and  savor the  fresh beverages by looking at these  photos?  If not,  plan on joining us on the next trip so you can  experience these delights first hand.

Fun

We laugh and sing and lift a toast or two and have a great time with our new-found cousins in the group and in Germany.

"The most unbelievable part of the trip was the generosity of the German people.  What wonderful people.  I will never forget their hospitality.  I also must say, our guides were most gracious and knowledgeable. You will also enjoy their great sense of humor and get to share with them their love of Germany.  It was truly a wonderful trip.  Don't miss it. "

    -- Jeanne Guerra

Plan on making your own memories while exploring, discovering and celebrating with Germanna!  Mark your calendars for the 2009 Germany trip June 8 - June 18, 2009.  Send in your deposit to reserve your spot.  There are a limited number of seats so make your reservation now.

The all-inclusive cost is only $3,995 per person. This includes roundtrip airfare Washington, D.C. to Frankfurt, Germany, luxury motorcoach travel in Germany, a double room at four-star hotels in Freudenberg and Eppingen, all breakfasts and dinners and all but one or two lunches, all admissions to sites the group visits, and the services of bi-lingual guides. If you want a single room instead of a double there is a supplemental charge of $400. A great deal for the trip of a lifetime!

"The Germanna Tour is unlike anything else I know of for really getting to know the local folks. There is such a personal touch by the locals in each village. There is just something about the Germanna Tour that keeps drawing one back to Siegerland and der Kraichgau."
 
    -- Cary Anderson

Your time in Germany will create treasured memories that will enrich your life and help you connect with your roots.

 Start making your plans to go to Germany with Germanna in June 2011.  Stay tuned for more details.