The German-American Society Siegerland-Wittgenstein e.V. – DAG Si-Wi – was founded in April 2004 in Siegen. We are a non-profit association and politically as well as economically independent.
We want to contribute through our activities to strengthen and deepen the friendly and above all human relations between the USA and Germany.
We address all those who are interested in a lively German-American understanding, especially representatives of schools, the University of Siegen, from industry, commerce and trade, the municipalities, culture and sports as well as politics. Our predominantly German members come from all sectors of society. For our society, which is located in a university town, it is natural to include young people in particular – American and German students, schoolchildren and professionals – in our activities. All of them share an interest in international understanding.
At present, the Society has 100 members.
Our Society has been a member of the Federation of German-American Clubs (VDAC) since shortly after its founding. We are proud that since May 2016 our society provides the acting vice president of the nationwide umbrella organization, our president Mr. Schüttenhelm.
We are also an “Associated Member” of Amerika Haus e.V. NRW in Cologne.
Our mission focus and club services include:
o Promotion of bilateral student exchange -.
Scholarship for a year of study in the USA and supervision of
American guest students for one academic year at the
University of Siegen – in cooperation with VDAC (for details see “Exchange Programs”, Study Abroad).
o Offers “Meet US” for schools in the Si-Wi district and, among other things, annual USA summer trip with a one-week homestay in the U.S. East Coast states (approx. 17 days during summer vacation) with VDAC and annual prize competition for qualified student papers on U.S.-related or transatlantic content in qualification level 1 of high schools (for details on both offers, see also “Calendar”, Activities).
Further information: Volker Schüttenhelm, phone 0271-2386826, e-mail: president@dagsiwi.de
o Maintaining relations with American descendants of Siegerland and Wittgenstein emigrants.
Further information: Office
o Support for city, school or club twinning in the U.S.: More information: Office
o Platform for informal exchange for companies in the region with existing or intended U.S. contacts – Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable on the last Monday of the month.
Further information: Martin Kröckel, cell 0160 49 424 74, e-mail: mkroeckel@gmx.de
o Talking English
Monthly English-speaking circle on USA topics – on the first Wednesday of the month – except during school vacations, 19:00 h, in the “Clubzimmer” Siegerlandhalle in Siegen – see also current event announcements under “Home”.
Further information: Volker Schüttenhelm, phone 0271-23868226, e-mail: president@dagsiwi.de
o Lecture and discussion events on historical and current U.S. topics and arrangement of invitations from our cooperation partners Amerika Haus e. V. NRW (www.amerikahaus-nrw.de), Steuben-Schurz-Gesell-schaft e. V. (www.steuben-schurz.org) and U.S. Consulate General Düsseldorf ( http://duesseldorf.usconsulate.gov ) with high-ranking American discussion partners.
o Come together: annual Thanksgiving dinner; visit exhibitions, readings, concerts by American artists, and more.
Further information is given in the statutes of the German-American Society Siegerland-Wittgenstein e.V.
The annual contributions of our members and donations are used to carry out these essential tasks of the Society.