GERMAN AMERICAN SOCIETIES OF SAN DIEGO

The German American Societies Clubhouse is often remembered by San Diegans for its popular Oktoberfest celebration – but for members, that is just one of many celebrations held throughout the year where people come together to celebrate German food, music and traditions.

The Club first opened its doors more than 60 years ago, when a group of recent immigrants and native German speakers wished to establish a communal place where people could meet, speak in their home language, share their love for their homeland along with stories from the old countries, and feel the Gemütlichkeit. They also wanted to teach German customs and traditions to their children and other interested Americans. This nostalgia fueled many activities, and a small group turned quite large! They spent the next few decades turning a Clubhouse into a central hub for German-American education, entertainment, connection and camaraderie.

OUR MISSION:

The German American Societies’ mission remains to unite Germans who are interested in German culture through a variety of social, cultural and educational activities, to enjoy good fellowship and foster mutual respect between people of all backgrounds.

DID YOU KNOW?

Germans have lived in San Diego County for a long time. In fact, sources say they represent the single largest ancestry group within the United States! While the largest concentration of people with German ancestry live in the middle-northern region of the U.S., California claims the third largest population of individuals with German roots.

Early records refer to the German Club of the San Diego Turners, who published a German-language weekly as early as the late 1800s. But it was on May 8, 1965, that the abovementioned group of determined German-speakers opened the doors to the first German American Societies, located at Turner Hall (previous location). By 1971, the “Society” had more than 1,500 members and could afford to buy and rebuild its own clubhouse on 1017 South Mollison Ave. in El Cajon (East County), San Diego. Many Club members bought thousands of dollars of building blocks to support this project.

Pay it forward; see what being a part of the Club is all about. Become a member today!

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Our group is called the German American “Societies” of San Diego because it is a cultural mix of many different representative ‘societies’ in Germany – in addition to diverse societies right here in the U.S. Germany’s customs vary from region to region, and it was important to our founders that the Club be as authentic and respectful as possible.