Penn’s Village Member Hardy von Auenmueller lead a tour and discussed the history of the German Society, which dates back to colonial times. Participants learned why it was founded and how it became an important cultural institution – for Philadelphia and beyond. Today, the German Society offers a wide range of cultural programs – from language instructions, both virtual and on site, to classical music, monthly film presentations, German conversation gatherings and book discussions. Its wine and beer presentations, lectures by historians, and its annual gala draw wide participation from afar.  You can learn more about the German Society here: https://www.germansociety.org

Hardy von Auenmueller was born on a farm in Saxony before World War II. He experienced the horrors of that war, and became a refugee, after his family’s landholdings were confiscated by the Soviets. Hardy came to the US as a young adult with a business degree and a treaty trader visa in hand, working for a chemical company. After twenty years of faithful service, he ventured out on his own, focusing on restructuring faltering companies in the US and – following the fall of the Berlin Wall – in Eastern Germany. He is now the 'local yokel' for a German ship-building company, offering experienced man-power support to the Philly Shipyard.