German: Building the House

After one year of construction, the Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center was dedicated on September 23, 2000 at a ceremony attended by Jürgen Chrobog, German Ambassador to the United States; Hans-Ulrich Seidt, Cultural Attaché at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C.; Hans Hachmann, President of the Max Kade Foundation; and major donors Richard and Phyllis Duesenberg, Robert and Lori Duesenberg, Karl and Shirley Kreft, and Henry and June Giebel.

The dedication was preceded by a procession of Valparaiso University faculty in academic garb from the Chapel of the Resurrection to the new building. The dedication was held concurrently with a celebration of the university’s 75th year of affiliation with the Lutheran University Association. Senator Paul Simon, a long-time supporter of foreign language education, was the keynote speaker.