Staying Connected to German Culture

In Germany, children celebrate the late-winter holiday called Fasching by dressing in fanciful costumes. At Charlotte’s German School, the costumes have an American flavor, 2003. Photo courtesy of Markus Sabert.

When we get on the plane to Germany, it's like we flip a switch. My son starts speaking in German, he can communicate with everyone. He can connect.

- Markus Sabert, treasurer, Deutsche Schule Charlotte

Charlotte's German Saturday school, founded in 1974, is the oldest foreign-language Saturday school in the Southeast. Started by German executives who wanted their children to keep up the German language, it now enrolls more than 120 students.

Students learn language, study German current events and participate in traditional German celebrations. The area's German-owned firms, which help support the school, use it as a recruiting tool for German employees who want their children to stay in touch with their home culture. It is also popular among American families with German ancestry, who want their children to reconnect with these traditions.