German-American Friendship Garden restoration

ABOUT THE 2022 GARDEN UNVEILING CEREMONY: Capping off a multi-year partnership with the National Park Service and the German Embassy, and supported by partner Volkswagen Group of America and additional corporate partners, the Trust for the National Mall was thrilled to officially unveil the restored German-American Friendship Garden on the National Mall on April 29, 2022 before a crowd of partners, project funders, officials and guests of the German Embassy.

The restoration of the German-American Friendship Garden, supported by the German Embassy, Volkswagen Group of America and sixteen additional leading German and American corporations is a prime example of the private support and project expertise that the Trust for the National Mall brings to critical restoration and sustainability projects with the National Park Service on the National Mall.

During the unveiling ceremony, the Trust was honored to welcome special guest speakers German Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Ricklef Beutin; Volkswagen Group of America CEO Scott Keogh; National Park Service Superintendent for the National Mall Jeff Reinbold; and Ambassador Dereck J. Hogan, Acting Assistant Secretary of State, who also joined Trust President and CEO Catherine Townsend for the ceremonial turning on of newly restored fountains, a centerpiece of the historic garden. The United States Air Force Band provided musical accompaniment including moving renditions of the German and American National Anthems.

The garden ceremony was a celebration among the partners and project funders that united for a common goal of restoring this important and historic space on the National Mall. Trust partner Lidl generously provided a food truck on-site to hand out German-themed fare to the crowd and visitors on the National Mall under the tree canopy of the garden while an old-fashioned organ grinder performed and entertained the crowd. The ceremony also included the planting of a Red Oak, a German symbol for strength, to commemorate the unveiling and to celebrate Arbor Day. Following the ceremony, guests boarded a Big Bus for a brief tour of the National Mall and arrived at the German-American Heritage Museum to enjoy a reception with German-themed refreshments and hors d'oeuvres and to celebrate the work among the partners to unite and restore the German-American Friendship Garden on the National Mall. CLICK TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY.

ABOUT THE GARDEN: Situated along the powerful axis between the White House Ellipse and the Washington Monument, the German-American Friendship Garden was first dedicated on November 15, 1988, by President Ronald Reagan and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl to commemorate 300 years of immigration and friendship between the two nations. The garden was composed of multiple planting beds, native plant species from each of the two countries and the original pair of fountains that flanked the garden — all welcoming visitors to learn more about the long-standing friendship and diplomacy between the U.S. and Germany.

In1983, a Presidential Commission constructed the German-American Friendship Garden on the National Mall as a tribute to the German-American Tricentennial. Designed pro bono by Wolfgang Oehme in 1983, the garden is comprised of native plant species from each of the two countries and unique fountains that welcome visitors to learn more about this long-standing friendship. The garden was dedicated on November 15, 1988, by President Ronald Reagan and Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl.

ABOUT THE GARDEN RESTORATION: By 2012, the garden required rejuvenation of its plantings, an improved irrigation system, and new sod within its central square. In 2013, the German-American Friendship Garden restoration was launched under a joint memorandum signed by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, the National Park Service, and the Association of German-American Societies of Greater Washington D.C.

The entire restoration project followed the original design of the late German-born landscape artist Wolfgang Oehme. It was carried out under the guidance of landscape architecture firm Oehme van Sweden. Perennial beds and other native plants and flowers were planted, a new irrigation system was installed, and the central square panel of the Garden was restored and partly redesigned. During this period, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany contributed additional funds with the goal to gain a better awareness of the garden. A long-term maintenance fund was established for up-keep and management of the Garden.

In 2018 the garden celebrated its 30th anniversary. In collaboration with our partner, the National Park Service, and other key stakeholders, the Trust for the National Mall assumed management and maintenance responsibilities for the German-American Friendship Garden.

In 2019, the Trust led a revitalization of the garden through the generous support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and Volkswagen Group of America. Phase One included an updated garden design and installation of new plantings along with repairs to garden borders and stone pavers.

In 2020, the Trust began Phase Two efforts through the generosity and leadership of Her Excellency Emily Haber, Ambassador of Germany to the U.S., and Volkswagen Group of America. Through this very successful campaign and the incredible support of the funders listed below, Phase Two included the installation of two newly rebuilt fountains that flank the garden on each end and enhance the garden's sense of energy, motion and sound.

Photo by: Angela Napili

Photo by: German Federal Government / Bergmann

Photo by National Park Service

Garden Design

Integrating components of Oehme van Sweden’s “New American Garden Style,” the German-American Friendship Garden contrasts highly textured, diverse plantings with an orderly, geometric form. Colorful combinations of ornamental grasses, perennials, and small trees blend together within precisely defined, geometric beds oriented symmetrically on a north-south axis.

Strategically sited benches provide views of the Washington Monument to the south and the White House to the north. Fountains embedded within granite cobblestone-paved circles lie in counterpoint to the rectilinear form of the overall garden. The circles of the hardscape intersect with axial paths, reminiscent of the larger-scale patterns characteristic of the National Mall.