Seventy-Five Years of Friendship: GASF Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary
The German-American Society “Friendship” of Pinellas County (GASF) marked a truly historic occasion this past weekend, gathering members, friends, and fellow German American organizations to celebrate 75 years of community, culture, and, of course, friendship and gemütlichkeit.
An Evening to Remember
The evening opened with emcee Karl Herrmann welcoming the crowd and introducing the band, The Rum Syndicate, who set the tone for a night of celebration. A guest pastor offered the invocation, grounding the evening in gratitude before the festivities began.
President Rainer Mortham then asked the room for a moment of silence in memory of Steve Gielazyn, the Society’s cook of many years, who passed away just last week. It was a quiet, heartfelt pause before the celebration continued — a reminder that 75 years of history is made up of the people who gave their time, talent, and heart to the Society.
In recognition of the milestone, the Society received a proclamation from the City of Pinellas Park, officially honoring 75 years of service and community spirit. The dinner and dessert that followed were, by all accounts, top notch — a fitting way to bring everyone together for the evening ahead.
Seven and a Half Decades, Decade by Decade
One of the evening’s centerpieces was a presentation of the Society’s history, told decade by decade and read aloud by board members of both the Society and the Cultural Foundation, along with dedicated volunteers:
• 1951–1960: A Strong Foundation — The Society’s founding by thirteen members, its 1953 charter, and the building of Germania Hall.
• 1961–1970: Fun, Friendship, and Song — Themed Saturday night dances, the birth of Bingo Night and the Kaffeeklatsch, and the founding of the Lorelei Singers and Dancers.
• 1971–1980: Growth and New Traditions — The Lorelei’s explosive growth, the North and South Wing expansion, the founding of the St. Petersburg Folk Fair Society, and the birth of the Gulf Coast Enzianer Schuhplattler Verein.
• 1981–1990: Milestones at Home and Abroad — Membership reaching 250, the Lorelei’s goodwill tour of Germany, and the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification.
• 1991–2000: Old Traditions Fade, New Ones Begin — The Lorelei’s merger with the Gulf Coast Enzianer, the formal partnership with the Schuhplattler, and the start of the Prinzenball and Fasching traditions.
• 2001–2010: Oktoberfest Comes Home — Oktoberfest’s return outdoors as the Society’s biggest fundraiser, and the strengthening of ties with the Bundeswehr at MacDill Air Force Base.
• 2011–2020: Weathering the Storm — The steady growth of the College Scholarship program, the COVID-19 closure, and the creation of the Biergarten.
• 2021–2026: A Foundation for the Future — New events, facility upgrades, and the creation of the German American Cultural Foundation, showing how the Society continues to adapt and thrive.
Together, the decades told a single story — of a small group of thirteen founders that grew into a cornerstone of German American life in Pinellas County, weathering change, growth, and challenge alike, while never losing sight of the friendship at its core.
Honoring Those Who Led
Past and present Presidents were called to the stage together, each receiving a certificate of honor and a heart-shaped pin bearing the black, red, and gold of the German flag — a small but meaningful tribute to the leadership that has carried the Society forward across generations.
Gifts of Gratitude
During the final band break, the celebration turned to gift-giving, as sister organizations came forward to honor the Society’s 75th year:
• The Cultural Foundation presented a certificate and donated two sets of ADA-accessible Biergarten furniture.
• The Gulf Coast Enzianer Schuhplattler Verein presented a certificate and contributed $1,000 to the “Save the Schnitzel” campaign, supporting the purchase of a new stove.
• The Krampus Verein pledged its own donation toward the new stove as well.
A Lively Finale
The Gulf Coast Enzianer Schuhplattler Verein — joined by fellow dancers from clubs in Daytona Beach and Miami — took the floor for a spirited, high-energy performance that delighted the crowd.
To close out the night, a raffle was held to benefit one of the Cultural Foundation’s many campaigns — this time in support of the Schuhplattler Flag Project — bringing the celebration to a close while investing in the Society’s future.
Seventy-five years of Friendship and Gemütlichkeit remembered, honored, and carried forward into the next chapter.
August 17, 2026