When the DAG was founded in 1979 US-American Culture and US-Americans were a prominent presence in Würzburg. Roughly 6,000 soldiers and their families were stationed in the Emmery, Hindenburg, Faulenberg, and Leighton Baracks. The German-American Friendship Week brought the local community onto the base the base once a year for burgers, tacos, thrill rides, and dance competitions. 

The DAG aimed to make those transatlantic connections more personal and consistent. Social activities brought Germans and Americans together to hike, travel, talk, and simply get to know each other better.

The focus of the DAG shifted after the closing of the Leighton Baracks in 2008 from crossing the barriers between the US Army base and local communities to furthering transatlantic relations and understanding through cultural activities. 

In recent years the DAG has taken part in events with contemporary authors and creators such as Anna Winger (Orthodox & Deutschland 83), Yaa Gyasi (Homegoing), Thomas Chatterton Williams (New York Times Magazine) and Joshua Yaffa (The New Yorker) in addition to the productions of the JMU-based English Drama Group (EDG). We also continue the tradition of the international friendship weeks of the past by participating in the city Würzburg’s annual Frühling International Festival with muffins and other sweet treats as well as craft offerings for younger visitors and an information stand.