Sept. 1: Hotel reservations open. Details below.

June 13-15, 2025

Save the date

Save the dates now for the 5th international German genealogy conference being hosted by IGGP partner, Palatines to America. The conference will be an in-person event held in Columbus, Ohio.

The conference runs from Friday through Sunday, June 13-15, 2025.

2025 is the 50th anniversary of the founding of PalAm as well as the 10th anniversary of the International German Genealogy Partnership. So there will be lots of celebrating going on! Join us in Columbus, Ohio, for the fun and the learning.

IGGP partner leadership meeting Thursday, June 12

Meetings with our partner representatives will take place prior to the opening of the conference. If you are a partner representative, arrange your travel to arrive Wednesday in Columbus so you can participate.

The hotel & venue

The Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in suburban Lewis Center is both our hotel and meeting venue. You’ll enjoy this facility in a campus setting, with almost 200 hotel rooms, meeting spaces large and small, as well as pools, fitness center and outdoor spaces.

The conference room rate will be $145.00 per night with a complimentary hot and cold buffet breakfast.

Das Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in einem Vorort von Lewis Center ist sowohl unser Hotel als auch unser Tagungsort. Sie werden diese Einrichtung in einer Campus-Umgebung genießen, mit fast 200 Hotelzimmern, großen und kleinen Tagungsräumen sowie Pools, Fitnesscenter und Außenbereichen zum Genießen.

Der Preis für das Konferenzzimmer beträgt 145,00 $ pro Nacht und beinhaltet ein kostenloses warmes und kaltes Frühstücksbuffet.

Travel and logistics

The center is a short drive from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH). It offers more than 50 direct flights from U.S. cities as well as connections to major international gateway airports including Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Das Zentrum ist nur eine kurze Fahrt vom John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) entfernt. Er bietet mehr als 50 Direktflüge von US-Städten sowie Verbindungen zu wichtigen internationalen Flughäfen wie Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, San Francisco und Los Angeles.

Photo credit: Columbus Regional Airport Authority

Columbus and its German heritage

Downtown Columbus with its historic German Village neighborhood and restaurants is a short distance. (Video: German Village) Stop in at The North Market, Columbus’ historic public market since 1876. And there is plenty of German history all around to enjoy before or after the conference.

Das Stadtzentrum von Columbus mit seinem historischen Viertel German Village und seinen Restaurants ist nur einen Katzensprung entfernt. (Video: German Village) Besuchen Sie den North Market, Columbus’ historischen öffentlichen Markt seit 1876. Und vor oder nach der Konferenz können Sie noch viel deutsche Geschichte erleben.

German roots in Columbus

German Village is a historic neighborhood south of downtown that was settled largely by German immigrants in the mid 1800s.

Many German immigrants served in the American Civil War, earning the respect of fellow residents. By 1865, the community was flourishing with businesses, schools and churches. The schools were so good that English-speaking residents of Columbus chose to attend. Sturdy brick homes with wrought iron fences along tree-lined streets were built. The former City Park was renamed Schiller Park in 1891.

But World War I sparked anti-German sentiment, and Prohibition in the 1930s led to the closing of local breweries. The neighborhood was declining, and people were leaving for the suburbs.

Facing the threat of neighborhood demolition, the German Village Society was created in 1960 to promote its preservation and rehabilitation. Today, German Village is a success story of urban renewal and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974. Its brick homes are desirable, and the neighborhood features shops and restaurants as well as the fountains and flower beds of Schiller Park.

Deutsche Wurzeln in Columbus

German Village ist ein historisches Viertel südlich des Stadtzentrums, das Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts hauptsächlich von deutschen Einwanderern besiedelt wurde.

Viele deutsche Einwanderer dienten im amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg und erwarben sich früh den Respekt ihrer Mitbürger. Um 1865 florierte die Gemeinde mit Geschäften, Schulen und Kirchen. Die Schulen waren so gut, dass sich auch englischsprachige Einwohner von Columbus dafür entschieden, sie zu besuchen. Es wurden robuste Backsteinhäuser mit schmiedeeisernen Zäunen entlang der von Bäumen gesäumten Straßen gebaut. Der ehemalige Stadtpark wurde 1891 in Schiller Park umbenannt.

Doch der Erste Weltkrieg löste eine antideutsche Stimmung aus, und die Prohibition in den 1930er Jahren führte zur Schließung der örtlichen Brauereien. Das Viertel verfiel, und die Menschen zogen in die Vororte.

Angesichts des drohenden Abrisses des Viertels wurde 1960 die German Village Society gegründet, um die Erhaltung und Sanierung des Viertels zu fördern. Heute ist German Village eine Erfolgsgeschichte der Stadterneuerung und steht seit 1974 auf der Liste des National Register of Historic Places. Die Backsteinhäuser sind begehrt, und das Viertel verfügt über Geschäfte und Restaurants sowie die Springbrunnen und Blumenbeete des Schillerparks.

Sponsors and vendors

An exhibition space will allow vendors to market services and products to attendees. Sponsors are those who financially support the International German Genealogy Partnership conference and will be recognized as such. You may participate as a vendor or sponsor or both.

Details of the sponsor/vendor program will be available in late summer 2024. If you wish to be contacted when details are available, please email to info@iggp.org.

Presenters, schedule and special events

Invitations were emailed to a group of prospective speakers in June 2024 requesting proposals for presentations. The announcement of the final speaker roll will be made later in 2024 prior to the opening of registration.

The weekend agenda begins Thursday evening with a welcome event for socializing, meeting fellow attendees and having fun.

Friday evening, Palatines to America will host its 50th anniversary dinner.

Saturday evening will feature the IGGP partner gala.

The last presentations are Sunday afternoon.

Conference registration

Early-bird registration for the conference is expected to open in late 2024. You can subscribe to the IGGP email list to receive an announcement. Or keep a lookout on this website for details.

Things to see and do in central Ohio

Coming soon!