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August 2013
Celebrating French-German Friendship
Proud to celebrate French-German friendship in the United States: Steuben Parade Chairman Lars Halter, German Consul General Busso von Alvensleben, French Consul General Bertrand Lortholary, and Gerard Epelbaum, President of the Committee of French Speaking Societies in New York.
 When the Steuben Parade marches up Fifth Avenue on September 21st, the German flag´s black-red-and-yellow will be ubiquitous next to the red-white-and-blue of the star-spangled banner: Those colors, however, also represent the “tricolore”, the French flag – only appropriate in a parade that honors German-French friendship.
The Consulate General of France in New York and the Committee of French Speaking Societies are proud and honored to participate in this year’s Steuben Parade in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty. Signed on January 22, 1963 by German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French President Charles de Gaulle, this Treaty of Friendship seals a bilateral agreement of active cooperation between Germany and France in the areas of international relations, defense, and education, forging the strong and lasting relationship enjoyed today between these two great European nations.
France also shares a strong historic link with Germany in the United States. During the American Revolution, General Von Steuben entertained written correspondence with the Marquis de Lafayette, offering the young Lafayette advice on military strategy. Indeed, Steuben and Lafayette were two of only four foreign military men engaged in the American Revolutionary cause. General Von Steuben served alongside General Lafayette at Yorktown in 1781. Today, General Von Steuben’s statue can be seen in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House in Washington, DC.
Founded in 1924, the Committee of French Speaking Societies, Inc. federates 67 French and French-speaking associations in the New York Tri-State area. Under the honorary presidency of the French Consul General, the Committee’s goal is to promote French culture and presence in New York and to coordinate cultural, social and charitable activities conducted in partnership with its members.
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