Bridge Builders Everywhere
Rotarians of German Heritage Who Create Lasting Impact
Brückenbauer überall: Rotarier deutscher Herkunft, die nachhaltig wirken
Since 1927, Rotarians in Germany have called themselves “Brückenbauer,” bridge builders. A century later, that spirit reaches far beyond Germany’s borders. Millions of people around the world trace their roots to Germany, and many of them serve in Rotary clubs in their own countries, building bridges between neighbors, nations and generations. This Rotary year, RI President Olayinka Hakeem Babalola has asked every Rotarian to “Create Lasting Impact,” reminding us that change is only the beginning and impact is what endures. As Rotary in Germany celebrates its 100th birthday, this is a small tribute to the Rotarians of German heritage who have been doing exactly that, told through one family’s example.
In Germany
In Hesse, Axel Denk is a Past President of the Rotary Club Lauterbach-Schlitz. Clubs like his are the heart of German Rotary: close to their communities and generous in quiet ways. In March 2026, his club presented 5,000 euros to the Lauterbacher Pfingstmusiktage music festival.
Around the world
German Rotary has always looked outward. The Rotary Club of Bangkok D·A·CH, chartered in 2017, brings together German, Austrian and Swiss Rotarians in Thailand to serve their adopted home. Its longtime member Gunter Denk has now also joined the Rotary Club of Newport Beach in California, a club that welcomes members from anywhere in the world and today has members on three continents.
German leadership has shaped Rotary International, too. Holger Knaack served as the first German President of Rotary International in 2020 to 2021, a year that challenged every club to find new ways to serve. His signature is on a certificate that means a great deal to our club: second place in the ESRAG #IFixThePlanet challenge for our video, “Restore and Repair Coral Reefs off the Coast of Panama.”
In America
In 1906, my ancestors came to America from Germany on the S.S. Zeeland and settled in Kansas City. Their grandsons are Rotarians today. My brother, Don Bender, a fellow member of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach, leads many of our programs, including Democracy in a Box (democracyinabox.us), which gives clubs, classrooms and neighbors simple, nonpartisan tools for understanding how democracy works and talking across differences. In Panama, our club and many partners built The Panama Project: Rotary wheel reefs where fish and coral are returning, thousands of rainforest trees, children’s dental care and youth leadership. Volunteers like Rotaractor Ashley Affholter, who led many of our Oral Hygiene Initiative programs in Thailand and Mexico, did much of the real work.
Happy 100th birthday
None of this would surprise the founders of German Rotary. They believed that people of good will can build bridges, one friendship and one project at a time. To celebrate their 100th birthday, we invite Rotarians of German heritage everywhere, and all friends of German Rotary, to send a birthday card: a short greeting, a few words about your roots, and one project that is helping your community today. Every project is welcome, large or small, and each one will be rated with the 4-7-8-17 framework at 47817.org. Together, they will show what it means to Create Lasting Impact.
Together, the cards will show how far a century of German Rotary has traveled: on emigrant ships and in grandchildren, in clubs from Lauterbach to Bangkok to Newport Beach, and in reefs, forests, clinics and classrooms around the world.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch, and thank you for 100 years of building bridges.
Rotary Club of Newport Beach, California
The first birthday card
From Bocas del Toro to Bremen
Happy 100th birthday to Rotary in Germany! My grandfather Conrad was born in Germany. In 1906, at age 2, he crossed the Atlantic on the S.S. Zeeland with his mother Franny, his sister Petronila and his brother Joseph, to join his father in Kansas City. More than a century later, his grandson is building bridges too: Rotary wheel reefs in Panama that bring back fish and coral. Thank you for 100 years of building bridges.
Alles Gute zum 100. Geburtstag, Rotary in Deutschland! Mein Großvater Conrad wurde in Deutschland geboren. 1906, mit zwei Jahren, fuhr er mit seiner Mutter Franny und seinen Geschwistern Petronila und Joseph auf der S.S. Zeeland nach Amerika, zu seinem Vater in Kansas City. Heute baue auch ich Brücken: Rotary Riffe in Panama, die Fische und Korallen zurückbringen. Danke für 100 Jahre Brückenbauen.
Rotary Reef, Bocas del Toro, Panama. Six foot Rotary wheel reefs, one outer wheel for each of Rotary’s 7 Areas of Focus. Every reef also funds children’s dental care, rainforest trees and youth leadership. Second place in the ESRAG #IFixThePlanet challenge, awarded by Holger Knaack, the first German President of Rotary International. Rated with 4-7-8-17 at 47817.org.
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Sources: S.S. Zeeland passenger manifest (arrived New York, September 4, 1906); ESRAG #IFixThePlanet certificate; Rotary Club Lauterbach-Schlitz website; The Panama Project booklet.