January 2000
WV in the land of VW
WV in the land of VW
A 1790 census of West Virginia revealed that nearly 30 percent of the population was of German descent. At that time, important laws were printed in German as well as in English. The practice of printing laws in two languages ceased by the mid-1800s. The percentage of Germans has decreased considerably since then, but government officials from the Mountain State are looking to reverse the trend.
On September 24, Gov. Cecil H. Underwood and members of a visiting West Virginian trade delegation joined officials and business leaders of the city of Munich and of the Free State of Bavaria to celebrate the opening of West Virginia’s new European Trade Office. About 200 attended the ceremony at the new office in Munich’s Amerika Haus, a focal point of international trade and headquarters of international investment firms. The festivities were accompanied by a chamber orchestra made up of members of the the Munich Philharmonic, which amused the audience with its rendition of John Denver’s West Virginia-lauding Country Road. “Our Munich office will serve as a point of contact for European firms that are considering investments in West Virginia,” says Gov. Underwood, “Its presence will also serve as a catalyst in the expansion and development of cultural, educational and social partnerships between West Virginia and countries throughout Eastern Europe — a largely untapped market with great economic potential.” For more information, call the WV office at:
23 23 94 15 or 16. <<< NW
