Charity at its best
Magnolia Ball 2026
The next Magnolia ball of the German American Women's Club will take place on Saturday, February 7th in the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Tickets can now be purchased via gawcballtickets@gawc-munich.de.
All details can be found in the Flyer about the Ball.
The application as a debutant 20206 is now open and available at the new webpage debutants. Please email us anytime in case of questions: debuetanten@gawc-munich.de
The Magnolia Ball
It all began in 1951. The then-President of the German American Men’s Club Munich, Chester Wright, invited guests to his home and for the occasion he had fresh magnolias flown in from the US State of Georgia. Thus, the name Magnolia Ball was born.
Soon thereafter, the form and organization of this glamorous Black and White Formal Ball, which was held every year thereafter until the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, was assumed by the Women’s Club. Since then, the Magnolia Ball has come to be recognized as one of the oldest and most traditional events of the Munich Carnival season serving one purpose over all others: Fundraising to further the charitable goals of the Club, the German American Student Exchange Program and the charity organizations in and around Munich.
The 72nd Magnolia Ball - February 22, 2025
All tickets sold out for this year’s Magnolia Ball at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, stated the delighted Irmengard Behrendt, Chairlady of Ticket Sales.
From left to right: Sabine Manson (GAWC) and Irmengard Behrendt, GAWC Chairlady of Ticket Sales
Fotocredits: Alexander Hartinger
Club President Andrea Hellmann and Ulrike Grimm, Chairlady of the Magnolia Ball, welcomed their numerous guests with a champagne reception. The festively decorated and set ballroom exuded a celebratory atmosphere and party spirit.
From left to right: Ulrike Grimm, GAWC Chairlady Magnolia Ball and Andrea Hellmann, GAWC President
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Bavarian Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich, U.S. Consul General in Munich Dr. James Miller, and Munich City Councilor Gabriele Neff highlighted the significance of the charity event in their speeches.
Andrea Hellmann, GAWC President
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Georg Eisenreich, Bavarian Minister of Justice
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Dr. James Miller, US Consul General Munich
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Gabriele Neff, Munich City Councilor
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Consul General Dr. James Miller, who has been in office since September 2024, stated: This is my first Magnolia Ball and it is a great honor and pleasure to take part in this wonderful event! The German-American Women’s Club has been bringing people together for decades, building bridges, and supporting charitable projects with great dedication.
And that is precisely the focus of this benefit gala: charity and German-American friendship!
From left to right: Georg Eisenreich, Bavarian Minister of Justice Mrs. Eisenreich, Ulrike Grimm, GAWC Chairlady Magnolienball/Organisatorin, Dr. James Miller, US Consul General Munich, Andrea Hellmann, GAWC President
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
This year’s donation check from the German-American Women’s Club Munich e.V., totaling 10,000 Euros , was presented by singer Mona Meiller as a patron to IMMA e.V. (www.imma.de).
From left to right: Andrea Hellmann, GAWC President, Sabine Wieninger, IMMA e.V., Mona Meiller, Singer, Gundula Brunner, IMMA e.v.
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
On the same evening, additional donations were collected through the traditional grand raffle (organized by Chairlady Hildegard Mayr) and the impressive silent auction featuring wonderful offerings (organized by Chairlady Susanne Ahrens). These proceeds will be entirely passed on to the charitable projects of the GAWC, including student exchange programs.
From left to right: Dr. Monika Deuerlein (GAWC), Ina Anders (GAWC), Hildegard Mayr, GAWC Chairlady Tombola, Gabriele Neff, Munich City Councilor
Fotocredits: Alexander Hartinger
Susanne Ahrens, GAWC Chairlady Silent Auction
Fotocredits: Alexander Hartinger
Ball organizer Ulrike Grimm once again led the colorful program of the ball night with her usual poise and energy. Mona Meiller captivated the audience with two songs from her new album.
Ulrike Grimm, GAWC Chairlady Magnolia Ball
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Mona Meiller, Singer and Songwriter
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
A highlight of the evening was the entrance and dance performances of this year’s 20 debutante couples, who had rehearsed intensively for weeks and eagerly awaited their performance (coordinated by Chairlady Ursula Trümper).
From left to right: Peter Simon, Dance School Ritmo, Debutants of the 2025 ball, Uschi Trümper, GAWC Chairlady Debutants, Bettina Siebel (GAWC)
Fotocredit: Sigi Müller
Thanks to the lively, groovy rhythms of the band SM!LE, the dance floor was packed all evening. The performance by Munich’s carnival society Narhalla, featuring its royal couple, was a must, as was the popular Munich Française, which got nearly all the ball guests dancing again at midnight.
Band SM!LE
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
Munich's Carnival Society Narhalla
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
This was the 72nd Magnolia Ball in 2025!
Fotocredits: Sigi Müller
THANK YOU to all guests, THANK YOU to all our loyal and new supporters and THANK YOU to all the helping hands that made this wonderful 72nd Magnolia Ball possible!
Organization: Ulrike Grimm. GAWC Chairlady, Magnolia Ball
magnolienball@gawc-munich.de
The 71th Magnolia Ball - February 3, 2024
Ulrike Grimm, GAWC Chairlady Magnolienball/Organisatorin
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
Susanne Ahrens, GAWC Chairlady Silent Auction, Ulrike Kellner, GAWC President, Andrea Hellmann, GAWC Vice President, Ulrike Grimm, GAWC Chairlady Magnolia Ball/Organizer
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
Dedicated to "Dancing for Charity" since 1951 when the ball was first held, the club aims to provide an enjoyable evening while doing good. The proceeds from this year's event, totaling €10,000, were presented to Natalie Schmid for a new project by her nonprofit organization, Munich for Munich. Ulrike Kellner explained during the check presentation that the funds would support dementia patients in Neuperlach with new therapy options that couldn't have been financed through regular support.
Natalie Schmid, Founder „Münchner für Münchner e.V.“, Ulrike Kellner, GAWC President
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
Timothy E. Liston, US Consul General Munich
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
For the first time as a guest at the Magnolia Ball, Deputy Mayor of the city of Munich, Dominik Krause, delivered greetings from Mayor Dieter Reiter. He also emphasized the importance of cultural exchange: "As the capital city of Munich, as a free state, and as citizens, what we can do is to strengthen interpersonal exchanges between nations. This interaction, whether through student exchanges or events like this, not only brings enjoyment but also serves as the basis for mutual understanding and the foundation for international diplomacy. Therefore, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the German-American Women's Club for their important work over many decades, especially in times like these."
Müller, Uschi Dämmrich von Lüttitz, Moderator, Dominik Krause, Second Mayor of Munich, Ulrike Kellner, GAWC President, Tinothy E. Liston, US Consul General, Ulrike Grimm, GAWC Chairlady/Organizer Magnolia Ball
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
Following the official speeches, 40 debutantes and their escorts opened the ball with a traditional waltz. Clad in white ball gowns, gloves, tiaras, and dark suits or uniforms, they exuded grace and elegance. Ursula Trümper, the Chairlady, expressed delight at the increasing interest from young audiences who aspire to participate in the Magnolia Ball, akin to the Viennese Opera Ball.
Peter Simon, Dance school Ritmo, Debutants of the 2024 ball, Uschi Trümper, GAWC Chairlady, Bettina Siebel
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
Prince Frederik I (himself a debutant at the Magnolia Ball in 2018) and Princess Katharina I, along with their flag regiment, presented the lively new guard show of the Munich Narhalla in 2024 before the ball guests reclaimed the dance floor, accompanied by the live band SM!LE.
US Consul General Liston, Ulrike Grimm, Narhalla prinde and princess, Renate Schmucker, Irmengard Behrendt, Susanne Ahrens, Ines Söhngen, Ulrike Kellner, Andrea Lehner, Uschi Trümper
Fotocredit: Tommy Lösch
"Dancing for Charity" remained a focal point throughout the ball night, with generous contributions to the raffle and silent auction. The tradition of supporting social causes will continue at the 73rd Silvertree event on November 5, 2024, where another charitable organization in Munich will benefit from the German-American Women's Club's donation.
