Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate of the US, has deep ties to Germany. His ancestors hail from the small town of Kuppenheim in Baden, with one even serving as the town’s mayor.
According to officials from the town of Kuppenheim in the Rastatt district, Tim Walz’s great-great-grandfather, Sebastian Walz, emigrated to the United States in 1867. Initially, the family name was “Waltz” before it was changed. Further research suggests another ancestor may have served as Kuppenheim’s mayor from 1852 to 1861.
Tim Walz’s direct male lineage can be traced back to his six-time great-grandfather, also named Sebastian Walz, who lived from 1698 to 1768. “We are delighted that the potential Vice President of the USA has roots in Kuppenheim,” Mayor Karsten Mußler told the “Badische Neueste Nachrichten.” Mußler expressed the town’s support for Walz and extended a warm invitation for him to visit.
Common name, uncommon connections
Mayor Mußler noted that many current residents of Kuppenheim might share ancestors with Tim Walz. The surname “Walz” is quite common in the town. “I can’t say if it’s the most common name here, but it’s definitely not rare,” Mußler added.
Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the US presidency, announced Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday. Walz, 60, has been the Governor of Minnesota since 2019 and previously served many years in the House of Representatives. Before his political career, he was a teacher.
Interestingly, former President Donald Trump, Harris’s competitor, also has German roots. His grandfather, Friedrich (later Frederick) Trump, was born in Kallstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate.
