A large part of Pittsburgh's charm is in the preservation of the dozens of cultural heritages that make up the city.

One local preservation group is the Pittsburgh chapter of the Chicago-based German-American National Congress or Deutsches-Amerikansishes National Kongress. The Pittsburgh chapter is headed by Mt. Lebanon's Erik Wittmann, also vice president of the national society, who said describing the group as "German" was a bit restrictive.

"We use the term 'Germanic' but it includes Austrians and Swiss," Mr. Wittmann said.

The Pittsburgh chapter, Chapter 58, was founded in 1968. The 400- to 500-member local group meets on the third Tuesday of the month at various locations, mostly restaurants and churches, around town.

"We used to be housed in a Lutheran Church on the North Side," Mr. Wittmann said, "but we found that it is too expensive to run an office."

The local group holds annual social events such as spring's Rhineland Carnivale, the German equivalent of Mardi Gras; a Christmas party; a summer Bar B Que; and, of course, Oktoberfest. The Congress sponsors the German Radio Hour on WPIT (730 AM) at 4 p.m. Sundays and works in philanthropic areas, providing scholarships for German language programs in high schools. It is organizing the upcoming combined Mardi-Gras/Rhineland Carnivale for the benefit of victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The chapter's genealogy branch, called The German American Heritage Society of Pittsburgh, conducts a series of five lectures on German heritage from November through May at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library at 1 p.m. on selected Saturdays. At those lectures, genealogy branch chair, Mary Anne Kramer, of Mt. Lebanon, and John Husack, of Carrick, talk about the country's origins, evolutions and religions.

"[Audiences] want to learn more about German history," Mr. Husack said.

According to Ms. Kramer, one thing they learn is that Germans are the largest ethnic group in the United States, as well as being one of the first to migrate to the New World, arriving as early as 1683. Germany's religious history, she said, is also a fascinating tale, including Martin Luther's break from the Catholic Church to form the Lutheran Protestant denomination.

Mr. Husack is also a member of the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society and addresses a variety of local groups interested in German heritage before and after the familiar and unflattering portrait of a country bent on world domination.

"When people talk about Germany, all they think about is World War II," Mr. Husack said.

At the next lecture, at 1 p.m. Feb. 25, Mr. Husack will speak about Baden, a region of Germany which includes The Black Forest. Ms. Kramer will be at the same location April 1 to discuss German religion.

Mr. Wittmann said all activities are open to the public and that members of the German-American National Congress, national or local, need not be of Germanic ancestry.

"This is a social and cultural organization," he said.

Anyone who is interested can visit the national Web site at www.dank.org. and pay the annual dues of $30 to become a member. National members can then attend local meetings and events.

To learn more about the German American Heritage Society speakers series and information on DANK Pittsburgh, call Mary Anne Kramer at 412-531-7778. A Web site for the local chapter will be up and running soon at www.germaninpittsburgh.org.