The DANK Haus German American Cultural Center is committed to the safety of our students, teachers, staff, visitors and guests. 

We are adhering to the health and safety guidelines set forth by the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health. We are excited to announce that the DANK Haus is open with new safety measures in place! 

As part of Phase 4, the DANK Haus is excited to safely open its doors to our community. Out of an abundance of caution and concern for our staff and guests, the DANK Haus will be implementing the following reopening plan and your cooperation will help us to lower Chicago’s numbers of COVID-19 cases. Thank you for helping us!

• All visitors will be required to wear a face covering upon entry into the building and must use the sanitizer in the lobby along with providing their contact information on the check-in sheet in the lobby. Please use sanitizer frequently.  

• Our facilities staff will be sanitizing frequently used surfaces throughout the day.

• Only 2 people are allowed in the elevator at one time, the stairs are preferred. If the elevator is used, make sure to use hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the elevator. Hand sanitizer stations are located on each floor right by the elevator.

• If you have the following COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home:

• • 1. Fever greater than 100.4 F or 38 C

  • 2. New cough or shortness of breath

  • 3. New nausea,vomiting and/or diarrhea

  • 4. New onset of loss of taste or smell

  • 5. Chills or chills with shaking

  • 6. New onset of muscle pain or headache

  • 7. Have you or someone in your household tested positive for COVID in the past 14 days?

• If you answered yes to any of these questions. Please do not enter our facility for the protection of our staff and visitors.

• Attendance at public events will be limited to numbers that allow all guests to be 6 feet apart.  We can only accommodate 50 people in our meeting spaces and will continue to monitor the restrictions or additional instructions issued by the state of Illinois and city of Chicago. 

• Our staff and volunteers will not handle cash or provide change. All gratuities and donations made online at www.dankhaus.com/donate

• If you are planning on visiting the DANK Haus, please give us a call at 773-561-9181 or email dank@dankhaus.com prior to your arrival. All appointments will need to be scheduled in advance, no walk-ins are permitted at this time. 

The following are how our programming and events will be scaled back: 

Summer Camp ages 4 - 12 will be held in August and students will be divided into smaller age appropriate groups not to exceed 10 people.

Full Day Preschool & Full Day Kindergarten - will be 9 AM - 3 PM with Before & After Care. Students will be in larger size classrooms with a limited number of 10 students per class.

Fall German Language School - will be open with a limit of students of 10 per class.

Stammtisch (our monthly Open Haus) will be held in the Skyline Lounge with the Rooftop Terrace open for 25 guests on the 3rd Friday of every month. This is less than 25% capacity.  A live Zoom event will be simultaneously broadcasted so people can gather virtually with the people gathered at the Haus.

Pretzel Blitz - 6 Pretzel Making Classes in August & September will be held in our 5th floor industrial kitchen for 8 students. This is an exclusive event allowing for ample social distancing. A live Zoom event will be simultaneously broadcasted so people can gather virtually with the students and teacher making the pretzels.

CAVA Art Exhibition - will be open for Opening Reception with two sessions of 30 people. Guests must register in advance for scheduled times. The gallery will be sanitized between sessions.

Private and Guided Tours* - will be by appointment for groups 4 to 30 people.

Museum* - will be open by appointment only.

Library* - will be open by appointment only.

Genealogy Department* - will be open by appointment only.

*To schedule a tour, visit the museum, library or genealogy lab, please make an appointment with our Museum Director, Rosa Gallagher, rosa@dankhaus.com. Include your preferred dates and times in your email. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10-4.

Special Precautions for the Language School:

• Summer Classes: For safety classes, all summer will be conducted online.

• Summer Camp/Fall Classes: 

• Teachers are provided with masks and will regularly disinfect the students hands. 

• All classrooms are equipped with sufficient hand sanitizer. Toys, tables, chairs and other commonly touched areas will be disinfected properly after every class.

• Parents should not enter the campus and use the drop off zone on 4740 Western Ave.

• If parents drop off by foot, please keep a 6ft distance while waiting in line for drop off. 

• Grandparents, family friends, visiting students or other family members are not allowed on campus until further notice.

• Keep close contact to an absolute minimum and avoid large groups on the campus. For parents, this means practicing  social distancing in the waiting areas and only having small meetings. Try to ensure at least a six feet  gap between each other. 

• • Preschool parents: If it is absolutely necessary, especially for younger students, only one parent / helper per family is allowed to enter the building.

  • K-12 parents: Parent volunteers will guide and accompany your children into the classroom to ensure their safety.

• All students will also have to undergo a temperature check in the entrance area. 

• All students will be asked to disinfect their hands when entering the classroom and several times during the day. 

• We will cap registrations at 10 students per class and room. We will offer additional classes on different days or online.

We look forward to your safe visit at the DANK Haus!

Support DANK Haus

Illinois Department of Public Health

CDC - Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities

Illinois Department of Public Health