EXHIBIT 10.2

HAND DELIVERY


                                 August 3, 1998


Mr. Urban R. Giesler
German American Bancorp
711 Main Street
P O Box 810
Jasper, IN  47547-0810

         RE:  Incentive Stock Option Agreement


Dear Mr. Giesler:

         The Stock Option Committee of the Board of Directors of German American
Bancorp (the "Corporation"), pursuant to section 7 of the GAB Bancorp 1992 Stock
Option Plan (the "Plan"),  hereby grants to you, in  replacement of a portion of
the  shares  covered  by your  options  dated  April  20,  1993,  which has been
exercised in part as of this date, a replacement  option (the  "Option"),  which
Option  shall have the  following  terms and  conditions,  in  addition to those
provided in the Plan:

1.        Number of Shares: 333 shares, subject to adjustment as provided in the
          Plan.

2.        Exercise Price:  $29.275 per share,  subject to adjustment as provided
          in the Plan.

3.        Expiration Date: The Option, to the extent  unexercised,  shall expire
          at 12:00 noon, Jasper time, on April 19, 2003.

4.        Exercisability.  The Option  shall become  exercisable  in full on the
          first day following the expiration of twelve months following the date
          of this  Option,  and shall be  canceled,  as  specified  pursuant  to
          Section 7 of the  Plan,  if you sell  shares  of  common  stock of the
          Company  during such  twelve-month  period,  subject to the exceptions
          expressed in such Section 7.

10.2 - (2)

                                  Exhibit 10-2

         The Option, which is intended to qualify as an "incentive stock option"
within the  meaning of Section  422 of the  Internal  Revenue  Code of 1986,  as
amended,  shall be in all respects  limited and  conditioned  as provided in the
Plan. A copy of the Plan is enclosed with this letter. During your lifetime, the
Option  will be  exercisable  only by you.  Neither  the  Option  nor any  right
thereunder  may be  transferred  other than by will or the laws of  descent  and
distribution.  Exercise  of the  Option  shall be  subject  to your  making  the
representations set forth below and any representations to such other matters as
the Committee, in its discretion,  may determine to be necessary or advisable to
evidence  compliance  with  requirements  under the  Securities  Act of 1933, as
amended, or state securities laws for registering or exempting from registration
any offer of sale of the Corporation's securities pursuant to the Plan.

         This letter, upon your delivery of an executed copy to the Corporation,
shall  constitute a binding  incentive stock option  agreement  between your the
Corporation.


                                             Very truly yours,

                                             GERMAN AMERICAN BANCORP

                                             BY THE STOCK OPTION COMMITTEE
                                             OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS


                                             BY:
                                                 By/s/Joseph F. Steurer
                                                 Chairman of the 
                                                 Stock Option Committee


                          ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT

         I hereby  acknowledge  receipt  of this  letter  granting  me the above
Option as well as receipt of a copy of the Plan, and I acknowledge  and agree to
be bound by the following:

         1. I have  received  a copy of the  Plan  and  agree to be bound by the
terms and conditions set for the therein.

         2. The Common Shares  subject to the Option are being offered  pursuant
to the "private  offering"  exemption provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act of 1933,  as amended (the "1933 Act").  In that  connection,  I agree that I
will acquire Common Shares  pursuant to this Option for investment  purposes for
my own account without any view to redistribute them to others. Further, I agree
not to sell, pledge,  hypothecate,  or otherwise transfer Common Shares acquired
pursuant to the Option except upon delivery to the  Corporation of an opinion of
counsel or such other evidence as may be satisfactory  to the  Corporation  that
such  transfer  is exempt  from  registration  under the 1933 Act,  as  amended,
applicable  state  securities  laws,  or  any  rule  or  regulation  promulgated
thereunder.

10.2 - (3)

         3. The  certificates  evidencing  the  Common  Shares,  including  both
originally and subsequently issued certificates,  will bear a restrictive legend
substantially as follows:

         The  Common  Shares  represented  by this  certificate  have  not  been
         registered  under  the  Securities  Act of  1933,  as  amended,  or the
         securities  laws of any  state  and have  been  acquired  in a  private
         offering.  Sales, pledges,  hypothecations,  and other transfers of the
         Common may be made only upon delivery to the  Corporation of an opinion
         of counsel or other evidence  satisfactory to the Corporation that such
         transfer is exempt from registration  under the Securities Act of 1933,
         as amended, applicable state securities laws, or any rule or regulation
         promulgated thereunder.

         4. The Corporation will issue instructions to its transfer agent, Fifth
Third Bank, not to honor request for transfer of Common Shares issued subject to
the Option,  whether or not  evidenced  by  originally  or  subsequently  issued
certificates,  unless the conditions set forth in the preceding legend have been
satisfied.


EXECUTED the 3rd day of August, 1998.


By/s/Urban R. Giesler
Urban R. Giesler