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By Suzanne Townley
From September 7-9, researchers from Germany and the U.S. held a working group meeting at the Max Kade Institute on the subject of "The German Experience with the Land in Wisconsin." This is the title of a transatlantic study of German immigrants to Wisconsin which was initiated by the late Jürgen Heideking of the University of Cologne, and which has been supported by the Max Kade Foundation in New York, by the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and by the German-American Academic Council. The study began as a cooperative effort between the Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute of Anglo-American History at the University of Cologne, but soon links were forged to other universities and to researchers beyond academia. The weekend meeting at the Max Kade Institute provided a forum for those associated with the project to exchange practical research suggestions and share the results of their work.
At the reception on Thursday afternoon, the meeting's participants had a chance to talk informally over refreshments and meet the Hachmanns (see below). On Friday morning, the opening remarks were made by the heads of the Madison and Cologne project teams: Joseph Salmons of the UW-Madison and Heike Bungert of the University of Cologne. They explained the development of the land study. Helmut Schmahl of the University of Mainz presented some of his vast research on the Darmstädter settlements in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Johannes Strohschänk of the UW-Eau Claire outlined a university course he designed in which undergraduate students engage in original research on German immigration to Wisconsin. On Friday afternoon, several of the meeting's participants toured two of the areas of German settlement under investigation: the Cross Plains area in Dane County, and Reeseville-Lowell in Dodge County.
On Saturday, the transatlantic approach of the project came to the forefront, as researchers presented on both the German and American experiences of the same immigrant communities. In the morning, Ute Langer of the University of Cologne talked about the archival resources available in Germany to learn about the people who were later to emigrate to Wisconsin. Ulrich Sänger, also of the University of Cologne, presented a detailed picture of a community of German farmers near Cologne, many of whom left Germany in the mid-nineteenth century and settled in Cross Plains. Suzanne Townley of the UW-Madison presented the sources which the Madison team has been using to research the origins and farming practices of the German settlers in Cross Plains. In the afternoon, Anke Ortlepp of the University of Cologne discussed the hard economic conditions of the nineteenth-century German farmers in the Westerwald, and Kevin Neuberger of Land America talked about those immigrants from the Westerwald who settled in Reeseville-Lowell. Beth Schlemper of the UW-Madison discussed the early stages of the project, particularly the initial difficulty in establishing a link between the immigrants to the Wisconsin Holy Land settlement east of Lake Winnebago and the communities in Germany from which they came. Scott Moranda, also of the UW-Madison, evaluated nineteenth-century pamphlets designed to encourage Germans to emigrate to Wisconsin. The closing discussion was led by Cora Lee Nollendorfs and Robert Ostergren of the UW-Madison and Kevin Neuberger. All of the participants discussed the direction the project should take in the future. The short-term goals include a book of essays and a web-site, and the long-term goal is a monograph on "The German Experience with the Land in Wisconsin."
By Mary Devitt
Showing off some of Wisconsin's finest late summer weather, the UW-Madison campus welcomed Dr. Hans G. Hachmann, President of the Max Kade Foundation to Madison during the first week of classes.
The Max Kade Foundation has been a long-time supporter of projects at this university ranging from medical faculty exchanges to study abroad opportunities for students, and most notably, to the establishment of the Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies.
During their visit here, Dr. Hachmann and his wife, Eve Hachmann,
met with university officials, were briefed on the wide array
of international programs that are part of the International Institute
here, and participated in the MKI's interdisciplinary workshop
on the "German Experience with the Land." The workshop,
with our partners from the University of Cologne was supported
by the Max Kade Foundation. A reception at the Max Kade Institute
provided the opportunity for members of the Friends Board of Directors
and the campus community to meet the Hachmanns.
October 26-28, 2000
Sponsored by the Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison and the German Historical Institute, Washington, D.C.
Co-sponsors: George L. Mosse/Laurence A. Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies, Department of German, Center for Humanities, University of Wisconsin-Madison
By Steve Geiger
Assistant Professor Tonjes Veenstra of the Freie Universität Berlin's John F. Kennedy Institute for American Studies has been working in the MKI sound lab for the past four weeks. While at the MKI, Dr. Veenstra listened to samples of Pennsylvania German from the Moelleken collection of dialect recordings, in order to attain background information for his "Habilitation," a second dissertation which he will write on language contact in Wisconsin. He has collected segments of the recordings to take back to Germany with him, to prepare for fieldwork with Pennsylvania German speaking Amish in the Kickapoo Valley. He expects to complete this work in the next year or two.
Dr. Veenstra works mostly with language contact (Creole studies) and syntax. He has worked on such languages as Saramaccan (a Creole language spoken in Surinam), Haitian and Jamaican Creoles, and his native language, Dutch. In addition to his work with Pennsylvania German, he will study the Palatinate dialect (the dialect region in Germany from which Pennsylvania German seems to have gotten most of its traits) in the southern provinces of Brazil. Veenstra's final two weeks in residence will be spent familiarizing himself with the landscape and atmosphere of Wisconsin. We look forward to hearing more about his research on "Language Contact in Wisconsin."
By Pamela Tesch
Dr. Peter Wagener of the Institut für Deutsche Sprache-Mannheim (www.ids-Mannheim.de) has joined the MKI and the UW-German department as a guest research scholar and professor this year. In Mannheim, he leads the Deutsches Spracharchiv (dsav@ids-mannheim.de). Since early July, he has been utilizing the MKI digital sound studio.
Dr. Wagener's main project is to bring together the archives in Mannheim and here at the Institute. Currently, Mannheim has 15,000 sound records, including some recordings of German dialects in North America. By listening to our CDs of German in Wisconsin and synchronizing them with the collection in Mannheim, he hopes to create an opportunity for more scholars to access and use the recordings.
In addition to this main project, he is also interested in investigating dialects, both Wisconsin Plattdeutsch dialects, and language change in German dialects in Wisconsin. To investigate such "linguistic change in real time," he visits people recorded 40 years ago and interviews them again to see how their language has changed. In Germany, he has conducted 20 such interviews from several regions. During his stay in Madison, he hopes to conduct similar interviews with Wisconsin German dialect speakers as well.
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Mon., Sept. 25, Memorial Union, 7 p.m. Christian Feest: Germans and Indians in a European Perspective Thurs., Oct. 5, Memorial Union, 7 p.m. Johannes Strohschaenk and William Thiel: The Official Word vs. the Real Experience: Comparing the Description of Wisconsin by the Commissioner of Emigration with Accounts by German Immigrants Wed., Nov. 15, Memorial Union, 7 p.m. Dennis Boyer: Germans and Tavern Tales in Wisconsin |
Antje has just joined our staff as an outreach specialist serving the schools and educational community. She will be coordinating, developing, and obtaining funding for the School Project. The School Project will be expanding to include Spanish and French, in addition to German. The Social Studies topics in immigration will unify all three languages.
Antje's background teaching German, as a lecturer at Purdue
and as a high school teacher in Indiana make her especially qualified
to lead this project. Antje studied at the Georg-August University
in Göttingen, Germany and the University of Washington in
Seattle where she received a BA in International Studies and an
MA in Germanics. She took courses in Education at Purdue University
and received teaching certification in Indiana in 1997. "I
am very excited about my position at the MKI. The topic of immigration
has always been a personal interest of mine. As a teacher I am
very interested in professional and curriculum development and
I am looking forward to working on a project that will foster
teacher cooperation across disciplinary boundaries."
By Pamela Tesch
Max Kade Institute Friend and former executive committee member Fritz Albert held a successful exhibit of his photography earlier this year at Memorial Union. Albert came to Wisconsin from Germany in 1954 to serve the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as practicing photographer, film maker, and teacher.
His career in Wisconsin began after World War II: "I came here in 1950 for the first time. Then I was a special student in the department of Ag-Journalism . . . I was sent over here on the State Department program. At that time the profession of Ag-Journalism was better developed in the United States." His career combines agriculture and photography: "The films I made here served agricultural education, served the extension in its land policy efforts, and later communicated the findings of the land tenure center." The Wisconsin State Historical Society is archiving material that will eventually be published about each of the films that he has made.
Most of the photographs in the exhibit at Memorial Union, entitled "Land and People" were what he calls by products of his film making years at the University of Wisconsin (1954-1990). The exhibit included about 60 photographs reflecting his life and work as a visual communicator. He was inspired to assemble the exhibit by Jeff Mayers, a former Wisconsin State Journal reporter, who once featured him in a Sunday section entitled "Know Your Wisconsinite" and encouraged him to display his photography. Albert says: "The exhibit is a reflection of my insights and partially a report about the content of the films which I produced." His exhibit at Memorial Union ranged from scenic views of far and near lands to vibrant details and portraits of people. Many of the pictures were made with 35 mm film, but his early photographs from the late 40's and 50's used glass negatives. About one third of the photos were in black and white, while the others were color pictures. The exhibit included regional photos, shots of flowers in his garden, wildflowers of the Upper Midwest, and aerial pictures of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands together with images of lakeshores and forests in Northern Wisconsin. Other pictures reported on Latin America's agriculture, farming in the Lake Titicaca region of Bolivia, and the agrarian reform in Chile. The exhibit also included photographs of farm operations in Gambia and Indonesia. Most recent were photographs depicting seed production on the Hawaiian Islands, where the climate provides an ideal growing season to speed the development of soybean, corn and sunflower seeds for farmers on the mainland.
Albert was featured in an article in The Capital Times (on Wednesday, January 12, 2000) and expressed that the goal of his photography is truth in the service of humanity: "I want people to have dignity."
By Ed Langer
I am honored to write my first column as the President of the Friends of the Max Kade Institute. I am proud of the Institute and its Friends, for together we have created a cultural jewel in Wisconsin where our German-American heritage is preserved, treasured and shared.
The Institute is extremely fortunate to have recently received the personal library of Carl Schurz from the General Library System at UW-Madison. I would like to thank Dr. Louis Pitschmann, Associate Director of Collection Development of UW Libraries and member of the Institute's Interdisciplinary Executive Committee, again for facilitating this transfer and making these valuable materials available to scholars, historians and students with an interest in German-American Studies. The addition of this library to the Institute's collection enhances its ability to serve the Friends and other interested parties. Unfortunately, the accessability of these materials is currently hampered by the lack of adequate and appropriate shelving and display space. Unless resources are raised to address this problem, Carl Schurz's library will not be able to be utilized as its donors intended.
As the President of the Friends for this term, I look forward to working with you to solve this and other challenges the future holds.
By Heidi Marzen, MKI Librarian
The Max Kade Institute has recently received a significant contribution to its library through the generosity of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the German Consulate. These titles, published in Germany, are evidence of the continuing interest in German-American studies within German universities and institutions. They are an excellent addition to our research collection, and are available for use at the Institute.
Aengenvoort, Anne. Migration, Siedlungsbildung,
Akkulturation: Die Auswanderung Nordwestdeutscher nach Ohio, 18301914.
Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial Und Wirtschaftsgeschichte Beihefte
Nr. 150. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1999.
Allendorf, Otmar, Bernd Broer, and RolfDietrich Müller, Hrsg. Auf nach Amerika! : Beiträge zur AmerikaAuswanderung des 19. Jahrhunderts aus dem Paderborner Land und zur Wiederbelebung der Historischen Beziehungen im 20. Jahrhundert. Hrsg. Bd. 2 Wolfram Czeschick. Bd. 2 : Auswanderer des 19. Jahrhunderts aus den Kreisen Bueren und Paderborn. Paderborn: Bonifatius, c1999.
Bartolosch, Thomas A., Cornelius Neutsch, and Karl Jürgen Roth. Siegerländer und Wittgensteiner in der neuen Welt: Auswanderung im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert. Siegen: Universität Siegen, 1999.
Hausmann, Friederike. Die Deutschen Anarchisten von Chicago: Oder Warum Amerika den 1. Mai Nicht Kennt. Originalausgabe. Wagenbachs Taschenbuch 320. Berlin: Verlag Klaus Wagenbach, c1998.
Klassen, Peter P. `Und ob ich schon wanderte...': Geschichten zur Geschichte der Flucht und Wanderung der Mennoniten von Preussen ueber Russland nach Amerika. Weierhof: Mennonitischer Geschichtsverein, 1997.
MüllerBahlke, Thomas J., and Jürgen Gröschl, Hrsg. und einl. Salzburg, Halle, Nordamerika: Ein Zweisprachiges Find und Lesebuch zum GeorgiaArchiv der Franckeschen Stiftungen [Salzburg, Halle, North America: A Bilingual Catalog With Summaries of the Georgia Manuscripts in the Francke Foundations]. Hallesche Quellenpublikationen und Repertorien Bd. 4. Tübingen: Niemeyer, c1999.
Paul, Gerhard, Uwe Danker, and Peter Wulf, Hg. Geschichtsumschlungen: Sozial und Kulturgeschichtliches Lesebuch SchleswigHolstein 18481948. Bonn: Dietz, c1996.
Rost, Ellen, Otmar Allendorf, and RolfDietrich Müller, Hrsg. Auf nach Amerika! : Beiträge zur AmerikaAuswanderung des 19. Jahrhunderts aus dem Paderborner Land und zur Wiederbelebung der Historischen Beziehungen im 20. Jahrhundert Bd. 1 : Stadt Paderborn. Paderborn: Bonifatius, c1994.
Wala, Michael, Hrsg. Gesellschaft und Diplomatie im Transatlantischen Kontext: Festschrift für Reinhard R. Doerries zum 65. Geburtstag. USAStudien Bd. 11. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1999.
Wiesinger, Gerhard. Die Deutsche Einwandererkolonie von Holyoke, Massachusetts, 18651920. Von Deutschland nach Amerika Bd. 7. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1994.
The library also continues to grow through private donations,
especially of nineteenth-century German-American publications,
including the following new items received this summer:
Christliches Vergissmeinnicht. 23.
Aufl. New York, N.Y.: Kaufmann, n.d.
Das Pfarrhaus im Harz: Eine Erzählung für die Reifere Jugend und das Volk. Cincinnati, Ohio: Cranston & Curts, n.d.
Eins ist Noth: Worte Freundlicher Erinnerung an Unsere Confirmirte Weibliche Jugend. St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia, n.d.
Humoristische Blätter Vol. No. 1643-1697. New York, N.Y.: Eichler, [1900-01?].
Humoristische Blätter Vol. No. 1698-1744. New York, N.Y.: Eichler, [1900-01?].
Forged Elegance [Videorecording] : The Life Work of Cyril Colnik. Prod. Bandana Productions and Wisconsin Public Television. Bighorn Forge, Inc., c1998.
Basler, Konrad. The Dorlikon Emigrants: Swiss Settlers and Cultural Founders in the United States: A Personal Report by Konrad Basler. Translator Laura Villiger. Swiss American Historical Society Publications Vol. 10. New York: Peter Lang, c1996.
Brennekam, Otto. Walkenried und Clettenberg: Geschichtliche Erzählung. Berlin: Berliner Stadtmission, 1892.
Evers, Ernst. Fuer Herz und Haus: Erzählungen. Band 1. Konstanz: Carl Hirsch, n.d.
Evers, Ernst. Steinsmühlen. 3. Aufl. Reading, Pa.: Pilger, [1899].
Frank, C. A. Der Junge Pilgrim: Ein Erbauungsbuch für die Confirmirte Jugend. 11. Auflage. St. Louis, Mo.: Dette, 1909.
Funcke, Otto. Reisebilder und Heimatklänge. 6. Aufl. Cincinnati, Ohio: Cranston & Stowe, n.d.
Glaubrecht, O. Die Schreckensjahre von Lindheim. Ein Beitrag zur Sittengeschichte des 17. Jahrhunderts. Ein Gottesgericht. Der Weidenkaspar. 8. Aufl. Stuttgart: D. Gundert, 1893.
Graepp, L. W. Gerald, der Insurgent von Cuba. Historische Erzählung aus der Letzten Erhebung der Cubaner gegen die Spanier. [Und] Von Jerusalem nach Pella: Eine Erzählung aus der Zeit vor der Zerstörung Jerusalems. Milwaukee, Wis.: Brumder, n.d.
Haza-Radlitz, Hedwig von. Die Jungen Rebellen. Sonnenschein: Geschichten für Kinder und Ihre Freunde 12. und 13. Bändchen. New York, N.Y.: Benziger Brothers, 1913.
Herzberger, F. W. Deutsches Blut: Eine Erzählung aus dem Amerikanischen Landleben. Milwaukee, Wis.: Northwestern, n.d.
Hoffmann, Franz. Lebenskämpfe: Eine Erzählung für Meine Jungen Freunde. Amerikanische StereotypAusgabe. Philadelphia, Pa.: Kohler, n.d.
Illing, Oscar. Rosen und Dornen: Gedichte. Dolgeville, N.J.: American Authors' Agency, 1907.
Ira, Alfred. Das Stiefmütterchen: Eine Erzählung aus den Kupferminen am Superiorsee. Antigo, Wis.: Antigo Publishing, 1898.
Jacoby, L. S. Letzte Stunden, oder, Die Kraft der Religion Jesu Christi im Tode. Haus und Herd. Cincinnati, Ohio: Curts & Jennings, 1874.
Kolping, A. Was Gott Thut, das ist Wohlgethan: Eine Erzählung für die Reifere Jugend und das Volk. FeierabendStunden für den Christlichen Familienkreis. Milwaukee, Wis.: M. M. Gerend, n.d.
Nagler, Franz Ludwig. Jerachmeel, oder, in Grossen Stürmen. Eine Erzählung aus der Zeit der Belagerung und Zerstörung Jerusalems durch Nebukadnezar (Für das Christliche Volk). 2. Aufl. Haus und Herd. Cincinnati, Ohio: Curts & Jennings, c1892.
Nonnen, Emily. Die Flüchtlinge, oder, Der Wahlspruch über der Haustüre: Eine Erzählung für die Jugend. Milwaukee, Wis.: Northwestern, n.d.
Pitcher, B. Das Pferd: Ein Buch für das Volk, Enthaltend: Die Praktischen Erfahrungen nach jeder Richtung hin, Die ein Huffschmied in Siebenunddreissigjähriger Thätigkeit Gesammelt; Sowie Manches Wissenswerthe über Pferde und Wie Dieselben Behandelt, Beschlagen und Gewartet Werden Müssen; nebst einer Anzahl Recepte, Welche der Verfasser seit Jahren Gebraucht, und für Pferde und Menschen Gut Befunden Hat. 3. vermehrte Auflage. Chicago, Ill.: German News Company, 1881.
Schmid, Christoph von. Wie Heinrich von Eichenfels zur Erkenntnis Gottes Kam: Eine Erzählung für Kinder und Kinderfreunde. Neue Ausgabe. Konstanz: Carl Hirsch, n.d.
Sheehan, P. A. Von Dr. Grans Blindheit: Eine Erzählung aus dem Irischen Priesterleben. Übersetzung Oskar Jacob. New York, N.Y.: Benziger Brothers, 1911.
[Vollmar, A.] Das Pfarrhaus in Indien: Ein Seitenstück und die Fortsetzung zum "Pfarrhaus in Harz." [The Parsonage in India.]. Vorwort H. Liebhart. Cincinnati, Ohio: Jennings & Pye, n.d.
Zimmermann, G. A. Deutsches Classisches Lesebuch fuer Höhere Klassen und Hochschulen, nebst einem Abritz der deutschen Literaturgeschichte [Classical German Reader]. 3. Aufl. New Standard German Series IV. Chicago, Ill.: Brumder, 1888.
Finally, a special gift from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Archives has been added to our oral history collection. Two 1/4"
reel-to-reel tapes were donated, containing an interview with
Hans Reuter, a leader in the American Turner movement. These tapes
were used by a former Physical Education professor at Oshkosh
for her dissertation on the Turners. They make a fine contribution
to our collection of sound recordings, and they will hopefully
be digitized in the future.
We are grateful for the generous donations that have been made to the Institute's library. Please visit our library catalog online and search our growing collection!
As new librarian of the MKI, Heidi Marzen spends her days working on an array of interesting projects. She is responsible not only for assisting patrons using the library, by phone, e-mail, or in person, but also for acquiring and cataloging new library materials, processing donations, maintaining the library catalog online, updating the web page, and working on grant proposals for projects related to the MKI collection. She is currently developing a NEH grant proposal to catalog and preserve the Institute's specialized collection of nineteenth-century German-language imprints published in the U.S.
In May, she received her Masters of Library Science from the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While completing her Master's degree, she worked as an assistant with the Institute's former librarian Annie Reinhardt. Last summer, she also had an internship at the Wisconsin Reference & Loan Library. She is currently also employed at the Madison Public Library. Before that she completed an undergraduate degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, where she majored in English and German and spent a semester abroad at Universität Passau in Germany.
She says, "It's wonderful to be able to use my background in German in a professional setting. I find it fascinating to work with such a specialized collection. I really learn a lot here."
Heidi is available for consulation and help with specific questions.
Please call for an appointment.
The Milwaukee Turners are having an Art Festival in their Ballroom on September 29, 30 and October 1, 2000. This will be the first time since the 1933 fire that the ballroom will be used for a formal event. The Turners plan to restore the ballroom in time for their 150th anniversary in 2003.
Artwork by local artists will be on display from September 29th through October 7th. The evening of Friday September 29th will be highlighted with jazz and contemporary music, and refreshments will be available. Proceeds from this event will go to the "Sam Domiano Children's Art Program."
Saturday evening is the Turners night to shine. A varied, upscale program of ethnic music and dance with supper-horsdoervres and dessert in the ballroom will make for an exciting time of fun and Gemütlichkeit.
Sunday is scheduled to be a typical "Turner Family Fun Day." There will be free introductory classes in gymnastics and rock climbing in the gym, hands-on arts and crafts, music, performances, tours of historic Turner Hall, and a bake sale in the ballroom. There will be something for everyone. For more information or reservations call Rose Marie Barber at (414)-272-1733.
The Max Kade Institute is pleased to announce its participation in the 6th Annual Home Tour sponsored by the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Institute will be on tour from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 24, 2000. The house, known as the Petheridge-Isom-Keystone House, was built by Englishman William J. Petheridge. It is the oldest in the Shorewood Hills village, dating back to 1853. It is the larger of two examples of the Side Gable form found in Shorewood Hills.
For more information about participation in the Shorewood Hills
Home Tours, please call Barbara Essock at (608)255-7276.
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