Speaker(s):
Antje Petty
Location:
Lindenwood Community Center, Mequon, WI
Description:
Drawing on the resources of the Max Kade Institute Library & Archives and other contemporary materials, this presentation looks at German-language documents published in the United States during the World War I Era. It offers a glimpse into German Americans’ view of the world as their position in American society shifted in a rapidly changing world, amid escalating global conflict. Four distinct time periods will be discussed: the years preceding the beginning of the war in Europe, the early war years before the entry of the United States, the war years after the entry of the United States, and the years immediately following the end of armed conflict.
American German-language papers and magazines, however, did not all speak with the same voice. The presentation will look at differences between German-American regional papers such as Germania and Vorwärts (both published in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Westliche Post (St. Louis, Missouri) and others; and periodicals with a national reach, such as Die Hausfrau and Die Abendschule. Questions concerning the very existence of these publications and the role WWI played (or did not play) in their eventual demise will also be addressed.
Co-sponsor(s):
Pomeran Society of Freistadt