The War Within
June 11, 2023 |
2:00 pm -
3:00 pm
$0-5
This program will be virtual only. Register here.
FREE for GAHC&M members, $5 for non-members.
Anti-German hysteria in Iowa during World War I, already manifest in 1917, reached a linguistic crescendo in the spring of 1918, and resulted in an unprecedented assault on German identity, constitutional liberties, and ultimately the extraordinary measures taken by a German-American Lutheran congregation in far northern Iowa. Wartime zealotry, countenancing no form of German identity, culminated in an edict by the governor of Iowa restricting spoken language and consequently, for some, the free exercise of their religion. In response, the parishioners of St. Peter Lutheran in rural Mitchell County gave up the use of their church and moved Gottesdienst, German worship services, a few miles north, into Minnesota, meeting in a member’s farm grove—at night! Thomas Jefferson once observed, “I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty, than those attending too small a degree of it.” On which side of Jefferson’s alternatives shall Americans in the twenty-first century choose to stand?
Based on extensive research in century-old German congregational manuscripts, period documents, and oral history gathered decades ago, “The War Within” details a largely forgotten chapter in the history of Iowa and the life of a faithful congregation, one still capable of eliciting strong emotion and providing a sobering thought-provoking lesson on which to reflect.
About the speaker:
As a youth, Russell Baldner’s early affection for the German language and history led to B.A. and M.A. degrees in History, undergraduate and graduate study in German, and a career in education, teaching in those and related fields. The presenter first conducted serious primary source historical research in the original nineteenth-century German manuscripts of his family’s ancestral German–Lutheran congregation, of which his immigrant great-great-grandfather was a founding member. Four years later, on the first of nine sojourns in ancestral Germany, Russell lived in his ancestor’s birthplace. Baldner specializes in the history of Germany, ethnic German history and genealogy; historical documents written in Kurrentschrift, an archaic, long-abandoned and seldom-read German cursive script; and Late Prehistoric Native American archaeology. A frequent public speaker, historian and writer, Baldner’s recent publications include several nineteenth-century German Lutheran historical and manuscript studies; a three-part Introduction to the Reformation and Protestantism; and a four-part research series on the Late Prehistoric to Early Historic Native American petroglyphs and pictographs of northeast Iowa.
In September 2022, Russell and wife Cathryn co-hosted “Medieval to Modern Hearts of Germany,” a two-week group tour in northeastern Germany proposed and largely designed by Baldner in conjunction with and sponsored by the University of Northern Iowa, his alma mater. Included were pre-departure orientations by Russell focusing on Germany’s history, language, and social-cultural landscape; historical lectures and commentaries while on tour in Germany; and a renewed and welcome opportunity daily to converse in the language of his heritage.
Join us for our next Kaffee und Kuchen program, Quad Cities Beer, on Sunday July 28th. The Quad Cities has a rich history of brewing that started with the influx of German citizens in the 1800s. Breweries were established on both sides of the Mississippi River. Some of the historic breweries managed to reopen after Prohibition, but national competition ultimately closed the last of these stalwarts in 1956.
Join authors Michael McCarty and Kristen DeMarr as they celebrate the heady heritage of the region. Before or after the lecture, guests may purchase a copy of Michael and Kristin`s book and get it signed by the authors.
FREE for members, $5 for non-members. Tickets online or at the door, link in bio.
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Join us for our next Kaffee und Kuchen program, Quad Cities Beer! Sunday July 28th at 2:00.
The Quad Cities has a rich history of brewing that started with the influx of German citizens in the 1800s. Breweries were established on both sides of the Mississippi River. Some of the historic breweries managed to reopen after Prohibition, but national competition ultimately closed the last of these stalwarts in 1956.
Join authors Michael McCarty and Kristen DeMarr as they celebrate the heady heritage of the region. Before or after the lecture, guests may purchase a copy of Michael and Kristin`s book and get it signed by the authors.
FREE for members, $5 for non-members. Tickets online or at the door, link in bio.
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In honor of the new Karl Ungurean statue being unveiled today, we are sharing some of the items donated by the Ungurean family in our 4th floor cases.
Karl Ungurean was one of the Bix 7`s first directors and was the founder of Cornbelt Running Club.
Karl was an immigrant who settled in the Quad Cities. He was born in Romania on June 26, 1934. Several years after his birth, his family moved to Salzburg, Austria. It was here that Karl discovered his love of running, which would become his passion later in life. Nazi Germany annexed Austria while the Ungureans were living there, giving Karl many memories of the occupation. At some point prior to 1954, the Ungureans found themselves in Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps.
In 1954, the Ungureans made it to the United States as a family under the sponsorship of an uncle.
Karl served in the U.S. Army during the Cold War and he and his wife, Kay, were stationed in Munich for two years. When they returned to Davenport, Karl started running more often and participated in races like the Drake Relays and the New Glarus road race. In 1978, Karl logged over 2500 miles. 🏃
Karl ran 56 marathons in his lifetime, including the Boston Marathon twice.
Called the "father of running in Quad Cities," Karl left behind a legacy far bigger than he could have dreamed. He passed away on December 10th, 2022, and is receiving a new honor from the leaders of the Bix 7 with a statue dedicated to him in downtown Davenport. Karl`s wife, Kay, donated some of the family`s items to the German American Heritage Center and Museum. These items are housed in our collection and are on temporary display this summer.
The unveiling of the statue will take place today, Monday July 22nd at Quad City Times (500 E 3rd St, Davenport, Iowa 52801) at 6:30 PM.
Quad-City Times Bix 7
#qc #quadcities #bix #bixrace #davenport #davenportiowa #qcthatswhere #qctimes #immigrant #museum #bix7 #qctbix7 #runwiththebest
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Today is national ice cream day! Germany has a special ice cream treat called Spaghettieis. It is a popular dessert in Germany, especially during the summer months. It was invented in the 1960s by an Italian immigrant named Dario Fontanella, who was inspired by the traditional Italian dish of spaghetti alle vongole. The dish is made by pressing vanilla ice cream through a spaetzle press, which gives it the appearance of spaghetti noodles. The "noodles" are then topped with a strawberry sauce that resembles tomato sauce, and grated white chocolate that looks like parmesan cheese.
Since its invention, spaghettieis has become a beloved dessert in Germany and has even gained popularity in other parts of the world. It`s not uncommon to find this unique ice cream dish in Italian ice cream parlors or restaurants that specialize in German cuisine.
Some variations of spaghettieis include using chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla, or adding gummy worms to resemble meatballs. Despite its unusual appearance, spaghettieis is a delicious and fun dessert that is sure to surprise and delight anyone who tries it. 🍦🇩🇪
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#germany #icecream #german #history #icecreamday #spaghettieis #deutschland
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We are thrilled to be an official @silosandsmokestacks National Heritage Area site! Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA), also known as America`s Agricultural Heritage Partnership is one of 62 federally designated National Heritage Areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. Through the development of a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA`s mission is to interpret farm life, agribusiness and rural communities-past and present.
Thank you to @visitquadcities, @cityofdavenportia, and our friends from the @putnammuseum for coming and celebrating with us!
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We are accepting internship applications for the Fall term! (September-December). The deadline in August 1st.
Undergraduate and graduate level internships, independent study, and project opportunities are always available at the German American Heritage Center & Museum.
The museum works on an individual basis with the student, advisor and/or professor to ensure the student has a unique and enriching learning experience that fulfills their educational goals.
Emphasis areas include but are not limited to museum/interpretive studies, exhibitions, communications (marketing/public relations), education/curriculum, and business administration.
If you are interested, apply through our website at https://gahc.org/internships/ or contact clare@gahc.org
At this time we are unable to offer paid internships but we work with universities to make sure students receive credits for their work. Internship offerings are limited each term but students can apply more than once.
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Join us on Sunday for our presentation-style version of our summer walking tours! Enjoy the stories and history of our neighborhood from the comfort of our air conditioning 🥵. Plus, see historic and present-day photos of the sites we visit on our tours. This is free for members, and $5 for non-members. Register online, link in bio. …
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