January 8

1:00-2:00 p.m., German American Heritage Center, Davenport — Glenn Ehrstine, “German-Iowan Newspapers and the News of the Day”

3:00-4:00 p.m., German American Heritage Center, Davenport — Glenn Ehrstine, “German Iowans and the Politics of Brewing”

beginning March 2017

German Iowa & the Global Midwest exhibition travels the state (dates and routes available here)

March 6-11

Ackley Soda Fountain, Ackley — Traveling Exhibit and Food Tastings

March 8

7:30-9:00 p.m., Recital Hall, Voxman Music Building — WorldCanvass broadcast with Joan Kjaer on “Immigration Then and Now: From German Iowa to Today’s Refugees” (ReCap page with audio and video links)

March 15

5:30 p.m., Ames Public Library Gallery, Ames — Traveling Exhibit Reception

March 16

6:00 p.m., Cedar Rapids Public Library, Cedar Rapids — Traveling Exhibit Reception and Presentation on “German Iowans and the Politics of Brewing” by Glenn Ehrstine

March 22

4:00 p.m., University of Iowa, 169 Van Allen Hall — Glenn Ehrstine, “Minority Media in Translation: The German-Iowan Press, Univision, and Political Visibility” (including discussion of the German Iowa project’s interactive German newspaper map)

7:00 p.m., Torrent Brewing Company, Ames — Dr. Lawrence McDonnell, “From Germans to Americans: Ethnicity, Class, and the Experience of Battle in the Civil War”

March 27

7:00 p.m., Ames Public Library Auditorium, Ames — Dr. Jeremy Best, “The Disappearance of German Iowans”

March 29

1:00-4:00 p.m., Ames Public Library Auditorium, Ames — Scharlott Goettsch Blevins, “Finding Your German Ancestors”

April 1

1:00-3:00 p.m., FilmScene, Iowa City — screening of “The Cantor of Swabia,” a documentary on the life of Tübingen choir director Richard Gölz, who emigrated to Milwaukee following World War II; director Sabine Gölz, UI Department of German, will lead a talk-back following the screening.

2:00-4:00 p.m., Ames Public Library Auditorium, Ames — Second Chair Brass, Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, Margaret Junkan, “Germany: A Celebration of Food and Music”

April 4

6:00-7:30 p.m., Kalona Village Visitor’s Center — Open House, Panel Discussion, and Refreshments.

April 6

7:30 p.m., University of Iowa Recital Hall, Iowa City — Glenn Watkins, “Music and the 100th Anniversary of America’s Entrance into WWI”

April 7

5:00-7:00 p.m., State Historical Museum of Iowa, Des Moines — joint opening reception for traveling German Iowa exhibit and “Iowa and the Great War” (with commemorative remarks at 5:45 p.m. on the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I by Herbert Quelle, Chicago Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Vincent Floreani, Chicago Consul General of the Republic of France)

April 8

1:30-2:30 p.m., State Historical Museum of Iowa, Des Moines — Glenn Ehrstine, “German Iowans in World War I”

April 13

4:00-5:00 p.m., Old Capitol Museum — Jon Childers, Amana Heritage Society: “Amana in World War I”

April 18

7:00 p.m., Ames Public Library Auditorium, Ames — Dr. Kierra Crago-Schneider, “Waiting with Packed Suitcases: European Jewish Refugees, 1938-1957”

April 24

7:00 p.m., Ames Public Library Auditorium, Ames — “Iowa News During the Holocaust: A History Unfolded Project”

April 29

Amana Heritage Museum, 4310 220th Trail, Amana — German Iowa & the Global Midwest at the Amana Heritage Museum

• 9:45 a.m.: Welcoming remarks, Jon Childers, Executive Director, Amana Heritage Museum
• 10:00 a.m.: “German Iowans during World War I,” Glenn Ehrstine, University of Iowa
• 1:00 p.m.: “The Amana Society during World War I,” Jon Childers, Amana Heritage Museum
• 2:00 p.m.: “Celestial, Local, and German: The ‘Amana’ Meteorite as Historical Nexus,” Tyler Carrington, Cornell College

May 6

Amana Heritage Museum, Amana — Maifest Parade and Presentations

May 11

6:30 p.m., Polk City Community Library, Polk City — “Germans in Iowa: Why Did They Come and Where Did They Settle?”

June 10

4:00 p.m., Cheeta’s Café and Lounge, 201 Cedar St., Schleswig, IA — Germanfest (featuring guest presenters, German music, and German cuisine)

June 15

7:00 p.m., Homestead Community Church Museum 4210 V Street, Homestead, Amana Heritage Society — Here, I’m Hank: A German Immigrant’s Story, play by Janet Schlapkohl (reception at 5:30 p.m.)  Here, I’m Hank is a two person play about a mother and her son navigating the social, political and emotional costs of immigration to Iowa during the 1860’s.  The play uses songs from the time period.

June 25

Hausbarn Heritage Park, Manning, IA, Here, I’m Hank: A German Immigrant’s Story, play by Janet Schlapkohl.

June 26

7:00 p.m., Laurens Public Library, Laurens, IA – Book Club discussion of Bottomland, by Michelle Hoover.  Bottomland follows the Hess family in the years after World War I as they attempt to rid themselves of the Anti-German sentiment that left a stain on their name. But when the youngest two daughters vanish in the middle of the night, the family must piece together what happened while struggling to maintain their life on the unforgiving Iowa plains.

June 29

4:00-7:00 p.m., Hausbarn Heritage Park, Manning, IA, Painting Class.  Participants can paint a stein and have it fired; there is a small fee.

6:30-7:30 p.m., Polk City Community Library, Polk City — Brad Wilkening with special guests Micheal and David Wolnerman, “Lessons from the Holocaust”

July 4

3:00 p.m., Prairie Trails Museum, Corydon, IA – Michael Vogt, “Camp Dodge, ‘Home Away from Home.'”  This presentation will illuminate the World War I history of Iowa’s largest military base.

July 7-8

Laurens Public Library, Laurens, IA – Laurens Summer Celebration.  The German Iowa and the Global Midwest exhibit will be a featured part of the celebration.

August 9

4:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library, Wellsburg, IA- Reception, Tea and Cookies

6:00 – 7:00 p.m., Wellsburg City Park – Performance and snacks, Ackley Little German Band.

August 10

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – “Using the Ortssippenbuchs in Your Research,” Dee Lindaman.  Research help provided after program; come with your ancestor’s name and village. Coffee and German pastries provided until 4:00 p.m.

August 11 

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – “Military Service Launches Photojournalism Career, Harlen Persinger.  Coffee and German pastries provided.

August 12 

12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Wellsburg Community Center – Accordion Music, Keith Lambertsen.  Lunch for sale at community center.

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – Online Digital Wellsburg and Grundy County Newspapers, and Grundy County GenWeb site.  Coffee and German pastries provided.

August 15

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – “Reminiscing and Storytelling in English and Platt,” Dennis Hippen, Harold Heeran, John Buskohl.  Coffee and German pastries provided.

August 16

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – Children’s Workshop: Make an Ostfriesen Schultute (Back to School Package.) Coffee and German pastries provided.

August 17

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – “Packing Your Bags for Ostfriesland,” Janet Rogers Lambertsen, All Around Travel, Iowa Falls.  Coffee and German pastries provided.

August 18

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Public Library – “Using DNA for Genealogical Research,” Lois Mackin. Coffee and German pastries provided.

August 19

10:30- 11:00 a.m., Wellsburg Reformed Church – OHS Platt Choir

11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Reformed Church – Cemetery Walk.

11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m., Wellsburg Reformed Church – German lunch for sale.

12:30- 1:30 p.m., Wellsburg Reformed Church – Music by Prairie Creek String Band.

2:00 p.m., Wellsburg Reformed Church – Here I’m Hank: A German Immigrant’s Story, play by Janet Schlapkohl.  Closing tea party with Lillian Marks.

September 22

5:00 p.m., Downtown Waverly, IA – Waverly Oktoberfest.

September 23

11:00 a.m., Downtown Waverly, IA – Waverly Oktoberfest.

October 3

6:00 p.m., Waterloo Public Library- Robert Neymeyer, “Liberty Bonds, Yellow Paint, and English-Only: Anti-German Sentiment During WWI in Iowa.”

October 5

10:00 a.m., Waterloo Public Library – Introduction to Newspaper Archives. Registration required.

October 10

10:00 a.m., Waterloo Public Library – Ancestry.com for Beginners. Registration required.

October 12

2:00 p.m., Waterloo Public Library – Ancestry.com for Beginners. Registration required.

6:00 p.m., Waterloo Public Library – Genealogy Lock-In: concentrated time to work on research with computers, databases, and staff. Registration required.

October 14

11:15 a.m., Waterloo Public Library – 3-D Family Tree Craft Workshop.  Create a tree with flowers made of family photos.  Registration required.

October 17

6:30 p.m., Waterloo Public Library – Waterloo Historic Preservation Commission, “Preserving the Past for a Better Tomorrow.”

October 24

6:00 p.m, Waterloo Public Library – Teresa Steinkamp McMillan, “Untangle the Web of Germanic Websites.”

October 28

10:00 a.m., Waterloo Public Library – Introduction to Newspaper Archives. Registration required.

October 29

2:00 p.m., German American Heritage Center, Davenport – Barbara Kay, “It Was a Crime to Be German.” A costumed portrayal of a German-American woman during World War I.

2:00 p.m., Waterloo Public Library – Diane Meier Green and David Bartholmy. “Introduction to German Genealogical Research.”