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32nd Annual Symposium
Society for German-American Studies
commemorating the
400th Anniversary
First Germans in America
at
Jamestown, Virginia
April 17-20, 2008
Williamsburg, Virginia
Woodlands Hotel and Conference Center
University of Virginia
School of Continuing Education
and
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg
Society for German-American Studies
32nd Annual Symposium
April 17-20, 2008
The Society for German-American Studies will hold its Thirty-second Annual Symposium at the Woodlands Hotel and Conference Center in Williamsburg, Virginia. The SGAS conference is being held in Williamsburg in 2008 so we can participate in the events marking the 400th anniversary of the first Germans in America at Jamestown, Virginia. This is peak tourist season in Virginia—it’s the beginning of Garden Week—so reserve your room now. We are planning events so you will have time to enjoy the historic sites and learn first-hand about the Germans in the first English colony in the New World. We look forward to welcoming you to the Colonial Triangle Area in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Meals
Advanced registration is required for all meals listed on the registration form. Friday’s lunch is included with the conference registration fee. For other meals there are a variety of restaurants available in the Williamsburg area. A listing of restaurants in Colonial Williamsburg will be provided in your symposium registration packet.
If you are staying at the Woodlands Hotel, breakfast is included with your room each day.
Saturday’s tour of Historic Jamestowne will include a box lunch that you can eat on the bus on the way over to Jamestown. Remember to check your choice of sandwich on the registration form; we will have assorted sodas and bottled water.
The Society’s annual awards banquet will be held in conjunction with the 400th Anniversary of Germans in America banquet on Saturday evening. Please note that members of various German-American organizations will also be attending the banquet, so register now for this event; there will be no on-site registration for the banquet.
Registration
Return your completed registration form by April 1, 2008 along with a check payable to the University of Virginia. (On-site registration will also be available.)
The registration fee includes lunch on Friday, refreshment breaks, a commemorative book on the Germans at Jamestown, and a special gift.
A confirmation statement will be sent upon receipt of registration materials. Symposium registration will take place during the following times:
Thursday, 5:00-7:00 pm Lobby of Woodlands Hotel
Friday, 8:00 am-12:00 pm Woodland Conference Center
To obtain a refund, you must submit your request for cancellation by Monday, April 7, 2008. Contact us by email at aws@virignia.edu, by fax at 434 982-5524, or by phone at 434 982-5518.
The Germans at Jamestown
For those not familiar with the Colonial Triangle Area (Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorkville) there are two Jamestowns. Historic Jamestown is the actual historic site operated jointly by the National Park Service and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APAV). Their websites can are located at: http://www.nps.gov/jame and http://www.historicjamestowne.org/. Numerous German artifacts have been found at Jamestown and are displayed in the Visitors Center at the Park and in The Archaearium. Also located here is the original Glasshouse where the German glassblowers worked. Bly Straube, APVA Preservation Virginia will be the featured speaker at our annual banquet on Friday night.
The second Jamestown is the Jamestown Settlement which is operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia and is the recreation of the colony; their website can be found at: http://www.historyisfun.org/.
Dr. Johannes Fleischer arrived at Jamestown with the first settlers in May 1607. He was the only non-Englishman in the group. Dr. Fleischer was not only the first German but also the first PhD (physician and botanist) and first Lutheran in the New World. In October 1608, a group of German glassblowers arrived—marking the advent of German craftsman in the America.
Tour of Historic Jamestowne (optional)
We have arranged a tour of Historic Jamestown which includes transportation, box lunch, admission (the same ticket is valid for the Yorktown battlefield, if you wish to visit there on Sunday afternoon), special guided tours, and dedication of the wayside at the Glass House. His Excellency, Dr. Klaus Scharioth, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United States will participate in the dedication. A detailed schedule will be in your registration packet.
Optional Tour of Yorktown Battlefield on Sunday
An optional tour of the Yorktown Battlefield has been scheduled for Sunday afternoon, April 20, at 1:30 pm for those who are still in the area. See first hand the role the Germans played in this decisive battle of the Revolutionary War. You can ride the free colonial shuttle from Williamsburg to the Yorktown Battlefield. Please check on the registration, if you plan to go on this tour; the tour may be cancelled if not enough interest is shown. If you register for the tour of Historic Jamestowne, your admission ticket to that site is also valid for the Yorktown Battlefield. More information will be in your registration packet.
Lodging at Woodlands Hotel and Suites
The room rate at the Woodlands Hotel is $129 single or double occupancy plus tax and includes breakfast each day. A limited number of deluxe suites are available for $159. To obtain this special rate you must use the group code: MIDE08A. Please note the cut-off date for the rooms at the Woodlands Hotel is March 10, 2008. The group code is MIDE08A. This special rate is valid up to three days before and three days after our conference.
IMPORTANT
Deadline for Room Reservations
at the Woodlands Hotels is
March 10, 2008.
Group code is MIDE08A
Toll-free Number: 800 261-9530
Make your reservation now. Because we are using the same room block for the other groups that are meeting during the same time frame, you don’t want to be left without a room. The Woodlands Hotel website can be found at:
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/stayWithUs/williamsburgWoodlands/
For additional assistance, search the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance
http://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/index.aspx or contact them by phone at (800) 211-7165 or (757) 229-6511.
Colonial Williamsburg Pass
Since we are staying at a Colonial Williamsburg hotel, for $15 you can purchase a reduced admission price ticket that is valid for your entire stay. This is a substantial savings off the regular two-day admission price of $49. For example, if you arrive on Thursday morning and don’t leave until Sunday, the ticket is valid all four days. Staying at the Woodlands also gets you priority reservations at one of the colonial taverns for lunch or dinner as well as other benefits; see the Colonial Williamsburg website for details: http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/
For early arrivals, we will arrange to have the passes ready for you when you arrive.
Woodlands Conference Center
All meetings and group meals will take place in the Wooodlands Conference Center. The center is a short walk from the hotel rooms. (View a printable map of the Williamsburg area.)
Colonial Williamsburg has adopted a no smoking policy in its conference facilities. Smoking is in designated areas only.
Transportation
The nearest airports to Williamsburg are Newport News (20 minutes from downtown; http://www.nnwairport.com/) and Richmond (50 minutes away; http://www.flyrichmond.com/). Both of these airports are located off Interstate 64. Slightly farther way is Norfolk airport (60 minutes; http://www.norfolkairport.com/).
Driving Directions
From Interstate 64, take exit 238 onto Route 143 East. Follow Route 143 to the second traffic light and bear right onto Route 132. Continue on Route 132 following signs to the Visitor Center. At second left, turn onto concrete aggregate road, Route 132Y. Turn at the first left; the Woodlands Hotel & Suites is at the top of the hill. (757) 220-7960. Street Address: Woodlands Hotel and Suites 105 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Parking at Conference Center
For the guests at the Woodlands Hotel, the Conference Center is but a short walk from your hotel room. Other participants in the symposium may park free of charge adjacent to the Conference Center. (View a printable map of the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area for parking location.)
Other German Related Conferences Taking Place on April 19
There are two other meetings on Saturday whose activities you may wish to attend. There are separate registration fees for both these conferences.
The Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society will hold its spring meeting on April 19 from 9:00 to 4:00 pm The featured speaker is Rogert P. Minert, author of numerous books on German genealogy including Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents, Spelling Variations in German Names, Researching in Germany, and the series Place Name Indexes for every state in Germany. His topics are: “A day in the life of your German ancestors,” “Surnames in German-language Regions of Europe,” and “Status in German Society 1500 to 1800: Where did your ancestors fit in?” More information can be found at the MAGS website at: http://www.magsgen.com/springmeeting.html.
The Center for the Liberal Arts at the University of Virginia will hold its Spring Workshop for German high school teachers in Virginia. The theme of their conference is entitled: “Teaching about German-Americans and Germans in America.” Information on this conference can be found at: http://www.virginia.edu/cla/resources/german.html.
Society for German-American Studies
32nd Annual Symposium
April 17-20, 2008
Williamsburg, Virginia
Program
Thursday, April 17, 2008
If you plan to arrive in Williamsburg early and have ordered a Colonial Williamsburg pass, we will arrange to have them at the hotel registration desk, so you can begin to explore Colonial Williamsburg as soon as you arrive.
| 2:00 – 5:00 pm | SGAS Executive Committee Meeting Woodlands Conference Center |
| 5:00 – 7:00 pm | Early Conference Registration Woodlands Hotel |
| 7:00 – 9:00 pm | Gemütliches Beisammensein |
Dinner on your own at one of the historic taverns or other restaurants in Williamsburg.
Friday, April 18, 2008
(If you are staying in the Woodlands Hotel, breakfast is included with your room.)
| 8:00 am – 1:30 pm | Conference Registration Desk Open |
| 8:30 – 9:15 am | Welcome and Opening Plenary Session Albert Spengler, University of Virginia Keynote Address: “The German Artifacts Found at Jamestown” Beverly A. “Bly” Straube, FSA Senior Curator, Jamestown Rediscovery APVA Preservation Virginia |
| 9:15 – 10:45 am | Session I |
| Germans in Various States I Germans from Minnesota in the Civil War LaVern Rippley (St. Olaf College) The Civil War Letters of Charles Lieberman Karyl Rommelfanger (Manitwoc, WI Public Schools) William Langer’s First Underdogs: German-speaking Dakotans in 1918 Charles M. Barber (Northeastern Illinois University) |
|
| Immigration I A View Beneath the Surface: the pre-1830 German Immigration Reflected in the 2nd Generation in the 1880 Census Walter Kamphoefner (Texas A & M University) Identitätswechsel und staatsbürgerliche Selbstnaturalisierung des Immigranten in den USA Der Priester Carl Anton Postl als Pastor Carl Morits Zeilfels (Ohio Synode) und 'amerikanischer' Publizist Charles Sealsfield Alexander Ritter (University of Hamburg) German Émigrés and the Perception of Hitler Youth During World War II Karl Heinz Füssel (Technical University of Berlin) |
|
| 10:45 – 11:00 am | Break |
| 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | Session II |
| Germans in Virginia “Out of the love of botany:” an examination of the First German to arrive in Jamestown, Virginia Bly Straube (Jamestown Rediscovery, APVA) Georg Blättermann, First Professor of German in the United States, University of Virginia Wayne Stith (University of Virginia) 400 Years of Germans in America Gary Grassl (German-American Heritage Society of Greater Washington Area) |
|
| Immigration II Jakob Sternberger and his Circle: Bohemians in Search of a Communist Utopia in the New World Marcel Rotter (University of Mary Washington) Bremerhaven to Baltimore: the Story of One Immigrant’s Journey Randall Donaldson (Loyola College in Maryland) Immigration from Lichtenstein Pio Schurti |
|
| 12:30 – 1:30 pm | Lunch with SGAS Business Meeting |
| 1:45 – 3:15 pm | Session III |
| Germans in Various States II Arts and Architecture of the Pennsylvania Germans Lisa Minardi (Winterthur Museum) Germans of New Orleans and their Contributions Sevilla Finley (German-American Culture Center, Gretna, LA) Texas Alsatians Get Tough: Language Attitudes in Castroville, Texas Karen Roesch (University of Texas) |
|
| Science Bringing Knowledge to America: Francis Lieber, the Brockhaus, and the Encyclopedia Americana Kit Belgum (University of Texas) The Genealogy of the Map: Baron Friedrich von Egloffstein’s Map of the Mineral Resouces of the Valley of Mexico, 1864 Steven Rowan (University of Missouri-St. Louis) Alexander von Humboldt’s trip to the United States in 1804 and his relationship with Thomas Jefferson Sandra Rebok (Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Madrid) |
|
| 3:15 – 3:30 pm | Break |
| 3:30 – 5:30 pm | Session IV |
| Literature and Poetry The U.S. Reception and Translation of 19th century German Children’s Literature Robert Godwin-Jones (Virginia Commonwealth University) Gellert’s Tale ”Inkle und Yariko” John Reynolds (Longwood University) Heinweh Variation in German –American Poetry Christopher Schweitzer (University of North Carolina) Cormac McCarthy, Nietzsche and the Narrative Performance of Violence William F. Quirk (St. Mary’s College of Maryland) |
|
| Language and Mass Media | |
| The Texas German Dialect Archive Hans Boas and Marc Pierce (University of Texas) Pennsylvania German Orthography Achim Kopp (Mercer University) Asseba un Sabina: a Pennsylvania German Radio Broadcast Series of the 1940s and 1950s Gregory J. Hanson (Kuntztown University of Pennsylvania) Reading Friedrich Torberg in Aufbau: an Austrian-Jewish Experience in America Michael Rice (Middle Tennessee State University) |
|
| 5:30 - 6:30 pm | Poetry Reading Ingeborg Carsten-Miller |
Dinner on your own at one of the historic taverns or other restaurants in Williamsburg.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
(If you are staying in the Woodlands Hotel, breakfast is included with your room.)
Saturday morning free time to visit Colonial Williamsburg or the College of William and Mary.
If you purchased a Colonial Williamsburg pass, we recommend you visit the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and see their collection of German Folk Art.
Optional Tour to Historic Jamestowne
| 11:45 am | Bus departs Woodlands Hotel for Historic Jamestowne |
| 12:30 pm | Introductory Film |
| 12:45 pm | Tour of Historic Jamestowne |
| 3:00 pm | Tour of the Glass House |
| 4:00 pm | Dedication of the Wayside at the Glass House |
| 4:45 pm | Bus returns to Woodlands Hotel |
400th Anniversary Celebration at the Woodlands Conference Center (optional event)
| 5:30 pm | Reception |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:00 pm | 400th Anniversary of Germans in America Program Welcome by The Honorable Jeanne Zeidler Mayor, City of Williamsburg Remarks by His Excellency Dr. Klaus Scharioth Ambassador, Federal Republic of Germany to the United States Keynote Address: 400 Years of Germans in America and their Contributions to American Culture John Humphrey, President, Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society |
| 8:00 pm | Concert by Countertop Quartet (sponsored by the German Embassy) |
Sunday, April 20, 2008
(If you are staying in the Woodlands Hotel, breakfast is included with your room.)
| 9:30 am | Festival Service marking the 400th Anniversary of German Lutherans in America |
| 11:00 am | Kaffee Stunde |
| 1:30 pm | Optional Tour: Germans at the Battle of Yorktown |
For More Information
(Please call between 9 am and 5 pm, eastern time.)
Albert W. Spengler
University of Virginia
Cooper Center for Public Service
PO Box 400206
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4206
(434) 982-5518 or aws@virginia.edu
Quick Schedule Overview
Thursday, April 17, 2008 (Woodlands Hotel and Suites)
| 2:00-5:00 pm | SGAS Executive Board Mtg. |
| 5:00-7:00 pm | Conference Registration |
| 7:00-9:00 pm | Geselliges Beisammensein |
Friday, April 18, 2008 (Woodlands Conference Center)
| 8:00 am-1:30 pm | Registration |
| 8:30-9:15 am | Welcome and Keynote Session |
| 9:15-12:30 am | Concurrent Sessions |
| 12:30–1:30 pm | Luncheon and Business Meeting |
| 1:45-5:30 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
| 5:30-6:30 pm | Poetry and Prose Reading |
Saturday, April 19, 2008 (Historic Jamestowne)
Morning free to visit Colonial Williamsburg.
| 11:45 am | Bus departs for Tour of Historic Jamestown |
| 4:00 pm | Dedication of Wayside at Glass House |
| 5:30 - 9:15 pm | 400th Anniversary Reception, Dinner, Ceremony, and Concert |
Sunday, April 20, 2008 (King of Glory Lutheran Church, Williamsburg)
| 9:30 am | Festival Service marking the 400th Anniversary of German Lutherans in America |
| 11:00 am | Kaffee Stunde |
| 1:30 pm | Optional Tour: Germans at the Battle of Yorktown |
|
Created: 4 February 2008, BAS Updated: 6 March 2008, BAS Comments to: IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center, mkgac@iupui.edu This page sponsored and maintained by IUPUI University Libraries. URL: http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/kade/SGAS/2008SymposiumSched.html |
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