Upcoming events and calendar
INDIANA GERMAN HERITAGE SOCIETY CALENDAR
STAMMTISCH AND PROGRAMS - Check back for updates! We meet the second Wednesday of every month for in-person and/or virtual program. Please register in advance! 2024 Upcoming Programs Wednesday 10 April: The German Market Gardeners of Bluff Road Bluff Road, located on the south side of Indianapolis, became synonymous with German market gardening in the first half of the twentieth century. The success of the market gardening technique, introduced by German immigrants to Marion County in the mid-nineteenth century, is characterized by narrow tracts of land, often with greenhouses, farmed by generations of family residences. The success of these gardens eventually propelled Marion County to the top of the list of producers of vegetables in Indiana and placed the county among the top producers in the nation for greenhouse crops like tomatoes and lettuce. This presentation will examine the history of the Bluff Road Historic District, a collection of German market gardens, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 1 September 2023. Many of the Bluff Road farmers were members of the Deutsche Gärtners Unterstützungs Verein von Indianapolis. Bethany Natali is a historian with Weintraut & Associates (W&A) and will be presenting “The German Market Gardeners of Bluff Road.” Since joining W&A in 2009, she has worked on local, state, and federally-sponsored projects in 56 of Indiana’s 92 counties. She has co-authored five National Register nominations and has also written and edited publications for the Indiana Supreme Court, Indiana Historical Society, and the Association for Documentary Editing. She received an M.A. in History from the IUPUI Public History program and her B.A. in History & Political Science from Anderson University. ZOOM LINK Wednesday 8 May: The History of Von Duprin Company of Indianapolis The story of how the Von Duprin Panic Bar hardware is quite interesting. It was invented in the wake of the catastrophic 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago that claimed 602 lives. Carl Prinzler, the “prin” of Von Duprin, was an employee of Vonnegut Hardware Company (the “Von” of Von Duprin) was instrumental in the development of the panic bar. The Athenaeum is fitted with Von Duprin panic bars and while leading a tour of the building and noting the panic bars, Marcia met a retired employee of Von Duprin who provided valuable insights into the company and its famous product. Marcia Gascho will be presenting “The History of Von Duprin Company of Indianapolis” and is a native of South Dakota who has been an Indianapolis resident since 1980. She was awarded a B.A. in German by Uni Alabama Huntsville and has been giving tours at the Athenaeum and Christkindlmarkt for over 5 years. She is a IGHS board member and has immersed herself in the people and culture of Das Deutsche Haus. ZOOM LINK Wednesday 12 June: Wegweiser: German place Names in Indiana William L. Selm will present this topic on the German origins of towns and villages in the state which are named for places in German-speaking Europe such as Oldenburg in Franklin County, Berne in Adams County, and Vienna in Scott County. Many more towns and villages were founded by Germans (or German Swiss) such as Tell City and Ferdinand, but these place names are not on a map of Europe. William L. Selm is an Indianapolis historian with roots in Franklin County, IN. He is a co-founder of the IGHS. ZOOM LINK Wednesday August 14: Indianapolis Liederkranz German Band Concert in German Park Enjoy the German waltzes, marches, and the sing-along with the ILkGB. Founded by Jeff Westfall in 2014, it is a volunteer community band, sponsored by the Indianapolis Liederkranz. Liederkranz was founded in 1872, 151 years ago! Many band members dusted off their instruments, put away since high school graduation, and are enjoying making music again. Patrick Rutledge is the Kapellmeister. Share the joy of German music at this concert. Wednesday September 11: Student Presentations Students, who received travel scholarships from IGHS, are invited to share their experiences in Germany and Austria at this Stammtisch. IGHS contributes support for students in the I.U. Honors Program and the German American Partnership Program (GAPP). Wednesday October 9: Indiana German Poetry Reading Past Indiana Poet Laureate, Norbert Krapf will entertain listeners with verses from his latest books of poetry, Songs for All Souls (2024), and Songs for All Souls (2024). He is a native of Jasper, Dubois County. Wednesday November 13: German Christmas Traditions For decades Jim Gould has been studying German Christmas traditions of tree ornaments, Krampus, Weihnachtsmann, Sankt Nikolaus, and other traditions. He is a collector, an expert, and an enthusiast, who also crafts his own ornaments following traditional methods. Wednesday December 11: Weihnachtsliederkranz und Christbaumschmuckaustausch at Carmel (The Annual Christmas Carol Sing Along and Ornament Exchange). At the Carmel Christkindlmarkt our program is singing the classic German Christmas songs, such as “O Tannenbaum,” “Still, Still, Still,” and, of course, “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht.” This will take place outdoors, so please dress for the weather. Participate in the ornament exchange by bringing a wrapped ornament of $5-$10 value. Put one in the basket and take a new one home. All Stammtisch programs are presented in English, are free of charge, open to the everyone, Programs begin at 7:30 PM. Please register in advance for each Zoom session, or just join us in person. Registration is required for all Zoom events. Use the links above to register in advance for each program. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. OTHER PROGRAMS: July 12 & 13 2024: Oldenburg Freudenfest
Celebrate the German heritage of the Village of Spires. Friday 12 July is the warm up party. Saturday at Noon the fest opens with music, games, Lauf, hike, etc. www.freudenfest.com. |