Cultural Lecture on Western Nepal - Memorial Quilts - June 23

A lecture by our friends at the Nepalese sister city organization:

Steuben Parade in New York City

As you might know, one of the great German-American events in the U.S. is the annual Steuben Parade in New York City. This year, the parade of German-American organizations falls on September 21, 2019. While there is no time indicated yet on their website (http://germanparadenyc.org), last year, the parade started at 12noon and ended at 3pm. It runs along 5th Ave. from 65th St. to 86th St. 

Some members are thinking of going up for the day (or over night) to see the festivities for themselves. If we like it, we might consider marching in it next year.

So far, we were thinking of driving to Lorton and taking the bus to New York City, that would cost about $45 roundtrip. Some might consider to stay overnight, but hotels in New York City start at $250 for the cheapest room. There are a number of other options to consider, therefore, I created a Google poll to see if and how much interest there is. 

So, if you have even the faintest interest, please fill out the poll here. It does not create any commitment from your side.

Sister Cities Pot Luck

3rd Annual Fredericksburg Sister Cities Potluck Dinner

Our third annual Potluck Dinner of all Fredericksburg Sister City organizations
will take place on April 5, 2019 from 6-9pm at the Dorothy Hart Center (408 Canal Street).
What you can expect:

• FOOD - Dishes typical of the countries of our sister cities
• MUSIC - a selection of our countries
• INFORMATION - about the respective groups' mission/activities
• TRADITIONAL DRESS - encouraged if desired

More information and for tickets, see this link.
To facilitate a variety of food items form our organization, please sign up for a German(ish) dish here.

Schwetzburg Spring Events

Here is a preliminary line-up of German-related events in the Spring of 2019. Some of them are organized by the University of Mary Washington (UMW), others are organized by us and co-sponsored by other organizations.

February 19, 7:30 - Dodd Auditorium

Talk: Gari Melchers

Talk on German-American painter Gari Melchers whose paintings can be seen at Belmont in Falmouth. Part of the UMW Great Lives Series

Sunday, March 25, 7:30  - UMW Digital Auditorium

Film: Der ganz grosse Traum - Lessons of a Dream (2011)

An English teacher brings soccer from England to Germany in the late 19th Century by teaching it to his class.- Part of UMW's Modern Languages and Literatures annual Film Series.

SFA Spring Film Series - German Films about Art

All screenings to be held at the  Central Rappahannock Regional Library,

1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Monday, April 8, 7PM

Heinrich Schütz, Father of the German Music (2015, 66 minutes)

Heinrich Schutz was presumably the first internationally renowned German composer. In the 40 years he spent as court ,,Kapellmeister" in Dresden, he left a strong impression on musical life in Europe. His works in their clear beauty still seem up-to-date, almost modern. However, only his vocal works - a small part of his extensive oeuvre - are known today.
Narrating this documentary are, amongst others, international musical experts from Germany, Venice or Copenhagen - like David Douglas Bryant, Bjarke Moe, Prof. Matthias Herrmann, Dr. Christina Siegfried - as well as conductor Hans-Christoph Rademann, who was the first to record Schutz's complete (known) ouvre.

Thursday, April 18, 7PM

Gerhard Richter Painting (2011, 98 minutes)

One of the world's greatest living painters, the German artist Gerhard Richter has spent over half a century experimenting with a tremendous range of techniques and ideas, addressing historical crises and mass media representation alongside explorations of chance procedures.
The first glimpse inside his studio in decades, Gerhard Richter Painting is exactly that: a thrilling document of the 79-year-old's creative process, juxtaposed with rare archival footage and intimate conversations with his critics and collaborators.
Winner of Best Documentary at the German Film Awards.

Monday, April 22, 7PM

The Life and Work of Innovative Artist Joseph Beuys (2018, 108 minutes)

Thirty years after his death, Joseph Beuys still feels like a visionary and is widely considered one of the most influential artists of his generation. Known for his contributions to the Fluxus movement and his work across diverse media -- from happening and performance to sculpture, installation, and graphic art -- Beuys' expanded concept of the role of the artist places him in the middle of socially relevant discourses on media, community, and capitalism.
Using previously untapped visual and audio sources, director Andres Veiel has created a one-of-a-kind chronicle: BEUYS is not a portrait in the traditional sense, but an intimate and in-depth look at a human being, his art and ideas, and the way they have impacted the world.
Nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
"Even if you don't need Beuys justified or explained to you, the movie is an exhilarating portrait of a unique truth-teller." - Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
"Veiel's refreshingly open-ended approach invites you to find your own answers." - Simon Abrams, The Village Voice

 

Stollen and KrisKringel Market

The Stollen bakers for our booth at the KrisKringel Market had a great time making this delicious German treat.
Thanks to Doris and Eldon Mullis for opening their house to the Schwetzburg group.

KrisKringlMarkt Volunteers Sought

The Schwetzingen-Fredericksburg Alliance is consulting on the Fredericksburg Museum's (FAM) KrisKringlMarkt (December8, 2018). Schwetzburg will have its own stand selling baked goods and antique Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser. Moreover, the Museum (FAM) needs volunteers throughout the day and for all kinds of tasks. Everyone can help.
To make the event a success our organizations needs:

1. Volunteers who can bake cookies, Stollen, and other goods for the market.
2. Volunteers who will setup and decorate the Schwetzburg booth.
3. Volunteers who will staff the Schwetzburg booth in two-hour shifts between 10:30am and 9pm.

Please use this form to sign up for shifts.

To support the FAM's overall effort with the market organization, more volunteers are needed. You will find a list here.

German Events at the University of Mary Washington this Fall

As in years past, the German program at the University of Mary Washington has put together a program for the German Campus Weeks, generously sponsored by the German Embassy in Washington, D.C.
This year, there are two exhibits with corresponding talks:

October 16-31 2018 
Combs Hall (Basement)

Exhibition: "The Berlin Airlift"

At the end of the Second World War, U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. Also divided into occupation zones, Berlin was located far inside Soviet-controlled eastern Germany. The United States, United Kingdom, and France controlled western portions of the city, while Soviet troops controlled the eastern sector. As the wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union ended and friendly relations turned hostile, the question of whether the western occupation zones in Berlin would remain under Western Allied control or whether the city would be absorbed into Soviet-controlled eastern Germany led to the first Berlin crisis of the Cold War. The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin. The United States and United Kingdom responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin from Allied airbases in western Germany. The crisis ended on May 12, 1949, when Soviet forces lifted the blockade on land access to western Berlin.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

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October 23, 2018 
11am - Hurley Convergence Center, Digital Auditorium
4pm - 111 Combs Hall
7pm - 215 Combs Hall

Saving a City

Presentation by Eddie Ide (Berlin Airlift Veterans Association)
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November 1-16, 2018
Combs Hall (Basement)

Exhibition: Totally East - Life in East Germany

In 2018 the Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Eastern Germany and OSTKREUZ Agentur der Fotografen are jointly sponsoring the exhibition "Totally East" about everyday life in East Germany. It features photos by the renowned photographer Harald Hauswald and texts by Stefan Wolle, Scientific Director of the GDR Museum in Berlin. 
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November 5, 2018
4pm, Combs Hall 237

A (Personal) History of East Germany in Eight Objects

Presentation by Prof. Marcel Rotter (UMW, German Program) 

Marcel Rotter, who grew up in East Germany, will illustrate the different aspects of the exhibition with eight everyday objects that exemplify life in East Germany.
What was the significance of bananas, the apartment block, the Trabant car (pictured on the right), or the Protestant Church in the daily life of East Germans?

All events are generously sponsored by Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.