German Studies Association Newsletter. Volume XL Number 2 Winter

Transkript

1 German Studies Assciatin Newsletter Vlume XL Number 2 Winter

2 2 German Studies Assciatin Main Office: 1200 Academy Street Kalamaz, MI USA Tel.: (269) Fax: (269) Technical Supprt: President Irene Kacandes ( ) Dartmuth Cllege Vice President Mary Lindemann ( ) University f Miami Secretary-Treasurer Gerald A. Fetz University f Mntana Executive Directr David E. Barclay Kalamaz Cllege GSA Bard: Elizabeth Ametsbichler, University f Mntana (2015) Jy H. Calic, Vanderbilt University (2016) Alice H. Cper, University f Mississippi (2015) Randall Halle, University f Pittsburgh (2016) Jennifer Kapczynski, Washingtn University in St. Luis (2017) H. Glenn Penny, University f Iwa (2017) Jared Pley, Gergia State University (2017) Janet A. Ward, University f Oklahma (2015) S. Jnathan Wiesen, Suthern Illinis University, Carbndale (2016) Sabine Hake, University f Texas at Austin, ex ffici nn-vting Suzanne Marchand, Luisiana State University (2016), ex ffici nn-vting 8 Cpyright 2015 by German Studies Assciatin

3 3 German Studies Assciatin Newsletter Vlume XL Number 2 Winter Table f Cntents Letter frm the President... 4 Letter frm the Executive Directr... 8 Fundraising: Jin the $40 fr 40 Campaign Please Dnate! GSA Electin Results Annunced Planning fr the Frtieth Anniversary Cnference f the GSA Call fr Seminar Prpsals Call fr Papers Guidelines fr Submitting 2016 Prpsals Reprt n Interdisciplinary Cmmittee and Netwrks GSA Annunces 2015 Prizes GSA Prize Cmpetitins Delegate Reprt: American Cuncil f Learned Scieties GSA Archives Cmmittee Reprt New GSA Cmmittee Appintments, In Memriam: Hans Mmmsen ( )... 44

4 4 Letter frm the President The President s semi-annual letter is usually a frum fr updating members n develpments in the GSA. I ll mstly leave that t the Executive Directr this time, as I have the privilege f writing t yu tday frm Berlin. Yu see, my hme German Studies Department at Dartmuth Cllege sends me here ften t teach in and supervise ur study prgram abrad. Thugh my primary residence is in New Hampshire, these apprximately biannual three-mnth stays in Berlin (with study trips t Dresden and Vienna), alng with my visits t family (by marriage) in Switzerland, and a few trips t the Südtirl have prvided me with a fairly regular check-in with the German-speaking wrld ver the last tw decades. Each f yu will have yur wn paths t checking-in with German-speaking cultures and surely sme f yu enjy brader r mre prfund nes than mine. Still, I hpe that my reprt frm the field might spur exchange f infrmatin and pinins amng us. While self-examinatin is hardly new t the public spheres f German-speaking Central Eurpe in the pstwar perid, events f 2015 like the Eurcrisis, the fld f refugees, the VW-exhaust scandals, and the Sterbehilfe debates even the FIFA and DFB revelatins have frced these scieties t recnsider wh they really are, what values they truly hld, and what their relatinships t cuntries near and far are and shuld be. Are we afraid t lead? D we care what ur (grand)fathers perpetrated in Greece seventy plus years ag? Hw did we treat Germanspeaking refugees frm nrtheastern Eurpe in 1945? Ist das Bt vll? Was it vll fr the Swiss during the war? Shuld sprt halls be turned int drmitries? Can we trust ur pliticians? Our industry leaders? Are German prducts truly excellent? What measure fster quality at end f life? Shuld dctrs be allwed t administer life-ending dses f drugs? Are Germans (Austrian, Swiss) mre dis/hnest than ther peple after all? While I ve biled them dwn t their scary essentials, these are sme f the questins that are ubiquitus here this fall. Perhaps I m chsing t see the prverbial glass half full, but here are a few psitive things I ve actually seen r heard myself since I arrived in Eurpe in June. A large number f my acquaintances spent their vacatins in Greece this year. They did s mainly intentinally t supprt the Greek ecnmy and fr sme f them t try t explicitly cunter the ugly rhetric that has dminated the verbal traffic between Germany and Greece recently. My friends reprted t me hw welcming the lcals were even when they learned they were Germans. Perhaps because they knw intimately what it means t be a minrity, a large number f the German-speaking inhabitants f nrthern Italy I encuntered in July were actively engaged in helping refugees there: their aid ranged frm taking refugees aside and giving them legal advice at the Brenner Pass t watching hw fficials were behaving there and then writing reprts abut it t ffering infrmatin n where refugees culd receive fd in Bzen t interviewing them and writing plays abut their plights. Maxi Obexer, ur GSA lunchen speaker in 2014, has written ne such play, Illegale Helfer she read ut f an early draft t us which has since been perfrmed several times and will be again shrtly in Berlin in a reading that includes sme

5 f the refugees and Swiss helpers she riginally interviewed fr the prject. This past summer Obexer rganized and ran in her hmetwn in the Südtirl an entire summer wrkshp fr yung playwrights n the tpic f flight and refuge ; sme f the participants had themselves fled t Eurpe frm elsewhere. By the way, ur 2015 lunchen speaker Kathrin Röggla did a reading and mentred a grup at that wrkshp. When large numbers f refugees started t arrive in Berlin earlier this fall, retired and active dctrs gt busy. A lngtime hst-father fr ur Dartmuth students is ne such persn. He reprted t me hw spntaneusly dctrs vlunteered t help and hw fully they cperated with ne anther t assure crdinatin f care n-site in Spandau. The sister f ne f ur hstmthers reprted similarly n effrts at the Münchner Hauptbahnhf. She herself had spent a significant amunt f time in Syria, speaks Arabic and helped rient the stunned arrivals in Munich. By way f participating in an Aktinstag für ein schönes Berlin, my students and I decided t clean up a small lcal park that hsts quite a steady stream f (German) hmeless and alchlics. One regular was already n a park bench when we arrived at 2 pm. He asked us what we were up t, expressed his apprval, shwed us the special jars the regulars use fr their cigarette butts, and urged us t als d smething t help the refugees. I was quite taken with this unslicited statement f cncern fr the newest newcmers. While the newspapers were reprting fears f utbursts f vilence against freigners by the lcal hmeless, especially ver cmpetitin fr husing, this gentleman anyways, bviusly lked at the plight f the refugees with cmpassin. One f the Berlin lcal papers sld by the hmeless reprted extensively n the annual cnference t help hmeless yuth; frm the articles, it seemed that the spnsring rganizatin was reaching ut t refugee yuth in numerus ways. Dresden is getting a very bad rap these days. That s nt justified by what I saw. We were nt nly in Dresden n a Mnday night, we were even scheduled t g t the Semperper. This was exactly ne week after the utrageus cmments f Akif Pirincçi lamenting the absence f KZ in tday s Germany. While I hped that he had crssed a line that wuld make mst semireasnable individuals stay hme the night we d be there, I wrriedly rdered the students t stick tgether and get int the pera huse as early as pssible. What I saw ver the curse f the day calmed me: n dzens f public and private buildings hung gigantic signs welcming refugees r prclaiming the friendliness and penness f Dresdeners r cnfirming the integrity f the rights f all individuals r explicitly denuncing Pegida. Prbably many f yu knw that the Semperper itself hangs alternating huge signs with varius messages against xenphbia. The day we were there it read: Wir sind kein Bühnenbild für Fremdenhass. When I arrived at the Theaterplatz at 6pm (fr a 7pm shw) there were several hundred individuals merely standing arund with several scre pliceflk at the edges f the square. My students reprted that as they crssed the Platz a half-hur later there were several thusand demnstratrs, many carrying signs r waving flags (can smene explain t me the relevance f the Hapsburger standard in that cntext?). The students just happened t catch a reference by the speaker t the Semperper sign at which lts f demnstratrs then bed. This shk them up a bit. Still, the atmsphere remained peaceful, as did the Pegida and the anti-pegida marches thrugh the city center. A 5

6 6 waitress at the Schinkelwache (als n the Theaterplatz) expressed regret t me abut the prtests; nt a single individual I spke with ver thse tw days cndned what Pegida was ding. The Wiener have been dealing with large numbers f refugees frm numerus cuntries fr many years nw; I can t think f many cities that are currently bunter than Vienna. While I heard a few scattered remarks abut the subways being t full, what I bserved in thse subways was the Viennese exercising the same benign neglect they shw tward each ther tward what appeared t be new arrivals. On the streets I bserved smething I d never seen befre: lcals stpping t ask individuals wh lked clueless if they culd be f help. (There s an epidemic f such helpfulness in Berlin, t.) Near the back entrance t the West Bahnhf I ften use when I m in Vienna, I saw a distributin center fr clthing and fd, staffed by quite rdinary lking lcals, cheerfully ging abut their wrk by Viennese standards. Of curse, what I m reprting t yu here is nt cmprehensive scientific data. By the time this clumn appears, smething dreadful might have taken place, disprving what I m claiming t be the gd will f the mainly silent and yet nt s inactive supprtive majrity. If relative peace is maintained in the next mnths and years in Eurpe, the Eurpeans and it lks like abve all the Germans will have t face the huge questin f integratin: will these newcmers be ffered nt nly shrter r lnger term asylum but als paths t becming new Eurpeans? That remains t be seen r rather t be wrked tward. I and many f yu are infrmed witnesses f hw the Germans (East and West and nw tgether), Austrians, and Swiss have wrked thrugh the hrrible legacies f the NS perid. Each natinal grup has had different tasks t attend t, f curse, and fr each cuntry, it s been an uneven and incmplete wrking thrugh. Still, frm what I ve studied and what I have myself bserved, I believe the natinal reflectin in German-speaking Eurpe has been mre prfund and hnest than many ther natins cnfrntatins with the dark sides f their pasts. T make my pint here as clearly as I can: I m suggesting that if we lk t the recent past and t small but prfund gestures f slidarity in the present, we have reasn t be ptimistic abut the future. As intermediaries between the past and present, I believe we schlars f German histry, culture, and plitics have a special rle t play in the public sphere. There s almst a separate class f public intellectuals in Eurpe; and frm what I ve read and heard this year, many f them, alng with rdinary citizens, are nt as sanguine abut their future as I am. An imprtant questin we ve psed implicitly and explicitly in the GSA is what is different abut German Studies in Nrth America frm the study f German-speaking cultures in Eurpe? We have sme distance and perspective that helps ur judgment f what s ging n there; at the least, ur lcatin inflects it. I d like t see mre f us step up t the micrphne t speak abut Eurpe and its current challenges t Americans and als t Eurpeans. What have yu seen lately in yur visits r in yur daily lives in German-speaking Eurpe? Perhaps we can figure ut a way t stage sme pen debates n the tpics I ve raised in this clumn at ur upcming 40 th anniversary cnference in San Dieg.

7 Speaking f which and t cntinue an imprtant recent trend in presidential clumns please make sure yu cntribute t the $40 fr 40 years campaign. We want t be able t tell ur funders and future funders that the entire membership believes in the GSA enugh t vluntarily cntribute t its future stability. Signing ff frm Berlin, Irene Kacandes The Dartmuth Prfessr f German Studies and Cmparative Literature 7

8 8 Dear Members and Friends f the GSA, Letter frm the Executive Directr We ve devted a great deal f time and attentin in the past year t preparatins fr the frtieth anniversary f the German Studies Assciatin, riginally funded in 1976 in Tempe, Arizna, as the Western Assciatin fr German Studies, r WAGS. Our frtieth-anniversary cnference will take place frm 29 September t 2 Octber 2016 at the Twn and Cuntry Resrt and Cnventin Center in San Dieg, a venue that will be familiar t many f ur members. It is ur hpe that as many f yu as pssible will be able t attend and participate in the San Dieg cnference! In recent years the GSA has develped a rich array f prgrams and ptins fr ur members, ranging frm traditinal sessins t special thematic clusters f panels rganized by ur twelve Interdisciplinary Netwrks t ur special Seminars, which will be ffered fr the furth straight year and which, like the Netwrks, have becme an established feature f ur cnferences. This issue f the newsletter cntains ur annual Call fr Papers and ur Call fr Seminar Prpsals as well as a list f all twelve f ur Netwrks. We cntinue t explre new initiatives and new pssibilities fr ur members, including ur recent Arts Night at the cnference, which President Irene Kacandes describes in her Letter t the members, and ur expanded summer activities in Berlin in cnjunctin with the Berlin Prgram fr Advanced German and Eurpean Studies at the Free University f Berlin. Fr a number f years we have cspnsred the Berlin Prgram. Mre recently, Berlin Prgram alumni (and GSA members) have arranged a series f summer wrkshps at the Free University, while the GSA has sent a summer speaker t the Berlin Prgram fr the past three years. In 2015 the speaker was Prfessr Jy Calic f Vanderbilt University, and in 2016 President Kacandes will be the speaker. We re als using the ccasin f ur frtieth anniversary t remind ur members f ur $40 fr 40 fundraising campaign, t which we hpe every single ne f yu can cntribute. If each member culd cntribute $40 r even mre, if at all pssible! we culd take a big step tward attaining ur lnger-term and larger fundraising gals. We ve established a Fundraising Cmmittee t help steer us tward ur gals. Chaired by ur veteran secretary/treasurer, Jerry Fetz (himself an experienced fundraiser), the Cmmittee has undertaken a variety f activities designed t put ur finances n an even firmer fundatin fr the future. Jerry and I have already explred a number f ptins with ptential dnrs in the United States and Eurpe, and we ll cntinue t d s in the years t cme. Why are we undertaking ur $40 fr 40 campaign and related fundraising activities? The GSA has been n a grwth curve fr the past decade, as ur membership has increased frm abut 1400 t ver As we ve grwn, s has the extent and cmplexity f ur activities. Our annual cnference has grwn in size and variety f fferings, as nted abve. This year, in Washingtn, DC, we intrduced a new cnference app fr the first time. Our studies had shwn that, in the first year, such apps are typically used by abut a quarter f all cnference attendees; but urs was used by ver frty percent f ur attendees, suggesting that it serves a vital and

9 useful purpse. We ve expanded ur audivisual ptins, and nw prvide LCD prjectrs in each cnference breakut rm, as well as subwfers in specially designated sund rms. Our jurnal, the German Studies Review, is thriving under the able leadership f Sabine Hake and her clleagues. Our publicatin series, SPEKTRUM, is als ding very well under the energetic guidance f David Luebke and his clleagues. We have made and cntinue t make a cnscius effrt t incrprate graduate students, adjunct instructrs, and early-career clleagues int ur prgrams and activities. We prvide free ne-year memberships t the Fellws f the Berlin Prgram fr Advanced German and Eurpean Studies. We already have a special travel fund that serves as a fund f last resrt fr nn-nrth Americans wh cannt therwise get travel funding in their hme cuntries. As funding gets tighter, we ve expanded the number f travelfund ffers we are able t make; in 2015 it was ver frty. One f ur tp fundraising pririties is t strengthen ur endwment s that we can prvide similar last-resrt travel funds t Nrth American members as well. In this cnnectin, we d like t express ur special appreciatin t the Austrian Cultural Frum New Yrk and the German Histrical Institute Washingtn fr their wn travel funds, which d include Nrth American participants. And mentining the ACFNY and the GHI is a reminder that we ve maintained and extended ur cllabratin with a great variety f ancillary r related rganizatins, such as the DAAD and the Embassies f the three majr German-speaking cuntries, t mentin nly a few. At the same time, the GSA is engaged bradly in the defense f the humanities and f ur cre values. We are active members f the American Cuncil f Learned Scieties and the Natinal Humanities Alliance, and, where apprpriate, we jin with ther rganizatins t speak ut n issues f cncern t ur members. Earlier this year, fr example, the GSA jined in prtest against prpsed legislatin in Gergia and Indiana states in which we ll be meeting in 2017 and 2021 respectively that wuld have discriminated against members f ur cmmunity. And each year in March we are represented in Capitl Hill lbbying fr Natinal Humanities Day. We re als trying ur best t keep up with develpments in technlgy. Our cntinued cllabratin with the Jhns Hpkins University Press has netted us sme real benefits, bth in terms f database management and in terms f making ur members wrk available t a wider glbal audience thrugh Prject MUSE. As nted abve, we intrduced a cnference app fr the first time in By 2017, as ur wnderful and indefatigable webmaster Terry Pchert lks tward retirement, we ll be updating ur cnference submissin and management sftware by vetting third-party vendrs and making sme chices amng them. As we ve gtten bigger, with an increasingly cmplex range f activities, the selectin f cnference htels has als becme mre cmplicated, especially given significant changes in the hspitality business in Nrth America. Last February I attended a cnference in San Dieg where we heard fascinating and wrrying updates n recent trends in the htel business. Cnference htels have recvered fully frm the crisis f Big-bx cnference htels f the kind we have t use are becming significantly mre expensive, and are less inclined t make cncessins in terms f rms and pricing. Indeed, nly seven big-bx htels are currently under cnstructin in Nrth America, reminding us f the limited supply f such structures, while the recent purchase f Starwd by Marritt culd als have imprtant effects n ur htel 9

10 selectins. Fr the last nine years we ve been wrking with Craig Hendrick f CnferenceDirect t help us steer thrugh the shals f site visits, htel selectin, cntract negtiatin, and fllwup; thse shals have steadily gtten trickier t navigate in recent years. Wrking with Craig, I try t use every means at my dispsal t keep prices dwn and find affrdable but wrkable htels fr ur cnferences. Fr example, every Nvember I attend a familiarizatin r fam meeting rganized by the American Cuncil f Learned Scieties; each year it takes place in a different city, and is arranged by that city s Cnventin and Visitrs Bureau in an effrt t attract cnference business. Our cntracts with Kansas City and Prtland were a direct result f face-t-face cnversatins at fam meetings, and I am nw seriusly lking at a prpsal frm Mntréal fr If we were t g there, it wuld be ur first cnference utside the United States. Given the grwing cmplexity f ur tasks, we als decided this year that we shuld have permanent legal cunsel. The American Cuncil f Learned Scieties strngly recmmended Mr. Stephen Schaefer, partner in the Washingtn, DC, firm f Whitefrd Taylr Prestn. Mr. Schaefer is a nted expert in all areas f law regarding nn-prfit crpratins like urs, and he has agreed t serve as ur legal representative. S what des all this have t d with $40 fr 40" and ur lnger-term fundraising effrts? A lt, f curse. Here I hpe I dn t get t slipsistic. As the GSA has gtten bigger and mre cmplex, we still have a management structure that is essentially based n vlunteers and the effrts f vlunteers. This is laudable, and in many cases will cntinue. But the time has cme t prepare seriusly fr the prfessinalizatin f ur management mdel. T be sure, ten years ag the GSA brrwed me fr ne trimester a year frm Kalamaz Cllege, cmpensating the Cllege fr that third f the academic year. But I have still cntinued t teach fur curses a year and be invlved in the Cllege administrative and cmmittee activity that is s familiar t us all. And f curse GSA wrk takes up the entire year. In June 2016 I ll retire frm teaching after 42 years at Kalamaz Cllege, but I have agreed t cntinue as Executive Directr f the GSA fr several mre years thereafter. It is abslutely clear, hwever, that my successr will have t be a full-time management prfessinal, with cmpensatin crrespnding t that psitin. That persn will als require an ffice staff, very likely with at least ne full-time ffice r cnference crdinatr. This is already the case with several cmparably sized ACLS scieties. T d that, hwever, will require a cnsiderable increase in ur endwment, managed fr us by TIAA- CREF and currently valued at clse t $800,000. Preparing fr the transitin t a new management mdel is by n means the nly gal f ur fundraising effrts. We are interested in endwing speakers, increasing travel pprtunities fr ur members, thinking abut meeting pprtunities utside Nrth America, and s much mre. Our schlarly activities ur jurnal, ur publicatins, and ur cnference and the prvisin f prfessinal services t ur members remain ur raisn d être. As we imprve ur services, we want t keep ur dues and fees at acceptably lw levels, which in turn requires successful fundraising effrts n all ur parts. S please d help! 10

11 Speaking f cnferences, allw me a few wrds abut the 39th annual cnference at the Crystal Gateway Marritt in Arlingtn, Virginia, frm 1 t 4 Octber f this year. We had 1403 attendees, making it the secnd biggest in ur histry after the 2013 Denver cnference, which drew Schlars frm 32 cuntries attended the meeting. The largest grup (947) came frm the US, fllwed by Germany with 184, Canada with 72, the UK with 47, and Austria with 39. Of the attendees, 846 were regular members, 244 were student members, and the rest came frm ther categries. We ffered 25 seminars that each met fr three days, and 255 regular sessins and rundtables. Ten f ur Interdisciplinary Netwrks ffered clusters f sessins, and many ther sessins were spnsred by affiliated r ancillary scieties. Fr the first time ever we ffered an Arts Night n Thursday evening that drew significant interest; we ll almst certainly rganize smething similar in San Dieg. Our lunchen speakers were Peter Wittig, Ambassadr f the Federal Republic f Germany, and Kathrin Röggla, writer and Vice President f the Universität der Künste im Berlin. Our banquet speaker was Prfessr Jyce Mushaben f the University f Missuri St. Luis, wh presented a memrable and timely talk n Angela Merkel, based n her current research prject. Of curse, we inevitably run int difficulties and prblems. We cnstantly have t wrk n apprpriate pricing at ur hst htels; and this year we had issues f rm space and scheduling. On the whle, hwever, I believe the cnference was a success, and we cnstantly strive t imprve ur effrts and the quality f the prduct we ffer, and at rates ur members can affrd. Of curse we we a tremendus debt f gratitude t the Prgram and Seminar Cmmittees fr 2015, and especially t Prfessr Margaret Menninger f Texas State University, ur tireless Prgram Directr fr the past tw years. As I always say (and can t say enugh), withut ur cmmittees and the wrk f all ur vlunteers, the GSA simply culd nt exist. We als we a tremendus amunt t thse whse help bth behind the scenes and in public is s indispensable t the rganizatin: Charles Fultn, Liz Fultn, Dean Giannutss, Bev Guld, Craig Hendrick, Daniel Huffman, Terry Pchert, and Sally Scheuermann. As we apprach ur frtieth anniversary in San Dieg, we re als thinking f a number f ways t highlight this special ccasin. Fr example, there is the appraching 500th anniversary f the Refrmatin. Or f special relevance t the early histry f the Assciatin there are the famus and imprtant cnnectins between Suthern Califrnia and the German-speaking wrld. All yur ideas are welcme! And please d think f cntributing t ur $40 fr 40" campaign! Best regards and all best wishes fr 2016, David E. Barclay, PhD Executive Directr German Studies Assciatin Margaret and Rger Schlten Prfessr f Internatinal Studies Department f Histry Kalamaz Cllege 11

12 12 Fundraising: Jin the $40 fr 40 Campaign Please Dnate! We re asking yu t cntribute $40 as we near ur 40th year f prviding unparalleled pprtunities fr ur members, all f whm share a cmmitment t the study f the Germanspeaking wrld. As we plan hw we will mve int the GSA s secnd 40 years, we need yur cntinued lyalty and supprt. We als need a few extra dllars frm each f yu! IT S EASY! G t the GSA website ( and click n the Dnate line n the hme page and make yur cntributin! Checks may als be sent t Gerald Fetz, GSA Secretary- Treasurer, 545 Nrth Ave. E., Missula, MT $40 isn t much per member, but If every member dnated $40 this cming year, it wuld add up t almst $100,000! We wuld gladly receive additinal cntributin frm thse f yu wh are able t dnate mre We have several dnatin ptins, described n the GSA website s Dnate page. WHAT WILL THE GSA DO WITH YOUR DONATIONS? Yur GSA Bard has set the fllwing pririties fr ur 4-Year Fundraising Campaign: Endw at least 50 % f the required funds needed t prvide an apprpriate salary and benefits fr the GSA Executive Directr; Endw a sufficient amunt t cver the cst f a half-time staff persn and the rental f a small ffice; Fund the further expansin f the GSA s technlgical infrastructure and its implementatin fr the cnference; Endw sufficient funding t supprt Travel Awards t the GSA cnferences each year fr Nrth American members, similar t the endwment funding fr members frm elsewhere; Supprt further expansin f recent initiatives such as: the netwrks, seminars, Spektrum, mre cllabratins with ur partners; Raise a sufficient amunt f mney t keep ur dues and cnference fees affrdable t schlars at all levels f the prfessin. WHY DID THE GSA DECIDE TO RAISE FUNDS? During the past decade the GSA has grwn frm 1,400 members t 2,300; The cnference has grwn cmmensurately larger as well, yet we cntinue t add and experiment with new appraches t ur sessins that help maintain the welcming, cllabrative, and intellectually vibrant character that has been the hallmark f the GSA fr 39 years; The GSA has intrduced several new features that spread the vibrancy and prductivity f the cnference int the rest f the year: the interdisciplinary netwrks, the seminars,

13 13 the Spektrum Bk Series, the Berlin Prgram, and the cllabratins with ur evergrwing number f partner rganizatins and institutins. And we wuld like prvide mre supprt fr imprtant cllabratins amng ur members year rund. Fr ur first 29 years we depended n a vlunteer Executive Directr and the genersity f his university t pay his salary, t prvide ffice and peratins supprt, and mdest staff help. Thse days are a thing f the past. We nw buy ut ur Executive Directr fr ne trimester and prvide him with a summer stipend, yet his wrk has becme fulltime. And, ur gal is d all f that withut having t raise dues r cnference fees in any significant way. Hw Are We Ging t Raise the Funds Necessary t D All f the Abve? The GSA nw has a rbust fundraising strategy in place and, thanks t the Bard and the Fundraising Cmmittee, begun t implement it. It is a strategy that includes reaching ut and develping prpsals t fundatins, gvernment agencies, apprpriate crpratins, and private individuals. STAY TUNED we have a gd start! And THANKS fr cnsidering a dnatin t the $40 fr 40 Campaign.

14 14 GSA Electin Results Annunced The German Studies Assciatin is pleased t annunce the results f the recent electins t the Bard. The newly elected Bard members will serve fr three years ( ). They are: Histry: Thmas Kühne (Clark University) Literature/Cultural Studies/Austria: Imke Meyer (University f Illinis at Chicag Plitical Science: Eric Langenbacher (Gergetwn University) Our deep appreciatin and gratitude g ut t all thse wh agreed t serve as candidates in these electins. Withut each f yu, the German Studies Assciatin simply culd nt functin! We are very much in yur debt!

15 15 Additinal Reprts and Annuncements Planning fr the Frtieth Anniversary Cnference f the GSA San Dieg, Califrnia, September 29 - Octber 2, 2016 The frtieth annual cnference f the GSA will take place frm September 29 t Octber 2, 2016, at the Twn and Cuntry Resrt and Cnventin Center, 500 Htel Circle N, San Dieg, CA This will be ur third cnference at the Twn and Cuntry Resrt. It is abut a fifteen- t twentyminute taxi ride frm the San Dieg airprt, and is lcated in Missin Valley, immediately adjacent t a San Dieg Trlley line that can take yu t Old Twn and dwntwn in a few minutes. It is als lcated adjacent t a large shpping mall. Our frtieth anniversary will be special indeed. Please see the Letter frm the President and the Letter frm the Executive Directr fr further details. The Call fr Seminar Prpsals fllws belw. After three years, ur seminars have prved t be a rusing success. Please nte that the deadline fr submissin f seminar tpics annunced n the GSA website was Nvember 23, 2015, and will have passed by the time yu read this. Applicatins fr participatin in seminars will pen n JANUARY 5, 2016 and clse n JANUARY 28 th, Again, see belw fr details. The traditinal Call fr Papers als fllws belw. Please nte that the deadline fr submitting traditinal paper, sessin, r rundtable prpsals will be FEBRUARY 15, Detailed cnference submissin guidelines can be fund belw. Submissins fr traditinal papers, sessins, r rundtables will be accepted nline ( after January 5, (Again, please nte the earlier deadline fr seminar prpsals.) Only nline submissins will be accepted. Paper prpsals r prpsals submitted by will nt be accepted. Althugh the GSA encurages all types f submissins, including individual papers, members and nn-member participants are urged, where practicable, t submit cmplete sessin prpsals, including the names f prpsed mderatrs and cmmentatrs. The latter is extremely imprtant if sessins are t be cmplete. The GSA als encurages the submissin f thematic series that might include up t three related sessins, and it als vigrusly supprts interdisciplinary sessins, including sessins that are rganized in cnjunctin with ur interdisciplinary Netwrks.

16 Althugh the Prgram Cmmittee will certainly nt reject fur-paper sessin prpsals, submitters are reminded that fur-paper sessins tend t inhibit cmmentary and discussin. On the whle, three-paper sessins are vastly preferable. Please nte that, in a sessin with three papers, individual presenters shuld speak n mre than twenty minutes. In fur-paper sessins, it is expected that individual presenters will speak fr n mre than fifteen minutes. In each case, the cmmentary shuld nt exceed ten minutes in rder t enable as much audience discussin as pssible. As in the past, all submissins f traditinal papers, sessins, and rundtables will take place nline at the GSA Web site ( Please d nte that all presenters, including mderatrs, cmmentatrs, seminar participants, and rundtable participants, must be members f the German Studies Assciatin at the time f submissin. Fr infrmatin n membership, please g t the GSA website ( 16

17 17 Call fr Seminar Prpsals GERMAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION FORTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE In respnse t the success f the last three years seminar prgrams, the 40th GSA Cnference in San Dieg, Califrnia (September 29-Octber 2, 2016), will cntinue t hst a series f seminars in additin t its regular cnference sessins and rundtables. Seminars are meant t meet fr all three days f the cnference t explre new avenues f academic exchange and fster extended discussin, rigrus intellectual debate, and intensified netwrking. Seminars are typically prpsed and led by tw t three cnveners and they cnsist f apprximately 12 t 20 participants, including representatin frm different disciplines, a representative number f graduate students and faculty f different ranks. Seminars may, fr instance, enable extended discussin f a recent academic publicatin; the explratin f a prmising new research tpic; the engagement with pre-circulated papers; the pprtunity t debate the wrk f tw schlars with different appraches; the cming tgether f grups f schlars seeking t develp an anthlgy; the in-depth discussin f a plitical r public-plicy issue, nvel, film, pem, artwrk, r musical piece. Seminar prpsers shuld design tpics that will suit the three-day structure f the cnference and als submit a list f ptential applicants while prviding enugh rm fr ther GSA members t participate. The purpse f this list is t shw that an utreach effrt has been undertaken. The invited participants d nt make any cmmitment until they fficially apply fr the seminar after its apprval. It s imprtant t nte that applicatin t all apprved seminars will be pen t all GSA members and that there is n guarantee fr the invited participants that they will be accepted. The cnveners decisin n which applicants will be accepted r might be rejected will be based n a) the quality f the applicants prpsals and b) a balanced prprtin f prfessrs at different career stages and graduate students, and c) the disciplinary diversity f the seminar. In rder t reach the gal f extended discussin, seminar cnveners and participants are expected t participate in all three installments f the seminar. We ask seminar cnveners t mnitr attendance and infrm the prgram cmmittee abut n shws during the cnference. Please nte that seminar cnveners and seminar applicants wh have been accepted fr seminar participatin will nt be allwed t submit a paper in a regular panel sessin. Hwever, they may mderate r cmment n ther sessins independent f their enrllment in a seminar. Please submit the title and a 100-wrd descriptin f yur seminar by Nvember 23, The cmmittee will then prvide suggestins and assistance fr the final submissin which is due by December 10, In rder t prpse a seminar fr the 2016 cnference prvide fllwing materials in ne integrated Wrd dcument:

18 1. A 500-wrd descriptin f the intellectual gals f the seminar. 2. A 250-wrd descriptin f the prpsed seminar s structures and prcedures f participatin. Make sure t address: a. whether participants will be asked t write and read pre-circulated papers and, if s, f what length; b. whether yu will assign additinal readings; c. hw yu envisin yur cmmunicatin with seminar participants in the mnths leading up t the cnference; d. hw yu define the rle f the cnveners. 3. A list f invited participants, their institutinal affiliatins, discipline, and academic rank. 4. Mini-bigraphies f all cnveners f n mre than 250 wrds each. 5. A statement abut the desired size f the seminar (either 12 t 15 r 16 t 20) 6. A statement abut whether yu allw fr silent auditrs and if s fr hw many (either 1-5 r 6-10). The GSA Seminar Prgram Cmmittee will review seminar prpsals after December 10, 2015, and it will pst a list f apprved seminars and their tpics n the GSA website by early January Between January 5 and January 28, 2016, assciatin members will be invited t submit their applicatins fr participatin in specific seminars directly t the cnveners. The cnveners will then submit the prpsals fr their fully ppulated seminars t the GSA Seminar Prgram Cmmittee fr the final apprval. The GSA Seminar Prgram Cmmittee will infrm seminar cnveners and applicants n February 5, 2016, abut the final makeup f the seminars. (These deadlines have been chsen t allw time fr thse nt accepted t submit a paper prpsal t the general call fr papers.) The GSA Seminar Prgram Cmmittee cnsists f 18 Heikki Lempa (Mravian Cllege) hlempa@mravian.edu Darcy Buerkle (Smith Cllege) dbuerkle@smith.edu Carrie Smith-Prei (University f Alberta) carrie.smith-prei@ualberta.ca Please direct all inquiries and prpsals t all three f us.

19 19 Call fr Papers GERMAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION FORTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE The German Studies Assciatin (GSA) will hld its Frtieth Annual Cnference in San Dieg, Califrnia, September 29-Octber 2, The Prgram Cmmittee crdially invites prpsals n any aspect f German, Austrian, r Swiss studies, including (but nt limited t) histry, Germanistik, film, art histry, plitical science, anthrplgy, musiclgy, religius studies, scilgy, and cultural studies. Prpsals fr entire sessins and fr interdisciplinary presentatins are strngly encuraged. Individual paper prpsals and ffers t serve as sessin mderatrs r cmmentatrs are als welcme. The Call fr Seminar Prpsals is being distributed separately. Please check yur and the GSA website ( fr details; that deadline is Nvember 23. Applicatins fr participatin in seminars will be pened n January 5. Please see the GSA website fr infrmatin abut the submissin prcess fr traditinal papers, sessins, and rundtables, which pens n January 5, ALL prpsals must be submitted nline; paper frms are nt used. The deadline fr prpsals is February 15, Please nte that presenters must be members f the German Studies Assciatin. Infrmatin n membership is available n the GSA website ( In rder t avid cmplicatins later, the Prgram Cmmittee wuld like t reiterate tw extremely imprtant guidelines here (the full list f guidelines is available n the GSA website): N individual at the GSA Cnference may give mre than ne paper r participate in mre than tw separate capacities. All rms will be equipped with prjectrs. It is the respnsibility f the submitter f prpsed panels t ensure payment f the AV fee fr use f this equipment. If the paper prpsal requires high quality sund equipment, that justificatin must be made in detail at the time f submissin. Fr mre infrmatin, visit the GSA website, where previus cnference prgrams and a detailed list f submissin guidelines may be fund ( r cntact members f the 2016 Prgram Cmmittee: Prgram Directr:

20 20 Tdd Heidt theidt[at]knx.edu German, Knx Cllege Pre-1800 (all fields): Sara Pr, Princetn University spr[at]princetn.edu Medieval Literature, German, Princetn University 19thc (all fields): Catrina MacLed cmacled[at]sas.upenn.edu German, University f Pennsylvania 20th/21st C histry: Beth Griech-Plelle griechba[at]plu.edu Histry, Pacific Lutheran University Annette Timm atimm[at]ucalgary.ca Histry, University f Calgary 20th/21st c Germanistik: Christine Rinne Eatn crinne[at]suthalabama.edu German, University f Suth Alabama Valerie Weinstein valerie.weinstein[at]uc.edu German, University f Cincinnati Cntemprary Plitics, Ecnmics, and Sciety: Jeffrey Andersn jja5[at]gergetwn.edu Plitical Science, Gergetwn University Rbert Mark Spaulding spauldingr[at]uncw.edu Histry, University f Nrth Carlina, Wilmingtn Interdisciplinary/Diachrnic: Janne Miyang Ch chj[at]wpunj.edu Histry, William Patersn University April Eisman eismana[at]iastate.edu Art and Visual Culture, Iwa State University Seminars: Heikki Lempa, Chair hlempa[at]mravian.edu Histry, Mravian Cllege Darcy Buerkle dbuerkle[at]smith.edu Histry, Smith Cllege Carrie Smith-Prei carrie.smith-prei[at]ualberta.ca German, University f Alberta

21 21 Guidelines fr Submitting 2016 Prpsals Frtieth Annual Cnference September 29th - Octber 2nd, 2016 San Dieg, Califrnia Submissin f Prpsals fr Individual Papers r Entire Panels All papers and panels must be submitted via the GSA website. All prspective participants, including mderatrs and cmmentatrs, must be paid members f the German Studies Assciatin fr the current year. All papers and panel titles must cnfrm t the style guidelines f either The Chicag Manual f Style r Histrische Zeitschrift. Papers in bth English and German are welcme. The submissin deadline is February 15, 2016, at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Organizers f entire sessins shuld submit a wrd sessin descriptin, with wrd abstracts fr each paper in the sessin. Individual paper submitters shuld submit a wrd abstract. Please indicate, using the drp-dwn menu, the field/area/chrnlgical perid t which yu wish yur sessin r paper t be assigned. Fr assistance with the nline submissin prcess r with dues payment, first cntact Elizabeth Fultn at the GSA Help Desk. Rules fr Presenters N individual may undertake mre than ne "presenter rle," defined as giving a paper r participating in a seminar. Participating in a rundtable is nt cnsidered a presenter rle. N individual may undertake mre than tw rles altgether, including a presenter rle. Thus, an individual may give a paper and ffer cmmentary n a separate panel. N individual may present tw papers, nr may any individual participate in a seminar and present a paper. Individuals may bth present a paper (r participate in a seminar) and participate in ne rundtable. Cmpsitin f Panels A cmplete panel must have a mderatr, a cmmentatr and n fewer than three and n mre than fur papers. Incmplete panels may be submitted, but their acceptance and/r eventual cmpsitin becmes the purview f the Prgram

22 22 Cmmittee. Graduate students may nt serve as cmmentatrs and there may nt be mre than tw graduate student papers n any panel. There may nt be mre than tw individuals n any panel frm the same institutin. C-authred papers are permitted, but each presentatin is limited t tw cpresenters. A c-presentatin cunts as ne presentatin rle fr each speaker, fr scheduling purpses. Prpsals fr panel series must be limited t n mre than three panels. Requests and fees fr audi and/r visual equipment All future GSA Cnference rms will be equipped with LCD prjectrs. Individual use f these prjectrs requires payment f a US $20 A/V fee due at the time f registratin. Panels and/r papers requiring high-quality sund equipment must be identified during the submissin prcess, and the need fr such equipment must be justified. Assignment f panels t rms specially equipped fr sund is at the discretin f the Prgram Directr r the Executive Directr. Scheduling Changes The Prgram Directr and the Executive Directr reserve the right t mve papers frm ne sessin t anther at their discretin. New papers may nt be substituted in cases f participant withdrawal. All papers presented must underg frmal vetting and apprval frm the Prgram Cmmittee. Withdrawal frm the Cnference Individuals withdrawing frm the cnference after acceptance f their papers and/r panels will nt have their fee fr membership in the GSA refunded. Anyne wh cancels after 1 July fr any reasn ther than medical r family emergency will nt be permitted t submit anther prpsal fr tw years. Lack f travel funding is nt a reasn fr withdrawal. All nn-nrth Americans are eligible fr ur travel grants, and there is n deadline fr applicatin. Please nte, thugh, that the GSA travel grant is intended as a surce f last resrt. In applying, yu will need t present evidence that yu cannt receive funding in yur hme cuntry. If yu are eligible fr the DAAD travel grant, please apply fr it as sn as pssible, as they require several mnths fr prcessing. Registratin fees fr cancellatins will be refunded, but will incur a $50.00

23 cancellatin fee. Exceptins may be made fr illness r ther serius and unfreseen circumstances. N refunds are available fr cancellatins after 10 September. Fr mre infrmatin, cntact Elizabeth Fultn at helpdesk@thegsa.rg. 23

24 24 Reprt n Interdisciplinary Cmmittee and Netwrks Jennifer Evans, Carletn University Pamela Ptter, University f Wiscnsin--Madisn Current members f the GSA Interdisciplinary Cmmittee include Jennifer Evans (Histry, Carletn University, c-chair, ), Pamela Ptter (German and Music, University f Wiscnsin-Madisn, c-chair, ), Celia Applegate (Histry, Vanderbilt University, ), Winsn Chu (Histry, University f Wiscnsin- Milwaukee, ), Bala Venkat Mani (German, University f Wiscnsin-Madisn, ), Elizabeth Ott (State University f New Yrk, Buffal, ( ). We wish t thank Angelika vn Wahl and Silke Maria Weineck fr their three years f service. Netwrks Review Under the supervisin f President Irene Kacandes, the IC cmmittee undertk a cmprehensive review f the interdisciplinary netwrks currently in peratin. (Fr a cmplete list, see belw and Each netwrk was asked t reprt n 1) successes registered and challenges faced; 2) whether the netwrk shuld cntinue in its present frm; and 3) whether there are majr issues and cncerns fr future deliberatin. The infrmatin we gathered indicated that many f the netwrks are thriving, while a select few have faced challenges, and it brught t ur attentin a number f issues regarding the netwrks practices and prcedures. The IC cchairs will deliberate with members f the cmmittee t discern apprpriate actins based n the findings f the reprt, particularly with regard t the frmatin f netwrks, the relatinship between netwrks and seminars, and the presence f the netwrks in GSA cmmunicatins and at the annual meeting. Preliminary discussins at this past GSA have led t nging discussins with the President and the seminar c-chairs t address sme f these cncerns. Netwrk Appintments Tw new c-chairs were appinted by the president in 2015 fr the Visual Culture Netwrk. We welcme Jhannes vn Mltke (German, U Michigan) and Heather Mathews (Art Histry, Pacific Lutheran). Several similar appintments will be in rder this cming year, and the cmmittee will investigate new and mre efficient ways f cnducting the prcess f selectin. Future Plans and Challenges

25 The infrmatin we gathered fr ur reprt t the Bard n the status f the netwrks indicates that they are bth vibrant and thriving. We are happy t reprt that mst netwrks are prductive, spnsring tw t five panels each year, establishing cntacts utside f GSA, and implementing r planning publicatins. We have als received three expressins f interest in frming new netwrks, demnstrating that the netwrk frmat still has relevance fr varius research agendas. Befre the end f their tenure as cchairs, Marc Silberman and Janet Ward crafted a preliminary Best Practices dcument t serve as a template fr hw the cmmittee functins, including its rles and rles and respnsibilities. The current c-chairs will revisit this dcument in 2016 in cnsultatin with members f the IC cmmittee, netwrk crdinatrs, the President, and the Executive Directr s that there may be a clearly delineated set f prcedures fr cmmittee appintments, terms f service, deadlines, netwrk prmtin, and practices fr sliciting and selecting netwrk prgramming. GSA Netwrks and Netwrk C-Chairs, Nvember Alltag Paul Steege, Villanva University ( ) Maria Stehle, University f Tennessee ( ) 2. Emtin Studies Derek Hillard, Kansas State University ( ) Heikki Lempa, Mravian Cllege ( ) Russell Spinney Santa Fe Preparatry Schl ( ) 3. Envirnmental Studies Sctt Mranda SUNY Crtland ( ) Sabine Mödersheim University f Wiscnsin-Madisn ( ) 4. Family and Kinship Susan Gustafsn, University f Rchester ( ) Gail Hart, University f Califrnia, Irvine ( ) Michaela Hhkamp, Leibniz Universität, Hannver ( ) 5. German Scialisms April Eisman, Iwa State University ( ) Benjamin Rbinsn, Indiana University ( ) Eli Rubin, Western Michigan University ( ) 6. Law and Legal Cultures Sace Elder, Eastern Illinis University ( ) Tdd Herzg, University f Cincinnati ( ) 7. Memry Studies 25

26 26 Susanne Baackmann, University f New Mexic ( ) Jnathan Bach, The New Schl fr Liberal Arts ( ) 8. Music and Sund Studies Jy Calic, Vanderbilt University ( ) David Imhf, Susquehanna University ( ) 9. Religius Cultures William Dnahue, Duke University ( ) Jean Gdsall-Myers, West Chester University ( ) Rainer Hering, Landesarchiv Schleswig-Hlstein ( ) 10. Swiss Studies Peter Meilaender, Hughtn Cllege ( ) Hans Rindisbacher, Pmna Cllege ( ) 11. Visual Culture Heather Mathews, Pacific Lutheran University ( ) Jhannes vn Mltke, University f Michigan ( ) 12. War and Vilence Susanne Vees-Gulani, Case Western Reserve University ( )

27 27 GSA Annunces 2015 Prizes The German Studies Assciatin is pleased t annunce the winners f this year s prize cmpetitins. H. Glenn Penny (University f Iwa) is the winner f the DAAD/GSA Bk Prize fr the best bk published in histry r scial sciences in 2013 and Tbias Bes (University f Ntre Dame) is the winner f the DAAD/GSA Article Prize fr the best article in Germanisik r cultural studies published in the German Studies Review in 2013 and Sara Berger (Fndazine Muse della Shah, Rme) is the winner f the Sybil Halpern Miltn Prize fr the best bk in Hlcaust studies published in 2013 r The Miltn Prize is awarded every ther year. Hnrable Mentin is awarded t Waitman Wade Bern (Virginia Hlcaust Museum, Richmnd, Virginia). Katharina Isabel Schmidt (Yale University) is the winner f the Graduate Student Essay Prize fr the best essay submitted in Her article will be published in the German Studies Review. Matte Calla (Crnell University) receives Hnrable Mentin. Heartiest cngratulatins t ur prize winners fr their utstanding accmplishments! Here are further details, with the texts f the laudatines frm the respective prize cmmittees: DAAD/GSA BOOK PRIZE: H. Glenn Penny, University f Iwa Kindred by Chice: Germans and American Indians since Chapel Hill: University f Nrth Carlina Press, Glenn Penny s bk Kindred by Chice crsses time and space in exemplary fashin. His wrk is rted in German cmmunities whether Biedermeier readers marveling at the Leatherstcking Tales, r German settlers in New Ulm, Minnesta, in the 1860s, r East and West German hbbyists camping ut in teepees. His wrk is als rted in American Indian cmmunities thse wh chse t hnr German curisity and enthusiasm by taking part in a lng-enduring trans-atlantic exchange. In a series f well-written, methdically rich chapters, Penny asks us t rethink the attitude f cndescensin cmmnly displayed tward German fans f Karl May r Wild West shws. Fr many Germans, the elective affinity fr American Indians was a serius and respectful engagement, and it shwed remarkable cntinuity acrss the plitical ruptures f the 20th Century. The cmmittee applauds Penny s prvcative, revisinist accunt fr its cntributin t German Studies, abve all its lucid interpretatin f hw the encunter with American Indians inflected German identities and German values ver time. DAAD/GSA ARTICLE PRIZE: Tbias Bes, University f Ntre Dame Plitical Animals: Serengeti Shall Nt Die and the Cultural Heritage f Mankind, German Studies Review 36, n. 1 (February 2013):