Neighbors Past and Present: The Wisconsin German Experience
With generous funding from the Wisconsin Humanities Council, the Max Kade Institute has produced this traveling exhibit, “Neighbors Past and Present: The Wisconsin German Experience.” On fourteen panels that draw largely on images and resources from our Library and Archives, the exhibit covers German migration and settlement in Wisconsin, questions of ethnicity and identity in newly forged communities, and the cohesiveness of these communities over the decades, especially in times of economic crisis or war. The goal is to show the exhibit in as many communities across Wisconsin as possible – and in other states, too. In each exhibiting community, local collaborators augment the exhibit with displays or programming of their own.
Outcomes
The exhibit has already traveled to several venues across Wisconsin, including public libraries and museums, reaching thousands of people who have an interest in local history and culture. At each venue, the content of the display panels is complemented by local programming, such as presentations and displays of tangible items related to Wisconsin's German heritage.
Focus Areas
Project Leader
Mark Louden
Professor of German
- Department/Unit
- Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies
- School or College
- College of Letters & Science