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2008 PG Calendar

The Pennsylvania German Society Annual Meeting
May 4-7 at the Lancaster Host Resort
 

The Pennsylvania German Society is holding its 2006 Annual Meeting in association with the Society for German-American Studies on May 4-7 in Lancaster at the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center. Highlights of this year’s meeting include two paper sessions on Friday devoted to the examination of the Pennsylvania German language by the leading scholars in the field, including C. Richard Beam, a longtime professor of German at Millersville University, Director of the Center for Pennsylvania German Studies, and compiler of a multi-volume dictionary of the Pennsylvania German language. Mark Louden will discuss a project to collect and digitize the writings of German-Americans, including Pennsylvania Germans. Dr. Louden, currently director of the Max Kade Institute at the University of Wisconsin, will also present a poster session that he put together for the Max Kade Institute that represents different aspects of German-American experience on Friday afternoon. Dr. Richard Page and Josh Brown of Penn State University will report on their collaboration with the Mifflin County Mennonite Historical Society in collecting life histories from Anabaptists in the Big Valley. Another notable linguist of the Pennsylvania German language, Dr. Marion Lois Huffines, is giving a paper in another session.

PGS Board members John Frantz, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Historical Association, and Michael Showalter, Museum Educator at the Ephrata Cloister, will give talks about Pennsylvania German religion. Other speakers include Drs. Helmut Schmahl and Roland Paul, who are affiliated with academic institutions in Germany. Both have a long-term interest in issues concerning migration and the relationships between Pennsylvania Germans and their ancestral homelands. Frank Kessler, who works for the European Union in Brussels and is very active in preserving the Pennsylvania German language, will also make a presentation. Also speaking will be the major authority on Amish and Anabaptist life and culture, Donald Kraybill.

There are also, of course, many other papers being presented about the history of German-Americans by members of the Society for German-American Studies. The special theme of their symposium this year is Carl Schurz, the noted 19th century German-American leader and Civil War general. Local Pennsylvania Germans will be interested in the perspective on German-American life brought by members of the Society for German-American Studies.

Along with the lectures on Pennsylvania German and German-American history and culture, a number of other interesting activities are planned, including special Friday afternoon tours of the Ephrata Cloister and the Landis Valley Museum. The societies will hold a joint awards banquet on Friday evening, where Professor Beam will be among those honored. The banquet is part of the presentation of an authentic Pennsylvania German Versammling, which will include a talk in Pennsylvania Dutch by the great dialect speaker Donald Breininger. Saturday’s lunchtime activities will include a presentation by Dave Fooks of the Kutztown Pennsylvania German Festival with several local artisans and a luncheon, with Pennsylvania Dutch musical accompaniment by Keith and Karlene Brintzenhoff. On Saturday night, the special presentations conclude with readings of Pennsylvania German and German dialect poetry.

For more information, contact The Pennsylvania German Society office or send us an email.

LOCATION
The Society for German-American Studies and the Pennsylvania German Society will sponsor the Annual Symposium at the LANCASTER HOST RESORT AND COFERENCE CENTER
2330 Lincoln Highway East
Lancaster, PA 17602

REGISTRATION
Return your completed form by April 1, 2006 along with a check made payable to the PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN SOCIETY. (On site registration will be available.)
A confirmation statement will be sent upon of registration materials. Symposium will take place during the following hours at the Lancaster Host::
Thursday, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00p.m.
Saturday, 8:00to 10:00a.m.
To obtain a refund you must submit your request by Monday April 3,2006. Contact us by email

LODGING
Blocks of rooms have been reserved only at the Lancaster Host which is located at 2330 Lincoln Highway East in Lancaster, PA. Please contact the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center directly at 1 800-233- 0121 to make your hotel reservation. Identify yourself as member of either the Pennsylvania German Society or the Society for German-American Studies.
Double room price is $95.00 plus applicable sales tax. The blocked rooms
Will be held until April 4, 2006. There is a variety of other lodging within a short driving distance

MEALS
Advanced registration is required for all meals listed on the registration form. For other meals there are a variety of restaurants available within close proximity of the Conference Center. A listing of all restaurants will be available.

TOURS
There will be three sites available for afternoon touring: EPHRATA CLOISTER, LANDIS VALLEY MUSEUM AND LINCOLN HIGHWAY EAST. Tours will be available through your own private auto and all tour sites are within 20 minutes of the Conference Center.

Landis Valley Museum: visitors are immersed in authentic Pennsylvania Dutch rural life. The village includes many historic buildings, heritage-breed farm animals and a collection of more than 100,000 early farm, household and trade objects.

Ephrata Cloister: Founded in 1732 as a protestant monastic community. Members mostly German numbered 300 in the 1740’ and 50’s and they became known for their self composed music, Germanic calligraphy and printing. Nine original Germanic buildings are part of the 28 acre complex., with an additional nine other recreated buildings.
Lincoln Highway is a fascinating stretch of road of shops, malls, amusement center, and in many ways is the story of the Pennsylvania Dutch culture in the 21st Century.

PARKING
Parking is free and is readily available next or near your room.