Festa: Lecture: Deutschtum: German Culture and the Lutheran Church 1838 – 1948

Festa: Lecture: Deutschtum: German Culture and the Lutheran Church 1838 – 1948

Brian van Wageningen will present an intriguing talk on June 28th, 2015 which will address the complexities of the identity of German speaking Australians.

Researching the extensive library of the Lutheran Archives it became a treasure trove for Brian whose background as a Germanist – a scholar of German language and culture, equipped him for thoroughly researching the topic.

‘We have in the Lutheran Archives, as part of a collection of some 12 boxes on the presence of Germans in Australia, a box of materials relating to the SA German Club that were collected and illustrated ... and bound in a bright red hard-cover book entitled: Das Deutschtum in Adelaide Sued-Australien 1848–1914’.

The concept of Deutschtum has multiple meanings, which have changed over time; the term invokes concepts linked not just with history and culture of Germany but also with German nationalism. Brian compares whether the concept of language as the basis of culture, implies that the German language is fundamental to Deutschtum.

Entry by gold coin donation

$5 for afternoon tea