CONTACT:
Rosemarie Lester
904 Spaight Street, Madison, WI 53703
608-255-7039
rklester at wisc.edu
Rosemarie Lester will negotiate costs with you. Contact her directly to make arrangements. REGION:
Dane County, Southern WisconsinHUMANITIES EXPERTISE:
Ethnic Studies, History, Languages, Literature, Women’s Studies
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ROSEMARIE LESTER
Rosemarie Lester, native of Berlin, Germany, received both her MA and PhD at UW-Madison. She has taught German language, literature, and cultural history at college and university levels in South Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and the University of Maryland in Frankfurt, where she also freelanced as a radio journalist. She retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Liberal Studies in 1996. Her areas of interest and specialty include: blacks in German cultural history; German-American stereotypes; women in Nazi Germany; immigration history in Wisconsin; and Oscar Howe, artist of the Sioux.
Public Presentations:
Beer, Hides, and Kulturpolitik: The Rise and Fall of German Immigrants in Old Milwaukee
These days, the city of Milwaukee appears to be associated mostly with beer. But in fact, Milwaukee has a fascinating history so deeply imprinted by German immigrants that during the second half of the nineteenth century, it was known as "The German Athens on Lake Michigan." This lecture examines the major reasons for the stunning success experienced by German immigrants in certain areas of commerce, culture, and even politics, and their ultimate failure to maintain a leading position. The presentation will be accompanied by slides.
Oscar Howe and the Painting of the Truth
The 2004 opening of the first National Museum of American Indians in Washington, DC, provides an appropriate time to revisit the life and work of Oscar Howe, great artist of the Sioux, who overcame the stark deprivations of childhood on a South Dakota reservation to become a highly regarded professor of art at South Dakota State University and an internationally renowned artist. His work represents the best of ancient Native American tradition and imagery, infused with elements of twentieth-century modern art; therein lies its uniqueness and universal appeal. Yet, Howe always remained centered in the truth of his culture. This slide lecture places Dr. Howe's work in its historical and social context.
Other Public Program Ideas: Rosemarie Lester is available for consultation regarding editing, translating, feature writing for radio and print media, research, and teaching on subjects related to German history and other areas of interest. Her website is www.thegermanconnection.us and can be contacted to discuss ideas.
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