Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies | Oakland, California | Not just an Institute … we're building community!

Mündliche Geschichtsreihe / Oral History Series

We are inviting individuals from our community to share their life’s stories and dialogue with participants. Meetings are facilitated by Dr. Marion Gerlind. Order and pre-pay for tickets below. (for more information and reservations, email Marion or call (510) 430-2673. To review the Oral History ARCHIVE of previous speakers and topics, click here.

RSVP required. Suggested donations: GICS Members: $10 • General Public: $15-20 (no one turned away for lack of funds)

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The Oral History Series is a project of the Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the teaching and promotion of German Cultural Studies. We invite members from our community to share their life’s stories and dialogue with the audience, promoting cross-cultural understanding. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Visit our donations page, at www.gerlindinstitute.org for more information on donations.

Saturday, March 27, 2021 • 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. • Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies • via ZOOM

Dr. Christine Schoefer - “Divided: A Memoir”
Saturday, March 27, 2021 • 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PST • via Zoom RSVP by March 24

“Set in West and East Germany and the USA during the Cold War, the memoir Divided tells my story as a German-American woman growing up in the force field of political, cultural, and personal divisions. The memoir begins in Berlin, just a few years after the Allies defeated Nazi Germany; it reaches back in time to the Third Reich and spans the Wall era. As a child, I witnessed the construction of the Berlin Wall; as an adult, I was a Walljumper traveling between East and West Berlin; as a mother, I was there, rejoicing, when the Cold War icon fell. My family immigrated to the United States when I was twelve years old. I’ve always lived a rich dual life. And I’ve always wondered: where is my home?”

Christine Schoefer wrote her dissertation at UC Berkeley on politics and literature in East Germany. After a period of academic teaching and researching, she became a free-lance writer. She still lives in two places: Berkeley and Rodenaes, a village in the northwest corner of Germany.

You can read some of Dr. Schoefer’s writing at www.christineschoefer.com • RSVP by March 24

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 shelter-in-place order in California, as of March 21, 2020, we have moved our in-person Oral History events to ZOOM. If you have any questions, or concerns, please contact JB at info@gerlindinstitute.org

Support Our Oral History Series!

Annegret Ogden

audience at Dr. Monica Clyde's presentation

2020 marks the thirteenth anniversary of the GICS Oral History Series, which has become the touchstone of our community programs. It grew from Dr. Gerlind’s passion for interviewing Holocaust survivors whose stories were at risk of being lost. Inspired by their lives, the Gerlind Institute continues to bring unforgettable speakers from in and outside our Bay Area community. We have witnessed their voices and stories, and have been transformed. We are incredibly grateful to every speaker, co-sponsor, and audience participant from the past ten years!

Through the dedicated volunteer work of the Gerlind Institute team, especially JB, Loren Norman, and many others, GICS has hosted 50 Oral Histories since 2007—no small feat for a grassroots organization such as ours, which relies completely on community support!

Despite all the work that goes into organizing each event, admission remains accessible, as we want everyone to participate. No one is turned away for lack of funds. The Series is primarily funded through income from the GICS teaching program, memberships, and donations . With the generosity of volunteers, participants and speakers—many of whom have donated their honoraria—we have been able to sustain our Series.

We are calling on you, our community, to support your Series through your generosity, as we hope you benefit directly, or indirectly, through Gerlind Institute’s educational services. Please help secure our Oral History Series' sustainability by becoming a GICS member in 2021. Visit www.gerlindinstitute.org/membership.html, or click here. You can also make a tax-deductible donation. Visit www.gerlindinstitute.org/donate.html, or click here.

Your act of generosity, whether large or small, will build fiscal stability and enable us to create more unique programming.

We will apply your donation to the costs of upcoming events.

We are grateful for any amount you are kindly willing to give and your continued support as a GICS community member! We look forward to welcoming you to an upcoming event!