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. We acknowledge the financial support of generous Gerlind Institute donors and the Excelsior German Center.

To review our previous speakers and descriptions, click here.
To see our Archive of videos and trailers, 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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or directly via PayPal.me/gics2006

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, November 13, 2021 • 11 a.m. -1:00 p.m. PDT • Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies • via ZOOM

Dr. Franz Wassermann – My First 25 Years: A Series of Contrasts
Saturday, November 13, 2021 • 11 a.m. -1:00 p.m PDT via ZOOM • RSVP by November 10 Dr. Franz Wassermann, an older, bald white man in an orange shirt covered by a beige puffy vest. He is wearing glasses and there is a green background of plants.

Dr. Wassermann was born in Munich, Germany, in 1920. He spent his childhood and youth in Munich before and during the rise of Nazism. In this presentation he will discuss the fate of family members and friends.

He left for the United States in 1938 and served as a German-speaking medical officer, in the U.S. Army, in Normandy and Bavaria until 1946. After returning to the United States, Dr. Wassermann licensed as a psychiatrist and practiced until 2006. He moved from the Bay Area to Seattle in 2010.

In his presentation, Dr. Wassermann will read from letters he wrote to his wife whilst serving as a medical officer in Germany after VE Day.

Dr. Wassermann’s presentation will be in English, followed by a question and answer period.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Franz Wassermann

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 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, 2013

audience at Dr. Monica Clyde’s presentation, 2014

2021 marks the fourteenth 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 56 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 memberships and donations . With the generosity of volunteers, participants and speakers—many of whom have donated their time and expertise—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!