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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Book Review: Überfahrten. Das Leben Der Margaretha Reibold (1809-1893) In Briefen. Zürich, Leo Schelbert
Book Review: Überfahrten. Das Leben Der Margaretha Reibold (1809-1893) In Briefen. Zürich, Leo Schelbert
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The publication of Margaretha Mezger Reibold is a most welcome addition to the growing body of primary sources that highlight the migratory experiences of women. In a letter dated March 31, 1877, the historian, editor, and diplomat Heinrich Gelzer (1813-1889) of Basel had asked "his beloved friend,,: "Write for me a survey of the course of your life, inner and outer experiences, in the framework of six to seven letters,,(23). He labeled his proposal as "a Sunday task that I will enjoy and that will be beneficial to you,, (23 ). He even suggested the main chapter titles: " 1 …
Book Review: Phillip Schaff. Portrait Of An Immigrant Theologian, Barbara Dobschütz
Book Review: Phillip Schaff. Portrait Of An Immigrant Theologian, Barbara Dobschütz
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Living in the light of a larger world experience, Philip Schaff, a Swiss educated in Germany and living in America, became one of the nineteenth century's foremost church historians. As a biblical scholar and theologian, Schaff became an advocate of the Mercersburg theology or "mediating evangelical theology." Schaff's intellectual and theological development, Gary Pranger's recent portrait argues, was formed in the context of an European-American exchange. Schaff's immigrant experience also provided the basis on which his later achievements as an advocate for ecumenical cooperation would become possible. Furthermore, Pranger's thesis contends that Schaff's own experience mirrored the nineteenth century world …
Book Review: Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century Accounts Of Swiss Immigrants To The United States., Jeffrey L. Burkhart
Book Review: Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century Accounts Of Swiss Immigrants To The United States., Jeffrey L. Burkhart
Swiss American Historical Society Review
This fascinating anthology of letters written by immigrants to the United States during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is a thoroughly engrossing text. What emerges from the various groupings of correspondence is a picture of a hum~ odyssey that is often of heroic proportions. The immense courage to uproot oneself and voyage to an unknown and in some instances unfriendly environment is amply demonstrated as one reads through the sixty-three letters that comprise this collection.
Book Review: Exploring My Life: The Memoirs Of Felix P. Bentz, Chalice Wilkerson
Book Review: Exploring My Life: The Memoirs Of Felix P. Bentz, Chalice Wilkerson
Swiss American Historical Society Review
In his foreword, Felix P. Bentz explains that the impetus for writing his memoirs came from the receipt of a similar effort by a colleague in the oil business. As an international oil geologist, Bentz had the opportunity to realize his dream of traveling the world. Added as a postscript but perhaps more effective as a prologue is his credo written at the age of 30 and the beginning of his career. Bentz states his goal to live a full life roaming the globe and using his gifts to reproduce his thoughts, impressions and experiences while avoiding ignorance, intolerance and …
Translation Of An Article From The Liestal Newspaper 21 October 1915
Translation Of An Article From The Liestal Newspaper 21 October 1915
Swiss American Historical Society Review
When a mother with four small children travelled to America, the eldest of which was barely over seven, and the youngest was still hanging on her back -- it was indeed a daring endeavor. It would have been worthy of mention even in peacetime.
Entering The United States Excerpted From One Small Lifetime, Ernest Albert Thurkauf
Entering The United States Excerpted From One Small Lifetime, Ernest Albert Thurkauf
Swiss American Historical Society Review
In the autumn of 1923, father left for the States. Mother and the four children remained on the farm. Father had to get himself established somewhere. I (age sixteen) was now the man of the house. Mother and I learned to butcher a cow; we sold some young stock and raised pigs and chickens. We somehow made enough to exist. Winter was now coming on, and about every two weeks ma and I had to go to town through the ice and snow -- and occasionally blizzards.
From Visiting Scholar To Immigrant: A Memoir, Gustav T. Durrer
From Visiting Scholar To Immigrant: A Memoir, Gustav T. Durrer
Swiss American Historical Society Review
In younger years, with youthful optimism, one tends to project the future on a fairly straight line. Life usually alters that course. Circumstances change, and we change with them. Events in and around us shape our destiny. Roadblocks and crossroads force us to choose an unplanned route. 1939-45 was such a time when many lives were drastically changed, due to the dramatic developments in Europe and the Far East. These events were to alter the course of my life also.
Swiss-American Relations: A Challenge, Lukas F. Burckhardt
Swiss-American Relations: A Challenge, Lukas F. Burckhardt
Swiss American Historical Society Review
With her lively reminiscences of our years in the service of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, D.C., my wife Agathe has evoked a fine period in our life in which we were both equally engaged, greatly encouraged by our chiefs, in fostering Swiss-American relations on a very personal level. This endeavor was made easy by a favorable intellectual climate. Things· American still had an unique charm for our curious Swiss visitors who found there an astonishing openmindedness. We met in the United States many highly motivated Americans in responsible positions who were keen to keep in close touch with our …
Glimpses From An Industrial Electrician's Lifetime, Ernest Thurkauf
Glimpses From An Industrial Electrician's Lifetime, Ernest Thurkauf
Swiss American Historical Society Review
My life's main line of work has been as an industrial maintenance electrician, though in early years I tried my hand as blacksmith's helper, arc and acetylene welder, coal mine laborer, lumber jack, farm hand, fruit picker, and other miscellaneous work. But it was as a trained electrician that I got my greatest joy in working especially in training men in my line of work. In my old years now, I have given much thought to what have been some very challenging jobs I had encountered as I struggled onward in this best of all possible. worlds, and these are· …
Searching For A Job In The United States, Paul Grossenbacher
Searching For A Job In The United States, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
It was my brother's wedding day and, since I was best man in the wedding, I took a day off from work and went to Burgdorf. Ernst Josi said, "Paul, since you go through Bern, why don't you go to the American Embassy and apply for a visa to go to America?
On Being A Wisconsin Farmhand, Paul Grossenbacher
On Being A Wisconsin Farmhand, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The winter of 1929 is long remembered for the deep snow and the cold. Highway 69 from New Glarus to Monroe was closed many times and the mountains of snow the snowplows pushed were reaching the telephone wires.
Growing Up In Burgdorf, Paul Grossenbacher
Growing Up In Burgdorf, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
When old age starts t:o creep up on you, start looking back. You will be amazed how many beautiful memories will come back to light. That is what I am trying to do, look back and try Ito find old memories. I was born into a family of two sisters and five brothers; no more children were born to my parents, so I stayed the youngest one and a mother's little boy. My home was the "innere Sommerhaus" on the edge of the small city of Burgdorf. Burgdorf is mostly called the door to the famous '"Emmenthal." The Emmenthal is …
Preparing For A Career, Paul Grossenbacher
Preparing For A Career, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
At the end of the fifth school year, we all had the opportunity to take an intelligence test and, if you passed that test, you then could go to secondary school, which is similar to high school here. Even though you were only a sixth grader, the subjects were algebra, physics, chemistry, and foreign languages. It is very important in Switzerland that one speaks several languages because in Switzerland, a country less than one-third the size of the state of Wisconsin, four official languages are spoken. About 19% speak a real good French, about 10% are Italian speaking, only 1% …
Managing A Farm In France, Paul Grossenbacher
Managing A Farm In France, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
After the one year in French-speaking Switzerland, it was then the time for you to decide on a profession, your life's work. I wanted to go to college (which was located 15 minutes walk from my home) and study to be a civil engineer, building roads and tunnels, etc.
Keeping A Promise, Paul Grossenbacher
Keeping A Promise, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Shortly after Eddy passed away, it was our silver wedding anniversary. I still remembered what I had promised Verena. We had 43 all reservations made, then we lost Eddy and we were going to cancel all of it, but our friends and our family told us we should go, it would be a good diversion for us.
Getting Married, Paul Grossenbacher
Getting Married, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Well, I was a farmer, and married farmhands were preferred over single men, so we talked about getting married. I sent that news back to Switzerland, but my oldest brother was not too happy about it.
Family Joys And Sorrows, Paul Grossenbacher
Family Joys And Sorrows, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Our two boys were only one year apart in age, and somehow we had to keep them busy. We bought nice accordions for each and had them take lessons.
Leaving The Farm, Paul Grossenbacher
Leaving The Farm, Paul Grossenbacher
Swiss American Historical Society Review
It was good to be back home again, but Verena enjoyed her first trip to Switzerland very much and she has made about five more trips since. She could learn where her ancestors came from. I was the owner of a farm then, and it was also the dairy which supplied New Glarus and later Monticello with milk. It was a good business, but we all really had to work too hard in those days. But we made a little money, and the day came when we could burn the mortgage.
From Zurich's "Therma" To Washington's Smithsonian: Autobiographical Sketch Of A Mid-Twentieth Century Swiss Immigrant, Walter Angst
From Zurich's "Therma" To Washington's Smithsonian: Autobiographical Sketch Of A Mid-Twentieth Century Swiss Immigrant, Walter Angst
Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter
Both my parents were city dwellers displaced from rural Switzerland. In fact, all my grandparents came from agricultural villages. Yet, they all were "armigerous," that is, entitled to use armorial bearings, which is not unusual back home. My father, also called Walter, grew up in Btilach, at that time a small town in the Canton of ZUrich. He was a stone mason like his father, who ran a grave-stone business. I hardly knew my grandfather, who fell to his death from the steeple of one of the two churches while working on a Gothic window. What I do remember and …