We wish you a terrific New Year 2019, filled with health, happiness, and prosperity!
Our first meeting of the New Year is on January 10, 2019, and we have a great speaker on a topic that has affected all of us in one way or another. Dr. Irene Guenther presents “The remarkable, haunting Life of Otto Schubert: a 20th century story.” Otto Schubert was a painter, graphic artist, illustrator, and draftsman, whose work was included in the infamous Entartete Kunst show, organized in Munich in 1937 by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.
Schubert was born in Dresden and lived there most of his life. When he was just 22 years old, he was drafted into the army for WW I. From those fields of devastation he sent hauntingly beautifully painted postcards to his sweetheart Irma. You may recall that we visited the exhibit of some of the postcards some years back.
Dr. Irene Guenther painstakingly researched his art and life and wrote a wonderful book about Otto Schubert — Postcards from the Trenches: A German Soldier’s Testimony of the Great War. Guenther’s research took her into many different places, including attics and basements in the former East Germany.
Her work has been lauded by many. The Herald said that “these intimate and exquisite mementos stand as a testament to what Schubert saw and heard, experienced and endured. They showcase his talent, demonstrate his love and enlarge our understanding of a war that was supposed to end all wars.” The book was highly touted on the BBC World News and the well-known BBC Radio 4 Program several times during the recent centennial commemoration weekend. Guenther gave an excellent interview on NPR and on Houston Matters, both on KUHF 88.7.
We meet in the Parish Hall of Christ the King Lutheran Church for a food and beverage reception at 6:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 6:15 p.m.); the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. The meeting fee of $10.00 for Houston-Leipzig members, of $15.00 for guests, and of $5.00 for students, contributes to the program costs and meeting space rental.
Please let us know that you are planning to attend by responding to kathy@houstonleipzig.org or angelika@houstonleipzig.org.