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Fall 2002 POW-Tour Itinerary:

          In the fall of 2002 TRACES brought 23 Germans to Iowa and Minnesota--14 of whom it took on a tour of former Upper-Midwest POW camps. Consisting of one-time POWs and their children or grandchildren, the group had glimpses of the world the POWs had known from behind barbed wire during the Second World War. Along the way, they met with hundreds of individuals; millions more Americans had a chance to read about the German delegation's visit in the New York Times and Minneapolis Star Tribune, and on the front covers of the Chicago Tribune, Des Moines Register, St. Paul Pioneer Press and too many other newspapers to cite; CNN and the Associated Press also recorded the event, as did several regional television and radio stations along the tour. The German guests stayed mostly with volunteer hosts.

          The public was invited to attend any of the below-posted “public meetings/presentations/dinners” or “nature walks”—as long as the tour participants’ personhood and privacy were fully respected. It is TRACES’ goal that as many “ordinary citizens” of the two nations as possible “rub shoulders” and, in the process, remember each other’s innate value as well as indelible humanity: this is the ultimate antidote to war!

 

Sunday, 22 Sept.:
morning: (the German guests flew to Chicago independently)

afternoon:
activity: arrival
time: 12.30-14.00 location: O’Hare International Airport, Chicago/Illinois telephone=800.832.6352
[proceed to the City of Chicago Information Desk in the lower level of “arrivals” in Terminal 5]
contact person: Michael Luick-Thrams phone numbers/email address: cell=641.430.4464/office=641.423.8000
BUSeumTour@yahoo.com [hereafter listed as “contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual”]

afternoon/evening:
activity: free time, followed by Official Welcome Dinner
time: late afternoon-early evening location: Ira & Nicki Harris Family Hostel, downtown Chicago
contact person: Kim Ortman phone number/email address: 312.360.0300 kortman@hichicago.org

evening:
activity: after-dinner stroll (optional) and free time
time: early evening location: inside the Loop/downtown Chicago
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

lodging: family hostel city: Chicago

Monday, 23 Sept.:
morning:
activity: sightseeing/Sears Tower
time: mid-late morning location: downtown Chicago
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

afternoon:
activity: walking tour of the Loop’s architectural highlights
time: as of 14.30 location: downtown Chicago
contact person: Roland Kulla phone number/email address: 773.324.2549 rkulla@earthlink.net

evening:
activity: dinner at Berghofs’ Restaurant/homemade apple-pie dessert and red wine at Roland’s
time: as of 17.15 location: downtown Chicago and Hyde Park
contact person: Roland Kulla phone number/email address: 773.324.2549 rkulla@earthlink.net

lodging: family hostel city: Chicago

Tuesday, 24 Sept.:
morning:
activity: free time or walking tour/Michigan Avenue area
time: mid morning location: downtown Chicago
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

late morning-late afternoon:
activity: museum visits/Art Institute of Chicago and Chicago Historical Society Museum
time: late morning-late afternoon location: downtown Chicago
contact person: Visitors’ Desk (Art Institute of Chicago) or receptionist phone numbers/email addresses: 312.443.3933 www.artic.edu or 312.642.4600 info@chicagohistory.org

evening:
activity: dinner out/perhaps followed by a play, musical, concert, film or free time
time: early evening location: Chicago’s Restaurant Row and Theater District
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

lodging: family hostel city: Chicago

Wednesday, 25 Sept.:
morning:
activity: sightseeing/Frank Lloyd Wright Studio or Earnest Hemmingway Birthplace and Museum
time: mid-late morning location: Oak Park/Illinois
contact person: receptionists phone numbers/email addresses: 708.848.1976 flwpr@wrightplus.org or 877.HEMINGWAY ehfop@theRamp.net

afternoon:
activity: sightseeing/lookout tower and old lead-mining boomtown
time: mid afternoon location: Galena/Illinois
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual 

afternoon:
activity: sightseeing/cable car and lookout platform
time: late afternoon location: Dubuque/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: dinner in Bellevue’s Potter’s Mill
time: as of 19.00 location: Bellevue/Iowa
contact person: Laura Kilberg phone number/email address: 563.872.3838 info@pottersmill.net

lodging: bed-and-breakfast city: Bellevue
Chris Zraick
Mont Rest, 563.872.4220 innkeeper@montrest.com

Thursday, 26 Sept.:
morning:
activity: nature walk/Maquoketa Caves
time: mid morning location: Maquoketa/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

noon:
activity: public meeting/ Cedar Rapids Public Library
time: noon location: Cedar Rapids/Iowa
contact person: Nancy Olinger phone number/email address: 319.398.5145 ext.257 olinger@mail.crlibrary.org

afternoon:
activity: museum/ Cedar Rapids Art Museum
time: as of 14.15 location: Cedar Rapids
contact person: Jane Milosch phone number/email address: 319.366.7503 ext. 200 jmilosch@crma.org

afternoon:
activity: museum/ Linn County History Center
time: as of 15.00 location: Cedar Rapids
contact person: Barbara Feller phone number/email address: 319.362.1501 barb@historycenter.org

evening:
activity: public presentation/Carnegie-Stout Public Library
time: 19.30-21.00 location: Dubuque
contact person: Betty Baule phone number/email address: 523.589.4225 cspl@stout.dubuque.lib.ia.us

lodging: bed-and-breakfast city: Dubuque
Jerry & Kelly Lazore
Red Stone Inn, 563.582.1894 info@theredstoneinn.com

Friday, 27 Sept.:
morning:
activity: free time or Mississippi River Museum
time: mid morning location: Dubuque/Iowa
contact person: receptionist phone number/email address: 800.226.3369 rivermuse@mwci.net

morning:
activity: Great River Road drive
time: late morning location: Mississippi River Valley/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

noon:
activity: visit to riverfront organic-beef Bratwurst shop and cafe
time: circa noon location: Guttenberg/Iowa
contact person: Karin Bahls phone number/email address: 877.252.2323 gutnberg@netins.net

afternoon:
activity: nature walk/Pikes Peak State Park
time: early afternoon location: McGregor/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

afternoon:
activity: visitor center and nature walk/Effigy Mounds
time: mid-late afternoon location: Marquette/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: public potluck dinner
time: early evening location: Decorah/Iowa
contact person: Birgitta Meade phone number/email address: 563.382.2866 bmeade@n-winn.k12.ia.us

evening:
activity: free time
time: all evening location: Decorah/Iowa
contact person: Perry-O Sliwa phone number/email address: 563.382.3922 sliwa@oneota.net

lodging: in-home city: Decorah/Iowa

Saturday, 28 Sept.:
morning:
activity: free time or museum/ Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
time: late morning location: Decorah
contact person: director phone number/email address: 563.382.9681 vesterheim@vesterheim.org

afternoon:
activity: free time or sightseeing/Czech village and museum, and pioneer fort
time: early-mid afternoon location: Spillville and Fort Atkinson/Iowa
contact person: Georgiann Eckhart (Bily Clock Museum) phone number/email address: 563.562.3569 sv10127@cedarnet.org

afternoon:
activity: free time or nature walks/Dunnings Springs and Phelps Park
time: late afternoon location: Decorah
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: public meeting/Luther College
time: early evening location: Decorah
contact person: Bill Craft phone number/email address: 800.2.LUTHER craftwil@luther.edu

lodging: in-home city: Decorah

Sunday, 29 Sept.:
morning:
activity: public meeting followed by Quaker meeting (optional)/Decorah Friends Meeting
time: late morning location: Decorah
contact person: Perry-O Sliwa phone number/email address: 563.382.3922 sliwa@oneota.net

afternoon:
activity: Great River Road drive
time: early-late afternoon location: Mississippi River Valley/Minnesota
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: public presentation/Germanic-American Institute
time: 19.30-21.00 location: Saint Paul/Minnesota
contact person: Debbi Riggs phone number/email address: 952.891.3409 riggsllc@earthlink.net

lodging: in-home cities: Saint Paul and Minneapolis/Minnesota

Monday, 30 Sept.:
late morning/all afternoon:
activity: free time or sightseeing/the two downtowns and Fort Snelling
time: late morning/all afternoon location: Minneapolis and Saint Paul
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: dinner out/perhaps followed by a play, musical, concert, film or free time
time: all evening location: Saint Paul and Minneapolis
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

lodging: in-home city: Saint Paul and Minneapolis/Minnesota

Tuesday, 1 Oct.:
morning:
activity: Minnesota River drive
time: mid-late morning location: Minnesota River Valley/Minnesota
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

noon:
activity: public meeting/Brown County Historical Museum
time: noon location: New Ulm/Minnesota
contact person: Darla Gebhard phone number/email address: 507.233.2616 bchs@newulmtel.net

afternoon:
activity: nature walk/Flandrau State Park
time: mid afternoon location: New Ulm
contact person: Terry Sveine phone number/email address: 507.354.1123 tsveine@newulmtel.net

afternoon:
activity: free time or public tour of local POW-related sites
time: late afternoon location: Fairmont/Minnesota
contact person: Byron Holcomb phone number/email address: 206.842.8429 bylaw@aol.com

evening:
activity: public presentation/Martin County Historical Museum
time: 19.30-21.00 location: Fairmont
contact person: Lenny Tvedten phone number/email address: 507.235.5178 mchistry@bevcomm.net

lodging: in-home city: Fairmont


Wednesday, 2 Oct.:
morning:
activity: public meeting/Freeborn County Historical Museum
time: as of 10.30 location: Albert Lea/Minneasota
contact person: Beverly Jackson phone number/email address: 507.373.8003 bjackso@smig.net

afternoon:
activity: free time or sightseeing/Music Man Square, Meredith Willson Bridge, Rock Glenn & Stockman House
time: all afternoon location: Mason City/Iowa
contact persons: Bud & Phyllis Luick phone number: 641.424.4896

evening:
activity: public dinner
time: 18.00 location: Mason City
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: Victorian Ice Cream Social (by invitation only)
time: early evening location: Mason City
contact persons: Craig Remmen & Terry Goepel phone number/email address: 641.424.3677 remcrg@aol.com

lodging: in-home city: Mason City

Thursday, 3 Oct.:
morning:
activity: public meeting/Wildwood Clubhouse
time: 8.30 location: Charles City/Iowa
contact person: Tracy Sweet phone number/email address: 641.228.6752 arts@rconnect.com

morning:
activity: museum/Mooney Gallery in the Charles City Public Library
time: late morning location: Charles City
contact person: Tracy Sweet phone number/email address: 641.228.6752 arts@rconnect.com

afternoon:
activity: sightseeing/Fossil Park and buffaloes
time: early afternoon location: Rockford and Nora Springs/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual 

afternoon/evening:
activity: sightseeing and public meeting/German-POW-built nativity scene
time: mid-late afternoon and evening location: Algona/Iowa
contact person: Jerry Yocum phone number/email address: 515.295.3719 ejyocum@netamumail.com

lodging: in-home city: Mason City

Friday, 4 Oct.:
morning:
activity: public meeting/Wartburg College
time: mid morning location: Waverly/Iowa
contact person: Jack Ohle phone number/email address: 800.772.2085 president@wartburg.edu

morning:
activity: nature walk/Camp Waverly ruins
time: late morning location: Janesville/Iowa
contact person: Ray & Marlyce Holbach phone number/email address: 319.352.0952 lodgeiowa@webtv.net

noon:
activity: museum/Museum of Amana History
time: midday location: Amana/Iowa
contact person: Lanny Haldy phone number/email address: 319.622.3567 amherit@juno.com

afternoon:
activity: museum/Herbert Hoover Historical Museum
time: mid afternoon location: West Branch/Iowa
contact person: Matthew Schafer phone number/email address: 319.643.5301 matthew.schaefer@nara.gov

afternoon:
activity: public meeting/Scattergood School
time: 15.30-16.30 location: West Branch
contact person: Margie Figgins phone number/email address: 319.643.7621 development@scattergood.org

evening:
activity: free time or sightseeing/film or shopping in West Branch or Iowa City/Iowa
time: all evening location: West Branch and Iowa City/Iowa
contact person: Thomas Baldridge phone number/email address: 319.337.2325 thomas-baldridge@uiowa.edu

lodging: in-home city: West Branch and Iowa City

Saturday, 5 Oct.:
morning:
activity: public meeting/breakfast in an Iowa City restaurant
time: mid morning location: Iowa City
contact person: Thomas Baldridge phone number/email address: 319.337.2325 thomas-baldridge@uiowa.edu

morning:
activity: sightseeing/Amish country
time: late morning location: Kalona/Iowa
contact person: Thomas Baldridge phone number/email address: 319.337.2325 thomas-baldridge@uiowa.edu

noon:
activity: public meeting/lunch in Amish country
time: noon location: Kalona
contact person: Thomas Baldridge phone number/email address: 319.337.2325 thomas-baldridge@uiowa.edu

afternoon:
activity: sightseeing + “surprise”
time: early afternoon location: Muscatine/Iowa
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

evening:
activity: conference opening (open to the public)/Muscatine Holiday Inn
time: 17.00 location: Muscatine
contact person: Patricia Bachman phone number/email address: 602.908.1322 pbach23@cs.com

lodging: in-home or Muscatine Holiday Inn city: Muscatine

Sunday and Monday, 6 and 7 Oct.:
(see Conference Schedule, below)

lodging: in-home or Muscatine Holiday Inn city: Muscatine

Tuesday, 8 Oct.:
morning:
activity: conference closing (open to the public)/Muscatine Holiday Inn
time: 8.30-10.00 location: Muscatine
contact person: Patricia Bachman phone number/email address: 602.908.1322 pbach23@cs.com

afternoon:
activity: departure/drive from Muscatine to Chicago
time: as of 10.00 location: Iowa and Illinois
contact person: ML-T contact info: per usual

Conference Schedule:
  • 5-9 PM Sat., 5 Oct: registration at the Muscatine/Iowa Holiday Inn
  • 6-10 PM Sat., 5 Oct: the TRACE-Shop opened on the balcony overlooking the Holiday Inn’s atrium
  • 7-10 PM Sat., 5 Oct: informal Get-to-Know-Each-Other Session in the Holiday Inn atrium

  • 9-10:15 AM Sun., 6 Oct: Michael Luick-Thrams opened the conference; Lewis Carlson delivered the keynote address: The POW Experience: Myth and Reality
  • 10:45 AM-NOON Sun., 6 Oct: presentation: Camp Currencies: Axis and Allied Monies Used in Concentration, Internment and POW Camps by Steve Feller
  • 1-5 PM Sun., 6 Oct: exhibit The Third Reich in Iowa: German POW Art and Artifacts opened at the Muscatine Art Center, 1314 Mulberry Avenue, Muscatine
  • 8-10 PM Sun., 6 Oct: The World at War/POWs in the Middle: A Window to Today panel discussion with Heino Erichsen, Norbert Haase and Mike Waters

  • 9-10:15 AM Mon., 7 Oct: presentation: German POW Life in the Palmetto State by Fritz Hamer
  • 10:45 AM-NOON Mon., 7 Oct: presentation: The Aliceville/Alabama POW Camp by Mary Bess Paluzzi
  • 12:15-1:45 PM Mon., 7 Oct: special-interest groups met over lunch; locations were announced
  • 2-3:15 PM Mon., 7 Oct: presentation: Italian POWs in Utah by Kathy Kirkpatrick
  • 3:45-5 PM Mon., 7 Oct: presentation: Looking Back: Can Anything Be Learned from the Experiences of WWII Prisoners and Their Captors? by Amy Hudnall
  • 5:15-6:45 PM Mon., 7 Oct: special-interest groups met over dinner; locations to be announced
  • 7-10 PM, 7 Oct: Monday Film Night featured films by Sharon Young, Steve Balvanz and Mike Schaubach of (“Fly Over Films”), Robert Galloway and Camilla Calamandrei
  • 10:30 PM Mon., 7 Oct: TRACE-Shop closed for the conference’s duration

  • 8:30-10 Tues. AM, 8 Oct: send-off breakfast; Michael Luick-Thrams gave concluding address

As we learn about these stories, may we rise above--and
eventually defeat--the prejudices, fears and conflicts that
otherwise demean, diminish and destroy us. 

~ Michael Luick-Thrams