Ten years after the reunification of Germany, historian Bernhard Wagner will present "What Revolution Feels Like: A Personal Account of Events Leading to the Fall of the Berlin Wall" at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Wagner, historian and lead tour guide for the DDR Museum (Museum of East Germany) in Berlin, will speak of his experiences as the former East Germany ceased to exist and, in October 1990, became part of the unified Federal Republic of Germany.
A native of Halle, located in the former communist state of the German Democratic Republic, Wagner is the son of a Lutheran minister. As a child, Wagner did not participate in state-run Communist youth organizations, but instead was a member of the Lutheran Church. He studied history and political science at Martin Luther University in Halle and has a master's degree in history and gender studies from the Humboldt University in Berlin.
Wagner, who was 16 when the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, has collaborated with the BBC on television productions about the event. His personal fascination with history and the cultural memories of the people of East Germany is reflected in his narrations about everyday life in former East Germany, as he integrates personal experiences with historical and political events.
While on campus, Wagner also will present guest lectures to modern languages and political science classes. The event is sponsored by the SFA German Club, Office of International Programs, Student Government Association and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.
For more information, call Dr. Louise Stoehr, SFA German Club sponsor, at (936) 468-2167 or e-mail lstoehr@sfasu.edu.
Axe ’Em, Jacks!