Monday, Nov. 5, 2018
7 p.m.
Belk Library and Information Commons, Room 114
The event is free of charge and open to the public
On Monday, Nov. 5, Dr. Ofer Ashkenazi, the Director of the Richard Koebner Minerva Center for German History and a senior Lecturer in the History Department of The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel will be delivering a talk entitled “The Invention of the German Landscape by Jewish Filmmakers, 1918-68.”
In the wake of national catastrophes, “Heimat” imagery played a vital role in the German identity discourse both during the Weimar years and in the early decades of the Cold War. While the significance of “Heimat” films within this trend is well documented, the fundamental contribution of Jewish artists to the formation of the “Heimat” film genre has been surprisingly overlooked. The talk analyzes the ways Jewish filmmakers in Germany appropriated conventional “Heimat” imagery in order to participate in and influence the constitution of the German nationality. In manipulating and de-contextualizing “Heimat”iconography, prominent Jewish filmmakers were able to introduce the aspirations and fears of integration-seeking outsiders—i.e., of German-Jews—into mainstream perceptions of German identity.
Ashkenazi’s lecture demonstrates the various ways Jewish filmmakers utilized “Heimat” imagery, from Ernst Lubitsch and E.A. Dupont’s early parodies of the “Heimat” idyll to the somber portrayals of the German landscape in the Cold War films of John Brahm and Konrad Wolf. It shows that, regardless of the different settings, these filmmakers used similar means to advocate an alternative notion of a German national community, which thrives in an alternative “Heimat,” devoid of its blood and soil connotations.
Ashkenazi is a specialist in Central European cultural and intellectual history, modern visual culture and Jewish urban experiences in twentieth-century Europe. He holds a Ph.D in History from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, conducted post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and taught at the University of Minnesota. He joined the faculty of Hebrew University in 2013 and took over the directorship of the Richard Koebner Minerva Center for German History, one of Israel’s foremost institutions in German Studies that cooperates with major universities in Germany, Europe and around the world and trains Israeli graduate students. Ashkenazi is the author of “Weimar Film and Modern Jewish Identity” and “A Walk Into the Night: Reason and Subjectivity in the Films of the Weimar Republic.” He has also penned numerous articles on various topics, ranging from the immigration of German-Jewish athletes to Palestine to comic representations of Nazism and the multivalent politics of Albert Einstein. His third book on “Anti-Heimat Cinema: The Jewish Invention of the German Landscape”will soon be published.
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, there will also be a lunch research colloquium hosted by the Center in Edwin Duncan Hall. It will focus on short pre-circulated texts by our guests on Jewish photography and film in mid-twentieth century Central Europe and Palestine. This event is open to any Appalachian students and faculty. RSVP is required.
For more information, contact the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies at holocaust@appstate.edu or call 828.262.2311. Organized by the Center, this visiting speaker is co-sponsored by the Department of History, the Office of International Student Education and Development, the Office of Multicultural Student Development, the local chapter of Hillel, AEPi, the Peace and Genocide Education Club, the North Carolina German Studies Seminar and Workshop Series, UNC-Chapel Hill and the Holocaust Educational Foundation, Illinois.
###
About the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
Appalachian State University's Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies was founded in 2002 to develop new educational opportunities for students, teachers, and the community. Located administratively within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Center seeks to strengthen tolerance, understanding, and remembrance by increasing the knowledge of Jewish culture and history, teaching the history and meaning of the Holocaust, and utilizing these experiences to explore peaceful avenues for human improvement and the prevention of further genocides.
The Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies is an associate institutional member of the Association of Jewish Studies, a member of the Association of Holocaust Organizations, and of the North Carolina Consortium of Jewish Studies.
About the Department of History
The Department of History offers a broad curriculum in local, national, regional and world history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which encourages history majors to develop a comprehensive approach to human problems. The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, public history, public service and business, as well as in teaching and the advanced discipline of history. Learn more at https://history.appstate.edu.
About the Office of International Education and Development
The OIED is responsible for spearheading the internationalization efforts at Appalachian. The internationalization mission of Appalachian is to develop awareness, knowledge, appreciation and respect of cultural differences in both domestic and international contexts in its students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities. The university is also dedicated to creating a campus environment that builds the theoretical and practical skills needed to interact effectively in a global society. Learn more at https://international.appstate.edu.
Dr. Ofer Ashkenazi, the Director of the Richard Koebner Minerva Center for German History and a senior Lecturer in the History Department of The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Dr. Ofer Ashkenazi, the Director of the Richard Koebner Minerva Center for German History and a senior Lecturer in the History Department of The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel