Flight of Remembrance: From WWII in Europe to the U.S. Space Program
Virtual
Presenter: Marina Dutzmann Kirsch
The true story of the speaker's family from the Axis side of WWII in Latvia, occupied Poland, and Germany—a story that includes two German veterans and provides a perspective seldom heard in the U.S. Though they did not support Hitler or join the Nazi Party, the speaker's father and grandfather, both technically skilled, were forced to serve in the German military after fleeing from Latvia to Germany before the first Soviet takeover of the Baltic States. As of 2022, the presentation includes new maps and parallels between the experiences of the speaker's family in WWII and those of Ukrainians today. By giving a face and name to "the enemy," the presentation offers a seldom-shared perspective on the most devastating world conflict of all time, and sheds light on what it was like to live through war waged on home soil. Flight of Remembrance is a story of love, survival, and a lifelong dream for a career in aeronautical engineering that expanded to a key role in the emerging U.S. space program.
Join us as we celebrate 50 years of bringing the humanities to your community!
Flight of Remembrance is the true story of the speaker's family before, during, and after World War II in Latvia, occupied Poland, and Germany. None were members of the Nazi Party or Hitler supporters, but Marina Kirsch's father and grandfather, both technically skilled, were forced to serve in the German military after fleeing from Latvia to Germany before the first Soviet takeover of the Baltic States. By giving a face and name to "the enemy," this presentation offers a seldom-shared perspective on the most devastating world conflict of all time, and sheds light on what life was like for a German family during the war. Centering on the speaker's parents, Rolf and Lilo, Flight of Remembrance is a love story, a story of survival, and the story of Rolf's lifelong dream of a career in aeronautical engineering that expanded, after he immigrated to the United States, to a leadership role in the emerging U.S. space program.
REGISTER
