Our 2026 sessions:

February 18, 2026-Germanic People’s History (Prehistory to 1950).  The presentation will be by the group coordinator focusing on the History of Germanic Peoples. It is intended to provide a perspective on how your Germanic Ancestors lived prior to emigration, their emigration, and history until 1950.

March 18, 2026-A Tale of Two Emigrations. This is a personal story of the group coordinator’s, Jim Kleinschmidt, maternal family (Langer) history. The story traces their first emigration from Franconia to Northeast Bohemia (Czechia) and their subsequent emigration to the United States (in particular, Wisconsin and Minnesota). The presentation will include not only the history, but sources, websites, references, and techniques used to construct this history.

April 15, 2026-Fate of Those Who Remained in Europe (1914-Present) The presentation will focus on the fate of emigrant families’ relatives who remained in Europe during and after World War I. Most emigration stopped prior to World War I. The presentation will focus on the coodinator’s, Jim Kleinschmidt, specific relatives experiences as well as the overall general experiences of Germanic people remaining through Europe. 

Meet Jim Kleinschmidt!
Your German Interest Group Host

Jim has been doing research on his German ancestors since the early 1990s following in his father’s footsteps. His ancestral roots include Bohemia, Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate and the Neumark of Brandenburg (now in Poland). He has visited ancestral villages in both Bohemia and Bavaria and met some of his European cousins during these visits.

If you are interested in helping or have suggestions for the Group, please go to Contact Us, enter a message in the form, and it will be forwarded to Jim.

Jim is also a member of our Leadership Council and has been researching his family history for 30+ years.