History

The Apocalypse of Adolf Hitler: This multimedia presentation focuses on the influence of apocalyptic thinking in the origins of Nazism.
Speaker: David Redles

Challenged, Banned, or Burned: Reactions to Controversial Books, Then & Now: Negative public reaction to controversial texts goes back centuries, even pre-dating the European printing press. This 45 minute lecture presents an overview of censorship from antiquity to the present day. It specifically explores why materials were censored, how objectionable texts and authors were dealt with throughout history, and how our reaction to controversial material has evolved over time.
Speaker: John T. Rasel

Ethnic History of Cleveland: a narrative history of the many ethnic groups that migrated to the Cleveland area from the early 19th to the 20th century. Included will be a discussion of the migration of the many ethnic groups to Cleveland, the places where they worked, the neighborhoods they developed and the effect they had on the history of the City of Cleveland.
Speaker: David A. Bernatowicz

The Evil Other: The Demonization of Jews in Nazi Anti-Semitism: This multimedia presentation focuses broadly on how the Nazis used propaganda to isolate and threaten Germany's, and the World's, Jewish population.
Speaker: David Redles

Final War, Final Solution: The Nazi Apocalyptic Mentality: This multimedia presentation focuses on how Nazi religiosity influenced the genesis of World War II and the Holocaust.
Speaker: David Redles

Historical Women in Mathematics: A non-technical talk on the patterns found in the lives of women who have made significant contributions to what Gauss called "the queen of the sciences." The women considered range from Hypatia, an Egyptian philosopher and astronomer who is considered to be the first well-documented woman in mathematics; to Grace Hopper, an American computer scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral.
Speaker: Michael Lanstrum

Industrial History of Cleveland: A narrative history of the various industries that developed in the Cleveland area from 1940 to the end of the 20th century.
Speaker: David A. Bernatowicz

The Poisoned Mind: Imagining Jews in Nazi Children's Literature: This multimedia presentation focuses on how the Nazis attempted to use children's literature to inculcate anti-Semitism into Germany's youth.
Speaker: David Redles

Remembering the Japanese American Internment: On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which paved the way for the forcible removal of over 100,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. Although EO 9066 was justified as a being necessary for national security, it was primarily motivated by a combination of wartime hysteria and racism. This talk presents an overview of the Internment that also explores the causes and consequences of this shameful event.
Speaker: John T. Rasel

Stories of Shame: A Historical Survey: Societies around the world have harnessed the power of shame for hundreds of years. This lecture presents examples of this phenomenon in action throughout world history, and discusses how shame was, and is, used at all levels of society.
Speaker: John T. Rasel