WWI Exhibit receives national honor
NEW ULM — The Brown County Historical Society (BCHS) received a significant honor Friday. The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) announced BCHS will receive the Award of Merit for its “Loyalty and Dissent: Brown County and WWI” exhibit.
BCHS opened its exhibit to the public in May 2017 to mark the 100 anniversary of the United States entry into the Great War.
The exhibit tells the local story of Brown County residents who were mostly first or second generation Germans facing the prospect of being drafted into fighting a war against the Fatherland.
The exhibit looks at the story of those who served in the armed forces and those who served on the home front. Unique among WWI exhibits, BCHS looked into the controversy surrounding First Amendment issues in Brown County.
After a July 1917 rally at Turner Hall Park, where thousands gathered to hear speakers talk about the draft and whether they would have to fight against their relatives in Germany, national newspapers openly ran stories calling Brown County “Kaiserland.” Federal and state undercover agents roamed the county looking for disloyal comments. Rev. Adolf Ackermann, the director of Dr. Martin Luther College lost his job because of opposition to the war.
BCHS Executive Director Kathleen Backer said it is exciting an honor to receive the award. Since it opened a year ago, thousands have visited the museum and toured the exhibit.
The WWI exhibit will remain up through 2018. In 2019, the museum will begin phasing out the exhibit. The exhibit will be open for the centennial celebration of the WWI Armistice on Sunday, Nov. 11.
Backers said the BCHS is not typically open on Sundays, but in honor of the occasion they are making a special exception this year.
This is the second Award of Merit the BCHS has received from AASLH. The museum received the award for their third floor exhibit dedicated to the US-Dakota War of 1862.
“For us not to have two of these awards speaks volumes about our organization,” Backer said. “it is great to have that kind of recognition.
Backer gave the BCHS staff and board members credit for the exhibit’s succes. She said it took a considerable amount of financial investment to research and implement this project. Countless volunteer hours were needed to make the exhibit come alive.
This year, AASLH gave 44 national awards to people, projects, exhibits and publications. The winners of the award represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history.
The AASLH awards program began in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States.
The award will be presented at a special banquet during the annual meeting of AASLH on Friday, Sept. 28 in Kansas City.
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