Alexander Roth addresses the crowd from the podium during his talk “Fertile Ground: Wanda Gág and the Turner Roots of Freedom.” (Photo by Amy Zents)

NEW ULM — Alexander Roth, curator with the Wanda Gág House Association, told a capacity audience at Turner Hall Thursday that the progressive ideals of New Ulm’s Turner movement created the “fertile ground” that allowed local artist Wanda Gág to become one of the 20th century’s most innovative children’s book creators. 

Roth’s talk, “Fertile Ground: Wanda Gág and the Turner Roots of Freedom,” served as the centerpiece of the Brown County Historical Society’s (BCHS) Women’s History Month program.

“I told them that in order for you to know about Wanda Gág, you’re going to have to understand the fertile ground that she grew up with,” Roth said, moving beyond Gág’s reputation as the “cat woman” of “Millions of Cats” to explore her revolutionary style and political resilience.

The program, introduced by Dan Gislason as part of the Marjorie F. Gislason Speaker Series, highlighted how the Turners’ commitment to the dignity of humankind and equal education for women, gave Gág the “can-do spirit” to become her family’s primary breadwinner at age 15.

“Because she was a Turner and her father was a Turner, she also showed resilience and perseverance,” Roth noted, detailing how her later anti-fascist work and translations of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, described as a direct “opposition to Nazi propaganda,” eventually drew the attention of the FBI. 

The presentation resonated deeply with attendees like Cleo Bohne, who credited Gág’s work with helping her learn to read.

“If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I’d ever learn how to read,” Bohne said. “I blame it on Wanda Gág.”

Julie Farrell was struck by Gág’s circle of acquaintances.

“And to see the circles that she moved in. From small town New Ulm to New York and her affiliations with Georgia O’Keeffe and Diego Rivera. And it’s amazing how big this small town girl got,” Farrell said. 

She added that the Turners’ belief in “sound mind, sound body” laid the foundation for Gág’s growth and helped establish physical education in schools.

To continue exploring this local legacy, BCHS Executive Director Amy Johnson announced that a companion exhibit curated by Roth, featuring rare Gág family artworks and artifacts, will open to the public Saturday, April 11, with a members-only preview April 10.

Additionally, the Wanda Gág House will begin displaying original storyboards from “Gone is Gone” May 21. 

Beyond the Gág programming, the society is preparing for its annual book sale fundraiser April 23-25, with a donation window open at the museum parking lot April 1-15. 

The museum will also honor local Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Willibald Bianchi with a free documentary viewing of The Boys of Bataan on Tuesday, March 31, at 12 p.m., featuring a discussion led by curator Dan Hoisington. 

This leads to the May 2 opening of the exhibit “Willibald Bianchi: Beyond the Call of Duty,” coinciding with the day the local hero will be laid to rest in New Ulm. 

Tickets for the events can be secured through the museum or the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce.