I want to acknowledge that the Gerlind Institute is located on unceded Ohlone land, aka Oakland, land taken from the Ohlone people by theft and genocide. I’d like to honor the Ohlone people and their claims for cultural and historical recognition. This relates to the Gerlind Institute’s vision to promote progressive German cultural studies.

Germany has a history of land and possessions taken by theft and genocide. As the director and founder, I was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States of America. I will never forget the European Holocaust and the Herero genocide. However, I am not responsible for it. I am, however, responsible, especially because of Germany’s past, not to remain silent about oppression and genocide. As an educator, I stand in solidarity with the oppressed and work toward justice and peace.

At the Gerlind Institute, we teach German cultural studies through language, history, film, art, humor, discussion and dialogue, and guided tours to Germany. We provide a safe and open space to promote cross-cultural dialogues in our programs, which are vital in these challenging times. That’s why I founded the Gerlind Institute in 2006.

I am grateful to everyone for participating in and supporting our Gerlind Institute as a Board member, student, community member, or friend!

(Photo © Keri Kehoe)

Dr. Gerlind’s CV

I am the owner of DRAGA design, a computer consulting and design company, in Oakland, CA. I have been involved in the computer industry for over 40 years, and a German student for nearly as long! My B.A. in Theatre (minor in English Literature), from Fordham University, prepared me for a lifelong love and study of the Arts, language, and literature.

In my role as technical director, my responsibilities include design and maintenance of the GICS web presence, promotional materials, and marketing, as well as documenting events through photography, video recordings, and video editing.

I have been involved with the Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies since its inception.

(Photo © Dr. Marion Gerlind)

I was born & raised in Northern California, and have been living in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1995. With my wife Kathyi and our two sons, we share a love of different cultures and traveling.

I have always had a fascination of the German culture & languages. In mid-2014, while attending university classes in the evening, I became a student at the Gerlind Institute seeking to learn understand this beautiful language.

Along with traveling and learning German. I love sailing on the San Francisco Bay.

(Photo courtesy Dean Churchwell)

As a lifelong Germanophile who has taught German and comparative literature for four decades, I was extremely pleased to discover the Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies. During the past year, I have found the programs mounted by the Institute, such as the bimonthly films and the Oral History Series presentations to be highly stimulating and rewarding. It has been most gratifying to view and discuss these events with a like-minded group of people from Northern California. I welcome the opportunity to formalize my association with the Gerlind Institute through membership on the Board, where I can be not only a recipient of but a contributor to its rich offerings.

(Photo courtesy Dr. Gail Finney)

I am the daughter of two European Jews who fled to the United States during the Second World War. My mother was from Berlin. My father from Metz. They landed in the US and made new lives outside of New York City, where I was born and raised. I attended the University of Wisconsin for my BA in History, then moved to Paris and lived with my cousin and her family. I returned and attended Columbia Teachers College for an MA in Human Development.

I started an inter-district public magnet high school with a group of teachers in New Haven, CT, and worked in this school, the High School in the Community, for 32 years. I started as a clerk, then taught history, social studies, psychology, and law, and finally, I was the principal for six years. I moved to Oakland, California, 13 years ago and spent a year as the principal of a public charter high school in Oakland, the Envision Academy. I loved teaching urban students and creating a challenging, relevant curriculum.

I believe it is crucial to be an active participant fighting for what is important to me. Public education has been a focal point for me. My personal history was impacted by anti-semitism, and I have been very committed to addressing all forms of prejudice. This was a priority in the curriculum I wrote for my history classes. As a member of SNCC in 1965, I worked in Tennessee and Mississippi. These experiences pushed me to become a public school educator.

I am attracted to the work of the Gerlind Institute, both for its work in social justice and anti-discrimination. I also find great pleasure in reacquainting myself with the German language, which as a child, I spoke with my family.

(Photo courtesy Karen Wolff)

Born in Trier and raised in Lower Saxony, I went on to study Social Work and found both joy and challenges in the mental health field. Even though I am still fascinated by the human psyche, I have been working with dogs for the past 16 years.

I have translated the book Art as Resistance by Bernd Langer (published by LBC books in Berkeley, 2014), the descriptions of the science experiments of the Exploratorium in San Francisco for the German version of the museum in Wolfsburg and various correspondence by and about Holocaust survivors and their families.

I've been living in California for around 25 years and am grateful for the opportunity to keep up with my German language skills at the Gerlind Institute Klönschnack. The Gerlind Institute is such a unique organization in that it not only furthers students' skills in the German language, but connects people from all walks of life in the spirit of open-mindedness, curiosity, mutual respect, and learning for life!

(Photo courtesy Birgit Haffermarnn)

We honor Travis Dustin Fretter, 1940-2021, for his dedicated and enthusiastic service.

Travis Dustin Fretter passed away July 9 after a recent cancer diagnosis, with his family by his side. He was 81. Travis was a huge part of our Gerlind Institute community, and an active participant of the Klönschnack, hosting many of our summer parties with his partner, Betsy. He was a speaker in our Oral History Series in 2015 and attended many events.

Travis was also a long-time, valued, member of the GICS Board. In 2021 he had to step down due to health concerns. We want to honor his dedication and support of the Gerlind Institute.

(Photo © J B)