Medieval to Modern Hearts of Germany
September 8-21, 2022
Trip destinations: Frankfurt, Eisenach, Eisleben, Quedlinburg, Wernigerode, Goslar, Halberstadt, Wittenberg, Dresden, Berlin
Join fellow travelers as we explore the rich, diverse historical and cultural heritage of Germany on an exclusively designed two-week tour sponsored by the University of Northern Iowa Alumni Association. Featuring outstanding expressions of Germany’s historic architectural and artistic wealth, religious and linguistic legacy, and the thousand-year political dimensions of its royal, imperial and recent past, Hearts of Germany guides travelers to extraordinary places where the history of Western Civilization was and continues to be made. We invite you to delight in the captivating sights, tastes, and story of an inspiring and memorable journey.
Supplementing this specially tailored travel adventure is an educational component consisting of pre-departure orientation opportunities for prospective participants, as well as a series of informal historical and cultural insights offered during the tour and designed to augment and enrich the travel experience.
Host Notes:
Serving as hosts on the Hearts of Germany Tour are UNI Alumni Russell Baldner (B.A., M.A. History/German) and Cathryn Elmer Baldner (M.A. Communications), career educators in their respective fields, who have traveled extensively in Europe, including eight sojourns in Germany. Since 2018, their travels have included days pleasantly and productively spent in all of the major locations on the Hearts of Germany tour. Russ speaks German, has long favored and specialized in the history of Germany, as well as historic manuscripts drafted in archaic German cursive script, publishes historical and archaeological research, and is a frequent public speaker, often sharing subjects from German history and archaeology. Cathryn’s work in communications includes an oral interpretive biography of Katharina von Bora, wife of sixteenth-century Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, first presented on the 500th Anniversary of her birth. Cathy and Russ are excited to meet fellow travelers and accompany them to some of their very favorite places.
Leslie Prideaux serves as the President of the University of Northern Iowa Alumni Association. Leslie earned her Bachelor's Degree in History, English, Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa. Her history degree required an in depth colloquium utilizing primary sources of the student's choosing. Leslie's final research focused on Nazi Germany Eugenics and the lasting impact on the resulting children as they entered adulthood. Leslie continued her education at the University of Iowa earning a Master's Degree in Higher Education Administration and is nearing completion of her PhD in Higher Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is looking forward to connecting with alumni and friends while learning, exploring, and enjoying all that that this tour offers.
Take a look at the travel brochure for more information. For questions about travel logistics, please contact Witte Travel & Tours at 616-957-8113 or groups@wittetravel.com. For questions regarding any details about the tour, please email or call Russell Baldner at 563-419-8685. To request a brochure, please contact the alumni office at 319-273-2355 or alumni@uni.edu. Find more information on all the Panther Tours for 2022.
View the recording of an information session about the trip from December 2021.
Quedlinburg. Photo by Russell Baldner, '69, '83, host