Professor Jürgen Overhoff's visit at University of Pennsylvania deepens ties between the two institutions, 5.-12. October 2015

Following the successful completion of the jointly organized lecture series on German American Education History conducted at the University of Münster in the summer semester of 2015, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Overhoff (department head) met his American colleagues Prof. Dr. Frank Trommler, Prof. Dr. Simon Richter and Prof. Dr. Bethany Wiggin in Philadelphia between October, 5-12 to discuss future joint projects. It was agreed, to submit a joint section on “Catholic Enlightenment in the Education System in Europe and North America”.

Overhoff’s visit to Philadelphia was carried out simultaneously to the visit of Federal President Gauck who held a lecture at the University of Pennsylvania on October 6th, 2015. During her welcome speech for the German President, the President of the University, Prof. Dr. Amy Gutmann, explicitly mentioned the research of Jürgen Overhoff and his colleagues. Their work had, so Gutman, made a significant contribution to the mutual understanding of German-American educational history:

http://www.upenn.edu/spotlights/freedom-bond-german-president-joachim-gauck

During his stay in the US, Prof. Overhoff also visited the earlies sites of German American education history in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Led by the curator of the Speaker’s House in Trappe, Lisa Minardi, he visited the first German Lutheran Church of Pennsylvania, founded by Henry Muhlenberg in 1743 and Heinrich Antes’ Schoolhouse built in 1736.