MIS Grade 11 International Baccalaureate History course students are working in collaboration with students from an Undergraduate History Class at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C. Together, they are researching two lines of historical inquiry that relate to the US – German cooperation in post-WW2 Munich and Garmisch. The goal of their research and culminating exhibition/concert event is to "highlight postwar features and benefits of the German-American friendship." The focus of the research is the significance of a meeting that took place in 1945 in Garmisch between the German composer and conductor Richard Strauss and an American soldier who was also a professional musician, John De Lancie. "In a nutshell, the meeting rekindled Strauss' belief that Western high culture (hence his life's purpose) would survive the war in spite of the devastation that it had caused, such as the bombing of the Munich Nationaltheatre" explains Hope Harrison, GWU Professor of History and International Affairs and Dr. Erwan Lagadec, Associate Research Professor at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) of GWU's EU and NATO Studies department. The project will culminate in an oboe concert that De Lancie inspired Strauss to write, with the German ambassador in attendance at GWU's music hall.
GWU students work across multiple departments (history, German language, international affairs and music) to research the background and meaning of the Strauss-De Lancie meeting, leading to the production of posters that will be exhibited in their music hall's foyer during a concert performance. During the exhibit, GWU project leaders will show pre-recorded video messages from MIS students (see video above). MIS was chosen as an ideal partner for this collaborative research assignment due to our proximity and knowledge of the region and many students' personal connection to these historic events. It will be a collaborative celebration of the 80th anniversary of the meeting, where the university students will be sharing perception of events from an American perspective, and MIS students will share from a perspective of Germany.
Dedicated MIS Grade 11 students volunteered to take part in the GWU research project. The project offers students a unique opportunity to fulfil their Creativity Action in Service (CAS) requirements and to explore their local area’s rich history. Student volunteer-historians found it to be both a challenging and rewarding experience. Split into two dynamic teams, one group focused on the timeline of the Strauss-De Lancie meeting, while the other focused on researching and documenting the history of the Munich Nationaltheater and its resurrection after the 1943 bombing.
Participating in the GWU project was not without its hurdles. Time constraints and the need to work outside of regular school hours posed significant challenges. Despite this, the students displayed remarkable perseverance. By organizing lunchtime meetings and supporting one another, they successfully navigated these obstacles and acquired valuable skills for the future. A project of this scale would not have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of MIS teachers David Riehl and Casey Knight. Video production credit goes to Coding and Computer Science Teacher, Derek Swanson. Please enjoy the video presentation where MIS teachers and student-historians present their finding and interpretation of the research aims to GWU undergrads. We are sure you will appreciate their perspective and also learn something you probably didn't know!