Events in February 2016

The cold February weather has proven to be very beneficial for learning about history, with numerous events organised by both of our branches to offer people some shelter from the frost, wind, and rain! 

In Berlin, history network members were present at talks on a variety of subjects, including the modern history of Ethiopia and a lecture about postwar Polish art. Turnout was generally considerable and the feedback positive. The Berlin branch now has 554 members. 

The Birmingham branch was also very active: members were present at 5 different lectures and some also have continued to participate in our open forum for gathering historical expertise in the hopes of having a lecture programme of our own. There are now 830 members of the Birmingham branch. 

As winter turns to spring, it looks like our activity will be continuing apace, with guided tours and more lecturers being made available for historians in both Berlin and Birmingham. As ever, we are grateful to our organisers, members, and hosts for helping us to bring history alive. 

Events in January 2016

Both branches have begun 2016 strongly, having hosted one meeting each. 

In Birmingham, the branch organiser Lars Kabel began a new initiative to engage with members of the group and encourage them to become more actively involved. As a result, several members have expressed an interested in presenting talks on a variety of topics, including the history of Birmingham, Spanish religious history, and a discussion on ethnic and religious aspects of Northern Ireland's past. This event took place on 16th January 2016 in Birmingham and was attended by 10 members. 

In Berlin, members were offered the opportunity to attend at talk organised by ZeitZeugenBörse (the Centre for Witnesses to Contemporary History) at the Circus Hotel. Held on 26th January, this month's talk was on "The Legacy of a Divided Country - Memories of East & West Germany" and was attended by 32 members of the Berlin History Network. 

Unfortunately, a talk at the University of Birmingham on the First World War was cancelled at the last moment by the seminar organisers. Many apologies to all those who attempted to attend.

Please watch our calendar closely for events in the coming months!

For members interested in giving a talk/being involved in a team presentation (Birmingham branch)

Are you interested in giving a talk, taking part in a team-presentation or undertaking some research? We are encouraging you to share your current or future insight into a historic topic of your choice with an audience of members of the Birmingham History Network.

We would like to create a supportive forum where people can develop and enjoy an interest in history and possibly develop some new skills on the way.

If you are already experienced, we also would like to get you on board.

At this informal meeting we will share and discuss our ideas. Don’t worry if you can’t make it this time. Just send me a message and if there should be enough interest, I can set up another meeting.

Organiser: Lars Kabel. 

Time and date: 1300, 16th January 2016.

Place: Starbucks, The ICC, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA.

Happy 2016! Report and organisational changes

Report

I am happy to report that 2015 was a red-letter year for The History Network! The Birmingham History Network is just about to hit its first anniversary: during the year, we have gained 712 members and hosted 24 visits, talks, and tours. The Berlin History Network, now a year-and-half old, has grown from 152 members in February 2015 to 478 members as of writing. Five events have been hosted in Berlin. Feedback from our members and the places we have visited has been highly encouraging, to say the least.

It is truly inspiring to see such these successes. I would like to thank our organisers, our members, and the institutions and tour guides who have played host to us over the last year for these achievements. I hope we can continue our good work in 2016 and wish everyone in The History Network a happy New Year!

Changes

It is with sadness that we have to announce the resignation of Lesley Peat from her role of main organiser of The Birmingham History Network. I would like to thank Lesley for her contribution over the last half a year and wish her success in whatever the future holds. Lesley did sterling work organising trips such as the extremely popular participation in a talk on the Art and Science of the Lunar Society at the Barber Institute for Fine Arts.

This means that Lars Kabel has now taken over as the principal organiser of The Birmingham History Network. I would like to thank Lars for taking on this new role and wish him the best of luck. I am extremely confident that his vision for the group will take it to new and exciting places.

Dr J. M. White

Events held in the last few months of 2015

Birmingham

Three events were held in Birmingham between November 2015 and January 2016 that were not announced on this site. For the sake of good record-keeping, I now provide a brief summary of these trips. The feedback from all of these visits was overwhelmingly positive.

14th November: Visit to the Staffordshire Hoard exhibition at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Organiser: Lesley Peat. Number of people attended: 15. 

20th November:  The Crisis of Holy Russia in the 19th Century. A lecture held in conjunction with the British-Russian Society at the Birmingham and Midlands Institute. Number of people attended: 10. 

1st December: Visit to the Pen Museum in the Jewellery Quarter. Organised by Lesley Peat. Number of people attended: 11. 

Berlin

The Berlin group has also been active in the last few months of 2015, holding two events that I regrettably failed to note on this site. Again, the response from our members was very encouraging.

11th October: Topography of Terror guided tour. Organiser: Patrick Baier. Number of people attended: 15.

14th November: Allied Museum guided tour. Organiser: Patrick Baier. Number of people attended: 24.

Thank you to our dedicated organisers for making the last quarter of this year an active and successful period for the History Network!