Keynote

German Theatre in Sioux Falls around 1900

István Gombocz, The University of South Dakota

The city of Sioux Falls, SD is not only known for its rich multiethnic heritage, but also for its traditions of theatre shows. Referred to repeatedly as a “good show town,” by 1890, it hosted as many as 500 performances offered by theatre companies from all over the United States. In the wake of the Dakota Boom of the late nineteenth century, which resulted in the influx of thousands of emigrants from Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe, the city’s repertoire was significantly diversified by pieces written in continental Europe. This keynote lecture focuses on theater performances organized by the local German community and its association Germania Verein. An emphasis will be placed on the festivities of 1905, when the 100th anniversary of the death of the classic German playwright Friedrich Schiller was commemorated. The presentation should advance our understanding of the multilingual heritage of the Upper Midwest.

Dr. Istvan Gombocz is a USD Emeritus Professor. He taught German and European Literature in the Department of Modern Languages and Lingusitics as well as courses in the Honors Program for 29 years. Born and raised in Budapest, Hungary, he obtained his Bachelor’s and Doctorate degrees in German from Eötvös Loránd University and a PhD in German from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He has published numerous articles and book chapters on German Literature, and he has received several teaching awards, such as the Monsignor James Doyle Humanities Teaching Award, the Richard and Sharon Cutler Award in Teaching and Research, and the Greek Professor of the Year Award. He also delivered the Harrington Lecture in 2017.