Welcome to Denver, site of the 37th annual conference of the German Studies Association from October 3-6, 2013. As we all know, the greater Denver area and much of Colorado have recently suffered grievous losses as a result of devastating floods. The GSA extends its wishes for a speedy recovery to all who have been affected by this catastrophe.
The conference will take place at the Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 South Syracuse Street, Denver, Colorado 80237. The Tech Center is located in the southern part of Denver, close to Cherry Creek State Park and Interstate 25. It is also very close to the inexpensive Denver light rail (Belleview Station), which takes 20-25 minutes to reach downtown. For schedules and other information, please visit http://rtd-denver.com.
We look forward to returning to the Rocky Mountains for the first time in many years. Famed as the 'Mile-High City' (or 1,609 meters for our non-US members!), Denver is, of course, a prime tourist destination, given its location close to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. A vibrant city in its own right, with a lively city center, Denver is also the gateway to such attractions as Rocky Mountain National Park, Pikes Peak, Loveland Pass, the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail, Old West mining towns such as Georgetown, Silver Plume, or Central City, and many others. Despite the recent floods, many of these sites have reopened, or indeed were never closed. (At the time of writing, access to Estes Park is difficult and limited.) In Denver itself, Larimer Square, Writer Square, the famous Tattered Cover bookstore, the Denver Art Museum, Colorado History Museum, the Colorado State Capitol, and many other attractions are not to be missed.
The conference itself could well turn out to be the largest in our history. With the introduction of our twelve new seminars, it will certainly be the most innovative. Our luncheon and banquet speakers ' Professor David Blackbourn, Professor Ruth Kl'ger, and Mr. Ilija Trojanow ' will be exciting and compelling.
The twelve new seminars ' all shown in the conference program ' will meet on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings at 8:00 a.m. They represent an important organizational initiative for the GSA.
The conference will also include a number of receptions and related activities, as usual. We are sending an e-mail announcement of all these occasions to the members.
In addition to its usual Friday evening cash bar just before the annual banquet, the GSA will also be sponsoring a special public reception and cash bar from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, October 5. It will take place in the hotel's Private Dining Room. This reception will call attention to our twelve interdisciplinary networks. The co-leaders of the twelve networks will be introduced at this reception. You will get a chance to help plan interdisciplinary initiatives for the 2014 convention in Kansas City!
We're also pleased to welcome back the DEFA Film Library from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. They are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and the 10th anniversary of their wonderful Thursday-evening film series at the GSA. Please see the printed program for details.
So this will be an exciting conference, and we look forward very much indeed to welcoming all of you to Denver!
Best regards,
David E. Barclay
Executive Director
German Studies Association