Decorah Public Library Announces "Quakers vs Nazis: What Can Happen When Worldviews Collide?" Program

Be the reason your community stays informed—give to local journalism now! DECORAH — Decorah Public Library will host a free presentation on the collision of Quaker pacifists and Nazis during World War II by Dr. Michael Luick-Thrams at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, in the library's mezzanine. The program explores the question: How do ordinary citizens respond to evil? The historically peaceable but activist British and North American Quakers of the 1930s and '40s found themselves in a world torn between dictatorship and democracy, war and peace. The lecture will highlight how they responded both philosophically—relying on pacifism and mindfulness in the face of threats—and practically. Topics will include the Kindertransport, which saved 10,000 non-Aryan children from the Holocaust in Europe, and the Scattergood Hostel in Iowa, a safe haven for 185 European refugees and the nation's largest grassroots response to the Holocaust as it unfolded. Luick-Thrams, a descendant of Winneshiek County pioneers, grew up on an Iowa farm before earning a doctorate in Third Reich history at Humboldt University in Berlin. He has lived in Germany for 33 years, where he teaches and directs the Haus der Spuren museum and cultural center. More information is available at traces.org. For details, contact Zach Row-Heyveld at Decorah Public Library at zrow-heyveld@decorahlibrary.org or 563-382-3717. Don't miss out on important updates! Subscribe to the newsletter for free and stay informed about local topics that matter most to you.