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Friends of Lutheran Archives

The Friends of Lutheran Archives (FoLA) group encourages the collection and preservation of archival material and promotes the work of the Lutheran Archives.

Email FoLA for information, subscription rates, publications, events and outings.

Events

25 FEBRUARY - Lost horses, green parrots and elusive snakes: reports from the first Hermannsburg missionaries

Talk: Lost horses, green parrots and elusive snakes – Revisiting the reports sent back home by the first Hermannsburg missionaries

Speaker: Pastor Bob Kempe

Monday 25 February at 7.30pm

Bethlehem House, Sudholz Pl, Adelaide

It is tempting to think of those first missionaries to Hermannsburg as essentially serious-minded, stalwart German Lutherans, with minds firmly set on converting masses of the Aboriginal people of Central Australia to Christianity. Of course, they were this. But they were also pioneers who pushed the boundaries of early Australia in the most courageous and extraordinary ways. Above all, though, they were at heart ordinary people having to contend with the ordinary, everyday things of their lives: things like horses, green parrots, snakes, and so on.

With the help of Vic Pfitzner, Bob Kempe is in the process of producing for publication the first complete translation of the reports sent back home by Missionaries Kempe, Schwarz and Schulze. In this session of FoLA he will share some of the everyday stories from those reports, covering the period from the beginning of the Hermannsburg journey to early settlement (1875-82).

Bob Kempe is a retired pastor and great grandson of Missionary Kempe. He was a lecturer at Australian Lutheran College for 10 years and served as Aboriginal Ministry Liaison.

18 MARCH - Discovering the stories of our post-World War II migrants

Talk: Discovering the stories of our post-World War II migrants

Speaker: Adam Kauschke

Monday 18 March at 7.30pm

Bethlehem House, Sudholz Pl, Adelaide

In 2017 FoLA decided to fund a project which enabled Adam Kauschke (Archivist, Lutheran Archives) to improve the accessibility of records relating to post-World War II migrants held at Lutheran Archives.

This unique collection of records includes letters from displaced persons, pastoral act registers, minutes of decisions made by church leaders, notebooks, photographs and more.

During this talk Adam will reflect on his work on the project, share the stories of support by Australian Lutherans, and touch on the experiences of migrants seeking assistance.