Wirth Institute Co-Sponsors Documentary at the 2014 Berkshire Conference on the History of Women

The Wirth Institute co-sponsored a presentation and roundtable of Renata Keller's documentary, "Living History," at the Berkshire Conference on the History of Women in May 2014 in Toronto. The documentary focuses on the life and work of noted author and historian Gerda Lerner. Austrian-born Lerner was one of the founding pioneers of women's history.

"I have tried to bridge the gap between theory and practice, between action and thought. I have tried to find the right balance between the life of the mind and what people call 'real' life, the life in social context."

This quote from renowned historian Gerda Lerner (d. 2013) captures the spirit of the Berks. Come see artist and graphic designer Renata Keller's documentary, "Living History," about Lerner's life and work on Thursday evening, from 6 - 7:30 PM, in the McLeod Auditorium (and check out this interview with the director now:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJ6N_6wxoU).

One of the founders of the field of women's history, for instance in her monumental diptych The Creation of Patriarchy/The Creation of Feminist Consciousness (1986/1994), Lerner was born in Vienna in 1920 amidst the rubble of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and participated in anti-Nazi resistance in the wake of the 1938 German Anschluss of Austria before emigrating to the USA.

Director Keller, and the film's producer Kathy Bayer, will participate in a round-table discussion immediately following the film (7:30 - 9:00 PM also in the McLeod Auditorium), along with leading scholars in the field today (including Kathryn Kish Sklar of Binghamton University and Darlene Clark Hine of Northwestern University).

For more on the film, click here:http://www.livinghistorymovie.com/

For more on the conference and roundtable, click here: http://berks2014.com/2014/04/01/join-us-on-thursday-night/