The Legacy of Friedrich Gerstäcker: Arkansas and the Wild West
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, October 11th-13th, 2012

Friedrich Gerstäcker was an early and important explorer of Frontier America in the mid 19th century, and his chronicles of life in the Wild West amid horse thieves, vigilantes, and Native Americans were widely read in his native Germany.  The novel Die Regulatoren in Arkansas (also published as Die Regulatoren von Arkansas) was one of his first published works and launched his writing career, which would eventually encompass 70 books and over 400 travel sketches.  Gerstäcker was made an Honorary Citizen of the State of Arkansas in 1957, yet most current citizens of Arkansas have never heard his name.  This symposium seeks to (re)introduce Gerstäcker and his works to a wide audience both within the state and national scholarly circles; the event will include a keynote address, scholarly papers, a concert featuring music played in Arkansas during Gerstäcker’s travels, and a hike to visit some of the sites that Gerstäcker describes in his works.

Academic papers of approximately twenty minutes in length on any aspect of Gerstäcker’s work are sought for this symposium.  Send proposals of 1-2 pages and a CV (preferably via e-mail) by January 15th to:

Dr. Kathleen Condray 
German Section Head, Department of World Languages
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
425 Kimpel Hall
Fayetteville, AR  72701
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