Contemporary Politics and Society in the Czech and Slovak Republics
By Bruce Garver
Garver addresses developments in the Czech and Slovak republics since the breakup of Czechoslovakia Jan. 1, 1993. He begins by examining the "Velvet Revolution" of November 1989 and the dismantling of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia before examining continued efforts by Czechs and Slovaks to rebuild political democracy and a market economy and to rejoin the European community of nations. He discusses efforts by Czechs and Slovaks to maintain good relations with one another while implementing improvements in the political, economic and cultural life of their countries. The presentation concludes with an assessment of the current problems and prospects of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.  

Discovering the Celtic World in Nebraska
By Charles E. Real
With the defeat of the ancient tribes of Gaul by Julius Caesar, the Celtic people were forced to the edges of the known world in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Britain. Charles Real takes listeners on an 8,000-year journey that explores the origins and culture of the Celts and how the sons and daughters of the Celtic fringe influenced place names, early pioneers and settlers on Nebraska’s prairies and in its river valleys.

Elizabeth I: Power, Politics and Sexuality
By Carole Levin
In the second half of the 16th century, the English people had to deal with their feelings about a ruler who was not only a female, but also unmarried. Levin explores connections between the rumors about Elizabeth's sexuality and the ways she used power, particularly in her courtships and her relationships with her favorites. Levin gives an insightful look at the politics, pressures and personal life of Queen Elizabeth I.

History of Northern Ireland’s "Troubles"
By Ronald Miller
In this program the history of Northern Ireland from 1600 to the present unfolds with the help of contemporary political songs and images of Belfast and Londonderry (Derry). The Northern Ireland civil rights movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s and the conflict that followed are the primary focus of the program. Scenes of blocked roads, high walls, camera towers, memorial murals, graffiti, the Derry cemetery, and scenes in Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods show continuing, though diminished, conflict. The program concludes with an assessment of prospects for peace.

The Holocaust: A Personal Documentary
By Oliver Pollak
Pollak gives audiences a unique view of the Holocaust by telling the story of his grandfather, a survivor of the Theresin concentration camp. Artifacts shown include family papers, the star of David that his grandfather was forced to wear under Nazi occupation and items from the camp. Spiced with personal reminiscences of Pollak's grandfather, we follow his life through youth and early manhood, through implementation of the Nuremberg Laws and incarceration in Theresin, to liberation by the Allied forces in 1945 and immigration to the United States. The program touches on religion, Judaism, ethics, genocide, European history and psychology.

The Irish Odyssey
By James P. Cavanaugh
In this presentation based on research for a book he is writing, Cavanaugh examines the origins and travels of the Irish people from 12,000 B.C. to the present day. Using a multidisciplinary approach, he discusses the progress of the Irish according to linguistic, archaeological, anthropological and genealogical findings. 

Jews in Medieval and Renaissance England: Realities and Representations
By Carole Levin
Levin talks about the lives of Jews in Medieval and Renaissance England, with a focus on the case of Dr. Lopez, a converted Jew who was physician to Queen Elizabeth I. He was accused of attempting to poison her and was executed on rather dubious evidence. Levin also discusses the representation of Jews in Renaissance drama, focusing on Shakespeare's character Shylock. 

Joan of Arc: Saint, Witch, Madwoman, Hero?
By Carole Levin
Joan of Arc is one of the most famous people of the 15th century and one of the most famous women in history. A peasant girl who grew up in France during the 100 Years War with England, in 1429 she heard the voices of saints, who told her to ask the dauphin (the king's eldest son) for an army. In attempting to retake Paris, Joan was captured and tried by the English for witchcraft and sorcery. In 1431, she was burned at the stake, and in 1920 she was canonized. This talk discusses Joan's life and her image and reputation in the centuries after her death.

Leslie and Julia Stephen: A Victorian Man and Woman
By Evelyn Haller
In this presentation, Leslie and Julia Stephen, parents of Virginia Woolf, represent Victorian man and woman. A man of enormous energy and achievement, Leslie was an outstanding Alpine climber who wrote a book on the subject. Later, he was editor of The Cornhill Magazine, founder and editor of The Dictionary of National Biography and editor of The Men of Letters series of literary biographies. Julia wrote and published a book as "Mrs. Leslie Stephen" entitled "The Care of the Sick in the Home," a subject about which she had extensive knowledge. Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron was Julia's aunt, and this program is illustrated with her images. 

The "Little Dutchman's" Civil War: Translating Private August Scherneckau's Diary of the First Nebraska Volunteers, 1862-1865
By Edith Robbins
Civil War documents in the German language have not often been translated, yet they deserve much more attention since the participation of German immigrants in that war was extensive. August Scherneckau, the only volunteer from Hall County, left a comprehensive diary that gives an in-depth perspective on the experience of a Union soldier. Robbins describes the difficulties in translating such a document and reads excerpts from the diary.

Modern Czech Art and Architecture
By Bruce Garver
Modern Czech art and architecture reflect the Czech people's desire to resurrect and cultivate every modern movement in the arts, technology and politics, as well as the best of their national traditions. Garver's illustrated program describes and evaluates the principal movements in modern Czech art and architecture and discusses the outstanding representatives in each of movement, beginning with impressionism in art and neo-classicism in architecture, beginning in the 1890s. 

Music of the Germanic Lands
By David Marsh
From sailing songs of the North Sea to yodel music of the Alps, and from the Rhine to Vienna, David presents music from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Drawing on his experience of three years living in Switzerland and a bachelor's degree in German, David sings folk songs and demonstrates the history of traditional German music on various instruments, including the accordion, autoharp (chorded zither), hammered dulcimer and others. Audiences hear stories and songs, in both German and English, describing the history and culture of Germanic lands.

Music of Ireland
By David Marsh
From Sligo to the Ring of Kerry and from Galway Bay to Dublin, Marsh presents various musical styles from the Emerald Isle. He uses many instruments, including the accordion, penny whistle, Northumbrian pipes and bodhran (Irish drum), to perform jigs, reels, rebel songs, and sing-a-longs. His stories tell of Irish legends, elves and fairies, historical events of famine and wars and the joys and sorrows of immigrating to a new land. David has performed Irish folk music for over 20 years with local Irish bands Paddywhack and Ellis Island, the later which can be heard regularly in Omaha and the Kansas City area.

WWII—Through the Eyes of a Holocaust Survivor, Part I

WWII—Through the Eyes of a Holocaust Survivor, Part II

By Louis I. Leviticus

Two programs cover Leviticus’ experiences during five years of war in the Netherlands where he was born.  His immediate family died, but he managed to escape and will tell about the dangers of being a little Jewish boy during the Nazi years. Leviticus describes the pains and difficulties of living through the period, as well as some of the more mundane things that happened.  Leviticus hopes, through his stories, to leave a legacy of understanding about hatred, discrimination, and bullying.