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Dr. Adam Giesinger Collection

 Collection
Identifier: GRHC 021

Scope and Contents

The Dr. Adam Giesinger Collection comprises of correspondence, photographs, documents, publications, and writings that span the many years of Giesinger's life. Giesinger was the author of many books and papers. He also collected a large volume of books relating to the Germans from Russia, many of which are housed in the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection library. Giesinger was a talented writer, a helpful teacher, and a knowledgeable researcher. He was always an advocate in preserving, researching, and sharing the culture and history of the Germans from Russia.

The collection’s organization was centered and developed upon the order that was already established when the collection was donated to the GRHC. The Dr. Adam Giesinger Collection is comprised of ten series: Correspondence, Speeches, Research, Publications, Records, Mennonites, Subject, Photograph, Audio Tapes, and Microfilm.

The Correspondence Series spans from 1960 to 2000 and includes both outgoing and incoming letters and emails. Most of the correspondence is in English but some is also in German. The majority of the correspondence has been organized by subject but some is also by the individual, and it has been placed in alphabetical order. Giesinger corresponded often on subjects ranging from personal and family matters to research.

The Speeches Series consists of lectures and addresses given by Adam Giesinger. He delivered a number of Germans from Russia speeches and was quite often a keynote speaker at events, like AASGR and GRHS conventions.

The Research Series is the largest in the collection. The series includes typed and copied versions of articles and papers, and excerpts of books. Some were sent to Giesinger from friends and colleagues and others he acquired other the years. Some of the series has been organized by the title of the work and others by the author or subject. The files by author or subject have been organized as such mainly because there are multiple records within the folder.

The Publications Series is comprised of published booklets, periodicals, newspapers, and documents. The series contains publications in English, German, and Russian. The series has been arranged alphabetically.

The Records Series includes documents and copies of statistical information on towns, people and families, and census records. The records are not necessarily about Giesinger and his family. Some of the documents are on the Giesinger family, but there is also information on subjects Giesinger researched for himself and for others. The series has been arranged alphabetically by subject.

The Mennonite Series contains information, documents, and publications relating to the Mennonites. There were numerous records on the Mennonites, enough to warrant their own series.

The Subject Series consists mainly of miscellaneous items that did not directly relate to any other series. The contents of the series were organized by subject and have been placed in alphabetical order.

The Photograph Series includes images of families, conventions, buildings, and people. Most of the photographs have been identified, but there are a few that are unknown. The photograph series has been organized into alphabetical order.

The Audio Tapes Series contains thirty-one cassette tapes, some of which are part of a set. The tapes have a variety of topics ranging from music to lectures. Most of the tapes are cased, and their names are derived from what was written on them. There was a note included with the audio tapes from Giesinger that said, “These are audio tapes that people have sent me over the years. I don’t remember the contents.”

The Microfilm Series has nineteen rolls of microfilm, two of which are part of a set. Only a select few of the microfilm are in proper and usable rolls. On the microfilm are various copies of articles, excerpts of books, and complete copies of books. The organization of the series is based on the way in which it was donated. Most of the microfilm rolls have more than one item on them but they are mostly from the same publications; so the titles of the microfilm have been provided to reflect the title of the publication which the article or excerpt appears in on the particular roll. In some cases the title of the work and author are also provided.

Dates

  • 1871 - 1977

Creator

Access

Access to the physical collection is available upon request. Request must be made at least three (3) business days prior to ndsu.grhc@ndsu.edu.

Copyright

Copyrights to items in this collection remain with original copyright holders or are in the public domain.

Biography

Adam Giesinger was born on February 6, 1909, on a homestead near Holdfast, Saskatchewan, to parents Paul and Anastasia (Selinger) Giesinger. Paul and Anastasia had seven children: John, Adam, Anna, Gabriel, Frank, Peter, and Paul. Adam attended Campion College in Regina from 1922 to 1929. During those years, Giesinger completed four years of high school and three years of college. In 1929, he graduated with a B.A. degree.

Giesinger taught German, chemistry, and mathematics at Campion College until 1933 when he returned to school at the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in order to be qualified for teaching in public schools. He also attended Queens University to further his studies in mathematics.

On December 26, 1935, Adam Giesinger married Margaret (Madge) Ingram, and the couple had six children: Paul (1936-1949), Ronald, Jean, Gerald (1943-2008), Carole, and Jim. Adam’s beloved wife, Margaret, died in 1988.

From 1936 to 1942, Giesinger taught high school in Bruno, Saskatchewan. He also served as the school’s principal. He received a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1937. He later continued his chemistry studies and received a Master of Science degree in 1951 and a Ph.D. in 1957 from the University of Manitoba.

For a number of years, 1942 to 1976, Giesinger was on the faculty at St. Paul’s College, University of Manitoba. He was a former president of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, and he was invested in the Knighthood of St. Sylvester by Pope Paul VI in 1966.

Giesinger was a noted author and even published his own autobiography. He also wrote a number of articles and papers on the subject of Germans from Russia. He is well-known for his comprehensive book From Catherine to Khrushchev: The Story of Russia’s Germans.

Dr. Adam Giesinger died on June 5, 2004 at the Misericordia Health Centre in Winnipeg at the age of ninety-five.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (5 boxes of assorted sizes)

Language of Materials

English

German

Russian

Summary

A collection of books, correspondence, speeches, research, publications, photographs, and electronic media relating to various topics on Dr. Adam Giesinger and the Germans from Russia.

Arrangement

Organized by the format of the material into ten series: Correspondence, Speeches, Research, Publications, Records, Mennonite, Subject, Photograph, Audio Tapes, and Microfilm.

Provenance

The Dr. Adam Giesinger Collection was donated by the children of Dr. Adam Giesinger to the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, NDSU Libraries. On 25 October 2010, Ronald Giesinger, delivered from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Fargo his father's book collection and other archival materials.

Property Rights

The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection owns the property rights to this collection.
Title
Finding Aid to the Dr. Adam Giesinger Collection
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection Repository

Contact:
NDSU Dept 2080
PO Box 6050
Fargo ND 58108-6050 United States
(701) 231-6596