LibGuides: Wartburg College Archives: Gerhard Ottersberg

Wartburg College Archives

Finding Aid

Faculty - Gerhard Ottersberg Collection (History)

Preface

The Wartburg College Archives is responsible for the collection and preservation of records that document the college’s history, development, operation, policies, people, activities, and events.

The Archives is committed to providing access to holdings. However, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with the donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-print materials. In such circumstances arrangements may have to be made for digital duplication or transfer to occur before access can be provided.

Introduction

Abstract: Items include correspondence, speeches, essays, and other writings by Gerhard Ottersberg. Dates range from 1852-1985. Two books are also included, “Iowa Synod” and the “1924 Nebraska Cornhusker”.

Scope and Content Note

Extent: 2 books and 6 boxes.

Physical Description: All materials are paper.

Dates: 1852-1985.

Subjects: Faculty, Gerhard Ottersberg

Related Material:

Ronald Matthias Collection

Administrative Information

Restrictions: None.

Preferred Citation: [item title/description], [date]; [Gerhard Ottersberg]; Wartburg College Archives, Waverly, Iowa.

Acquisition Information: Transfer.

Processing Information: Processing completed by SE on 5/17/18. Additional material processed by AK on 10/10/2019.

Biographical Sketch

History: Gerhard Ottersberg was a notable historian and professor at Wartburg College. He was born in 1898 and died in 1993. In 1949, Ottersberg earned a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. He specialized in the history of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa, and received an honorary D.D from Wartburg Theological Seminary in 1961. He published Wartburg College, 1852-1952, a Centennial History, and Wartburg College 1952-1977. He worked as a professor at Wartburg College from 1925 until his retirement in 1972. There are two scholarships awarded in his honor, the Ottersberg Scholar in History and the Gerhard Ottersberg History Scholarship. The Ottersberg Scholar in History scholarship is named after Dr. Gerhard Ottersberg and is given to a first-year student with a major in history. The Gerhard Ottersberg History Scholarship was established in honor of Ottersberg and is awarded to a junior or senior majoring in history.

Timeline: 1898 – 1993.

Bibliography:

American Historical Association. (1993). In Memoriam, November 1993. Retrieved from, https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/november-1993/in-memoriam-november-1993.

Wartburg College. (2018). History. Retrieved from, https://www.wartburg.edu/history/.

Series Description

Books
Gerhard Ottersberg

Books:

Items include Iowa Synod written by Ottersberg and the 1924 Nebraska Cornhusker, which is Otterberg’s yearbook.
2 books.
Unarranged.

Container Listing

Box	Folder	Series	Content	Date
		Books	Iowa Synod- Ottersberg
		Books	1924 Nebraska Cornhusker	1924

Gerhard Ottersberg:

Records related to Ottersberg’s personal and professional life, including biographical information, dissertation abstract, speaking engagements, correspondence, and writings.
6 boxes.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and there under chronologically by date. Box 5 and 6 were added at a later data and therefore the subject alphabetization starts over with them.

Container Listing

Box	Folder	Series	Content	Date
1	1	Ottersberg	Army Group Examination
1	2	Ottersberg	Biographical Data
1	3	Ottersberg	Class Schedules
1	4	Ottersberg	Commencement Program
1	5	Ottersberg	Dissertation Abstract
1	6	Ottersberg	Programs from Speaking Engagements
1	7	Ottersberg	Report Cards
1	8	Ottersberg	Dr. Ottersberg's Speech on Clinton	1966
1	9	Ottersberg	Teacher Evaluation Forms
2	1	Ottersberg	Correspondence	1921-1929
2	2	Ottersberg	Correspondence	1930-1939
2	3	Ottersberg	Correspondence	1940-1949
2	4	Ottersberg	Correspondence	1950-1959
2	5	Ottersberg	Correspondence	1960-1969
2	6	Ottersberg	Correspondence
3	1	Ottersberg	Wartburg College	1852-1952
3	2	Ottersberg	Wartburg College 1852-1952 Manuscript	1852-1952
3	3	Ottersberg	Wartburg College 1852-1952 Manuscript	1852-1952
3	4	Ottersberg	Wartburg College 1952-1977 Original Draft	1952-1977
3	5	Ottersberg	Wartburg College 1952-1977 Revised Draft	1952-1977
3	6	Ottersberg	Wartburg Copyright Documents	1952-1977
4	1	Ottersberg	Aims of Effective Teaching	9/17/1950
4	2	Ottersberg	"The Board of Education of the Iowa Synod"
4	3	Ottersberg	The Walsh Healey Bill	8/2/1937
4	4	Ottersberg	Wilhelm Loehe and Wartburg Theological Seminary Lecture	1972
4	5	Ottersberg	Speech: Century plus fifteen: Wartburg College 1952-1967	10/20/1967
4	6	Ottersberg	Essay on Wartburg College	6/1983
4	7	Ottersberg	Summary of the State of Wartburg College in 1946	1946
4	8	Ottersberg	Essay- Origin and Development of Wartburg College
4	9	Ottersberg	The Origins and Development of Wartburg College
4	10	Ottersberg	Wartburg College
4	11	Ottersberg	Speech: Wartburg College before 1935	8/1985
5	1	Ottersberg	Address Presented to Wartburg at Clinton Alumni	2/15/1996
5	2	Ottersberg	America Goes to War Reviewed by Ottersberg
5	3	Ottersberg	Assignments Turned in by Ottersberg in School
5	4	Ottersberg	Assignments Turned in by Ottersberg in School
5	5	Ottersberg	Assignments Turned in by Ottersberg in School
5	6	Ottersberg	Assignments Turned in by Ottersberg in School
5	7	Ottersberg	Book Draft pgs. 1-262
5	8	Ottersberg	Book Draft pgs. 263-449, Bibliography
5	9	Ottersberg	British Policy of Appeasement of Germany Response
5	10	Ottersberg	A Christian Analysis of the U.S. Manpower Defense Program
5	11	Ottersberg	Curriculum Information and Assignments Including Finals
5	12	Ottersberg	College History Drafts
5	13	Ottersberg	Composition Notebooks, Handwritten
5	14	Ottersberg	Composition Notebooks, Handwritten, Trip to Germany
5	15	Ottersberg	A Constitution for Small Colleges, Problems with Power Between Church and Schools
5	16	Ottersberg	Construction of New Buildings and New Gym Floor
5	17	Ottersberg	Contracts of Employment Wartburg College
5	18	Ottersberg	Copies of Talking Points and Ottersberg Leading Meetings
5	19	Ottersberg	Copy of Document Pertaining to Early History of Iowa Synod
5	20	Ottersberg	Copy of Report on Indian Missions
5	21	Ottersberg	Correspondence
5	22	Ottersberg	Correspondence in German
5	23	Ottersberg	Die Christenverflungen in Madagascar, Handwritten Notes
5	24	Ottersberg	Dinner Speech to Alumni “Crisis Century”	8/7/1974
5	25	Ottersberg	The Epistle of Paul to the Powers Handwritten Manuscript	1/1/1917
5	26	Ottersberg	Enrollment and faculty numbers, Costs, and Budgets
5	27	Ottersberg	Essays, Various
5	28	Ottersberg	The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa and Other States, Thesis and Abstract	1854-1904
5	29	Ottersberg	The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa and Other States Certificate
5	30	Ottersberg	Handwritten Correspondence
5	31	Ottersberg	Historical Sketches
5	32	Ottersberg	History Class Credits and Course Requirements
5	33	Ottersberg	Iowa Senate
5	34	Ottersberg	Letters to and from Ottersberg
5	35	Ottersberg	Mail and Envelopes sent to Ottersberg
5	36	Ottersberg	Master of Ceremonies All Colleges Banquet, Wartburg Normal College	2/25/1933
5	37	Ottersberg	Pageant: Immanuel Lutheran Church
5	38	Ottersberg	Prefaces, Indices’, and Acknowledgements to Unknown Books
5	39	Ottersberg	Radio Panel Discussion “Problems of Post War Reconstruction and a Lasting Peace.”
5	40	Ottersberg	Reports, Finances of Faculty and Schools
5	41	Ottersberg	The Sinker Sank – Play Class of 1918	1918
5	42	Ottersberg	Some Aspects of War Guilt Questions
5	43	Ottersberg	Speech upon Wartburg College Receiving North Central Accreditation	3/10/1948
5	44	Ottersberg	Speeches by Ottersberg
5	45	Ottersberg	Student Life at Wartburg
5	46	Ottersberg	The Teachers Daily Plan Book handwritten	1926-1927
5	47	Ottersberg	Tickets, Receipts, Lease, Personal Finances, Student ID Cards
5	48	Ottersberg	The University of Nebraska Registration, Exams, Graduate College Certificate
5	49	Ottersberg	The Walsh Healy Bill by Ottersberg
5	50	Ottersberg	Wartburg Programs, Bulletins
5	51	Ottersberg	Why Did they Win? By Ottersberg
5	52	Ottersberg	Writings by A. Ottersberg, Gerhard’s Father, Materials Belonging to him
6		Ottersberg	3x5 Notecards Regarding Ottersberg Dissertation

Other Finding Aids

None.

Faculty - Gerhard Ottersberg
Finding aid for the Gerhard Ottersberg Collection, containing books, records related to Ottersberg’s personal and professional life, including biographical information, dissertation abstract, speaking engagements, correspondence, and writings.

See Also