Czech Republic RPCV Michael Luick-Thrams' Bus-eum impresses Kalona residents
Bus-eum impresses Kalona residents
By: 04/14/2004
Caption: Gary Snyder of Riverside is one of many volunteers who assist Michael Luick-Thrams (right) with the traveling Bus-eusm.
"Do you know who that is in this photo?" was a question Michael Luick-Thrams, executive director of TRACES, heard when the Bus-eum brought "Behind Barbed Wire: Midwest POWs in Nazi Germany" to the Kalona Historical Society Welcome Center for a lunch hour stop April 10.
The Bus-eum features a display of photos and short histories of Midwest POWs (including Iowans) in Nazi Germany. Many of the photos were obtained when Luick-Thrams did research for the project in Switzerland and Germany last year. There are also several video narrations.
"The Red Cross in Geneva was extremely helpful in putting this display together," he noted.
The Kalona stop was one of many community visits the TRACES bus will make between now and Memorial Day. "We want to visit all 99 Iowa counties this spring (in a 53-day period)," he pointed out.
This display is some of the last traces of stories that Iowans will see of the some 20,000 POWs from Nazi Germany," Luick-Thrams stressed. He noted that many people are thrilled to see POW history in the panels in the converted school bus.
"That's what we are all about, the little people," he stressed. "We are taking this history to the people. I think we should take our resources to where the people are."
Luick-Thrams said he hopes to find a permanent home for the TRACES Bus-eum in Des Moines so more Iowans can see it, but he hopes to take the Bus-eum on the road at least two months of the year to give people from all of Iowa a chance to see the display that has been put together by volunteers since January 15.
"It was very well done," said Lois Gugel. "You really need a lot more time to adequately view all the panels."
TRACES does have a book that compiles the information on all the panels as well as the many photos not previously displayed. Additional information is available on www.TRACES.org.
Gugel had Luick-Thrams sign his book, Out of Hitler's Reach: The Scattergood History for European Refugees 1939-43. Luick--Thrams said he would be going to Europe this summer to do research for two children's books.
Luick-Thrams noted this project was possible because of a large number of volunteers, such as Gary W. Snyder of Riverside who helped out on Saturday. Snyder said he is doing research on his parents and an uncle who served.
Luick-Thrams urged everyone, including children and grandchildren, to view the Bus-eum.
"Do it for Iowa's veterans," he urged.
Ellen Krueger, Washington, a Washington County World War II historian, noted that there were 15 POWs from Washington County.
TRACES has a book available of letters from POWs and their families. This book includes some letters from POWs in Washington County.
