Two Centuries of Anglo-German Correspondences: Celebrating Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, George Eliot and Theodor Fontane.

26 June: 17.00 - 20.00
27 & 28 June: 10.00 - 17.30
The Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre
Victoria and Albert Museum

This international conference marks the outstanding contributions to British-German cultural exchange by four key figures, all born in 1819: Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, George Eliot and Theodor Fontane. In four thematically oriented sections, this landmark conference will consider aspects of British-German cultural transfer in the areas of literature and philosophy, travel, science and knowledge, arts and music. To download the conference programme and to book, please visit the V&A's website:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/1yvWjD5j/two-centuries-of-anglo-german-correspondences-june-2019
It is possible to register for single days or the full conference.

PROGRAMME

Wednesday 26th June

17.00 Registration

17.30 Opening Chair: Rüdiger Görner, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)

17.40 Prince Hubertus of Coburg

18.00
Keynote: Rosemary Ashton:
"A Sketch of Anglo-German Relations in the Nineteenth Century"
introduced by Rüdiger Görner

19.00 Reception

Thursday 27th June 2019

Morning session: Literature
Chair: James Vigus, QMUL

10.00 Coffee

10.30
Juliette Atkinson, UCL
"George Eliot as Realist Novelist"

11.15
Helen Chambers, University of St Andrews
"Fontane as Realist Novelist"

12.00
Rüdiger Görner, QMUL
"Early Victorian Thoughts on the Land of Poets and Thinkers. Notes on British-German Intellectualism at the beginning of the Long Century"

12.45 Lunch break (by own arrangements)

Afternoon session: Travel
Chair: Astrid Köhler, QMUL

14.30
Patricia Howe, QMUL
"Theodor Fontane: A German Traveller in England and Scotland"

15.15
John Rignall, Warwick University
"George Eliot's Travels in Germany"

16.00 Tea

16.30
A.N. Wilson, London
"Travels of Victoria and Albert"

Friday 28th June 2019

Morning session: Science/Knowledge
Chair: Tim Boon, Science Museum London

10.00 Coffee

10.30
Eckhard Mönnig, Naturkundemuseum Coburg, Germany
"The History of the Natural History Museum Coburg"

11.15
Jana Riedel, QMUL and Victoria and Albert Museum
"Prince Albert's Collecting Practices"

12.00
John R. Davis, Historic Royal Palaces
"Exhibitions in Germany and Britain"

12.45 Lunch (by own arrangements)

Afternoon session: Arts & Music
Chair: Daniel Johnson, London

14.30
Norbert Meyn, Royal College of Music
"Mendelssohn, Albert and Anglo-German Connections in 19th Century Music"

15.15
Julius Bryant, Victoria and Albert Museum
"Prince Albert and Anglo-German Architecture"

16.00 Tea

16.30
Susanna Avery-Quash, National Gallery London
"The Reception of Early German and Netherlandish Art in Britain during the Victorian Era"

End of Conference.