50th Annual Symposium, Columbus, Ohio

The 50th Annual Symposium of the Society for German American Studies will be held March 19-21, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. The theme of the Symposium will be: “SGAS Symposium at 50, the US at 250: Reflections and Horizons.”

The complete program is available by clicking here.

Late registration (sessions only) for the conference is available by clicking here.  

This year’s symposium will feature an optional bus tour for conference participants to three communities in Auglaize County established by German immigrants in the 1840s, focusing on the area’s history, its ethnic landscapes, and efforts to commemorate the region’s heritage on the part of local historical societies. This field trip will take place on Thursday, March 19.

A detailed description of the bus tour is here.

It will be followed that evening by the Gemütliches Beisammensein at the Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center on the campus of The Ohio State University. Papers sessions will take place on Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21. A walking tour of Columbus’s German Village neighborhood on Saturday afternoon will be followed by the awards banquet at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, a Columbus institution.

 
 

Participants are welcome to book their rooms now using the information below from the Blackwell Inn.

Welcome to the SGAS Annual Symposium Room Block with the Blackwell Inn!  To coordinate your reservation, please utilize the booking link:  SGAS Symposium or you may phone 866-247-4003 and ask for the SGAS Annual Symposium Room Block room block utilizing group booking code: SGASAPRIL26.

The Blackwell Inn, located on the campus of The Ohio State University and is your upscale choice when staying in Columbus. The discounted group rate is $169.00, plus tax and parking, per evening for a room with either a King bed or Two Queen beds. Reservation requests must be made no later than Monday, February 16th, 2026, to receive this rate. If you are requesting a reservation after this date, please contact the hotel directly for availability; toll free 866-247-4003.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center, The Ohio State University and Columbus, Ohio!

(Photo credit: By SkiEngineer – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84151270)