The Records of the German Club and German Study Abroad Programs collection documents the history of the German Club at Salisbury University and two study abroad programs offered by the Modern Languages Department between 1980 and 2015. Included in the collection are flyers, photographs, scrapbooks, video recordings, press releases, administrative forms, notes and correspondence among other materials created by Salisbury University (previously Salisbury State College and Salisbury State University) students and the advisor of German Club, Klaudia Thompson. Two events, Oktoberfest and Immersion Weekend, are the main focus of the German Club records. In addition, there are programs, posters, itineraries, travel guides and brochures, advertisements for the program, and postcards from abroad that document a winter study abroad program and a summer study abroad program. There are additional materials related to the Modern Languages Department itself, mostly regarding German courses and events, that include correspondence and publications by or about the Department. Lastly, there is a large collection of photographs and scrapbooks documenting events held by the German Club and the study abroad trips.

The German Club has been an active RSO at Salisbury University since 1972. The club holds an annual Oktoberfest and, in the past, led a German Immersion Weekend in Ocean City, MD. During this weekend, students can only speak German and is filled with activites such as ice skating, bowling, board games, and directed language activities. Every activity was carried out in German, including conversation during meals. A pin that read "I have spoken English" was created by David Hooper and passed throughout participants during the weekend. The student with it at the end of the trip had to carry everyone's bags.

The German Club allows students to promote German culture. During it's time on campus, the club has formed dancing groups and singing troops that regularly performed at local nursing homes and local festivals. The students also taught German in after-school elementary school programs in Wicomico County, held craft sessions and bake sales, and sponsored German movie nights.

German is offered as a minor in the Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies Department. The German program was led by Klaudia Thompson from 1972-2017. During her tenure, the German program grew from two courses to a full minor. Beginning in the 1980s, Klaudia Thompson joined with Dr. Duane Karna of the Music Department to create a "Wintermester" program that took the Salisbury State Choir to Germany. The students learned survival German as well as German culture during the weeks they preformed in various churches and concert venues. 

Later, Klaudia Thompson and Dr. Ray Thompson of the History Department created an international study abroad program that offered history students 3 hours of credit and one credit of German during the summer. Courses were taught prior to departure and on site. The students traveled to Germany, France, Italy, Austria, England, Belgium, Spain and anywhere a Roman ruin could be found. The enirety of the trip was planned by Klaudia and Ray Thompson and the program was offered every other summer for a number of years. 

The Modern Languages department continues to offer students a chance to minor in German through the completion of basic and intermediate coursework on campus and advanced coursework at one of our partner institutions abroad. Students not only learn the basics of the German language but also are introduced to aspects of German history and culture through classroom instruction and culturally enriching experiences. 

The Records of the German Club and German Study Abroad Programs collection documents the history of the German Club at Salisbury University and two study abroad programs offered by the Modern Languages Department between 1980 and 2015.  The items were collected by Salisbury University professor, Klaudia Thompson, head of the German program from 1972 to 2017 and advisor to the German Club. This collection has been arranged into five series: Series 1: German Club, Series 2: Study Abroad, Series 3: Records of the Modern Languages Department, Series 4: Audio Visual, and Series 5: Photographs and Scrapbooks.

Materials in Series 1 regarding the RSO include flyers, photographs, scrapbooks, video recordings, press releases, administrative forms, notes and correspondence among other materials created by Salisbury University (previously Salisbury State College and Salisbury State University) students and Mrs. Thompson.  Two events, Oktoberfest and Immersion Weekend, are the main focus of the German Club records. Additionally, photos of Oktoberfest and Immersion weekend, as well as other events by German Club students are present in Series 5: Photographs and Scrapbooks and video recordings can be found in Series 4.

Within Series 2, materials such as programs, posters, itineraries, travel guides and brochures, advertisements for the program, and postcards from abroad document a winter study abroad program and a summer study abroad program. Created by Klaudia Thompson and Dr. Duane Karna of the Music Department, a "wintermester" was offered to students in the Salisbury State Choir. The group traveled to Germany and performed in various churches and concert venues. Later, a summer study abroad course, created by Klaudia Thompson and Dr. Ray Thompson, offered students a chance to earn history and German course credit while traveling throughout Europe studying the history or Roman Germany. Photographs of the study abroad trips can be found in Series 5: Photographs and Scrapbooks and video recordings can be found in Series 4.

Lastly, there are additional materials related to the Modern Languages Department itself in Series 3, mostly regarding German courses and events, and include correspondence and publications by or about the Department.

This collection has been arranged into five series: Series 1: German Club, Series 2: Study Abroad, Series 3: Records of the Modern Languages Department, Series 4: Audio Visual, and Series 5: Photographs and Scrapbooks. Items within each series are arranged in chronological order when applicable. Materials are 

Series 1: German Club - This series contains materials related to the activities of the German Club. Most of the material relates to the club's Oktoberfest event or the Immersion Weekend that occured in Ocean City. Items include meeting minutes, press releases, newspaper articles, planning notes, administrative forms, correspondence, and an Office of Student Activities Event Planning handbook.

Series 2: Study Abroad - This series contains information regarding the Wintermester program that took the Salisbury State Choir on tour in Germany and the summer study abroad program, History 309: Roman Germany. Materials in this series include programs, posters, itineraries, travel guides and brochures, advertisements for the program, and postcards from abroad.

Series 3: Records of the Modern Languages Department - This series documents the German program within the Modern Languages department, mostly from Klaudia Thompson's tenure. Materials include correspondence and publications regarding Fulton School of Liberal Arts or the Modern Languages department.

Series 4: Audio Visual - This series contains six VHS tapes documenting German Club events such as Oktoberfest and Immersion Weekend, as well as a recording of the German Choir Trip and the Kasper Theatre Classroom Act.

Series 5: Photographs and Scrapbooks - This series contains various photographs, three small scrapbooks and four oversized scrapbooks. Scrapbooks were created by students and Klaudia Thompson. Topics shown in the photographs and scrapbooks include events by the German Club and study abroad trips.