Wartburg College is strengthening ties to its German heritage with the formation of an institute that will develop new programs and support existing ones.

President Darrel Colson announced the establishment of The German Institute at Wartburg College Thursday evening before the college's annual Kleinfeld Lecture in German History, Culture, and Politics.

“The German Institute seeks to deepen and broaden Wartburg’s cultural heritage and German connections,” Colson said. “It will raise the profile of our current activities related to Germany while assisting in the development of distinctive new interdepartmental initiatives.”

Donations to an endowment will shape the scope of the institute, which launched at the end of the last academic year. Institute Director Daniel Walther, Gerald R. Kleinfeld Distinguished Professor of German History, envisions it using informational, financial and logistical means to support student, faculty and alumni trips; internships in Germany through stipends; symposia and workshops at Wartburg; and high school curriculum grants and student camps.

An executive committee receives guidance from an international advisory board in leading the institute, which provides organization and focus for the college's wealth of Germany-related programs, knowledge and relationships.

“We've maintained long-standing relations and strong ties to Germany, so it's a natural fit,” Walther said. “That German-American connection has been with us, and it's even more important in today's global world.”

Wartburg has roots in German soil, as Lutheran pastor Wilhelm Löhe from Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, sent missionary Georg Grossman to America in 1852 to found a teacher-training school. It took the name Wartburg from the German castle that provided refuge for Martin Luther during the Reformation.

Waverly is a sister city to Eisenach, Germany, and the college's formal Agreement of Cooperation with the Wartburg Castle makes possible cultural exchanges and study opportunities, internships and annual choir and band performances in Eisenach.

In 2007, the college received $1 million for the distinguished professorship held by Walther from Gerald R. Kleinfeld, a professor emeritus of history at Arizona State University and founder of the German Studies Association.

Wartburg in 2012 signed an agreement with Deutsche Welle broadcasting in Bonn, Germany, for internships and other exchanges.