An NIU professor who wrote a book about post-World War II Germany will speak at the Nehring Center Gallery, 164 E. Lincoln Highway, Tuesday.

Heide Fehrenbach, an associate professor and director of graduate studies in the history department, will begin her lecture, “Nazism’s Aftermath: What Happened To Racism in American-Occupied Germany,” at 4 p.m.

“I’m going to be talking about the defeat of national socialism in 1945, at the end of World War II when the Nazis were defeated,” Fehrenbach said.

The Nehring Center for Culture and Tourism of the DeKalb Park District will have an exhibition of WWII posters. These will be featured in the Nehring Center Gallery.

Fehrenbach’s speech relates to the gallery’s WWII theme. Her topic comes from a book she has written that will be published in 2005, titled “Race After Hitler.” Princeton University Press will publish the book.

The United States, while marching to tear down the Nazi-controlled country, was just as racially divided as Germany was, Fehrenbach said.

The speech’s topic coincides with the WWII posters and artwork featured at Nehring.

“This is kind of a kickoff event for the gallery,” Fehrenbach said.

Several WWII presentations have been given at the Nehring Gallery in the past week. This event is free and open to the public.

Older people are often attracted to events similar to the speech because of their experience or knowledge of WWII, Fehrenbach said.

“One of my grad students, who is writing a doctoral dissertation, already gave a talk [at the gallery] on the WWII soldier experience,” Fehrenbach said. “He didn’t see many university students there; mainly older people and high school students.”