Archaeology, History, Jazz History, Art History - Keep Scrolling Down!


Genealogy - click here to view Genealogy classes.


Ridgefield History


The Dutch, The English, The Native Americans and The Deeds
This is the story of three different cultures who tried to occupy, and retain possession of the same lands. Each had a different approach and political agenda as they made their land deals. The Europeans did not understand the Native Americans and visa versa especially in the beginning. This was the political climate the Proprietors of Ridgefield had to negotiate as they were establishing their new town. Instructor Lynn-Marie Wieland is a lithic (stone tools) archaeologist specializing in southern New England prehistory with an emphasis on the Indians of the Ridgefield area. She minored in Meso American Archaeology and has traveled extensively in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

2 Sessions $ 54 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 47)
Wed., 9/23 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Annex (66 prospect Street) + Zoom (hybrid)


Jazz - A Visual (and Audible) History of American Jazz - on Zoom


A Visual History of American Jazz Music
This is a 5 session series where we explore, both visually and audibly, a variety of specific topics in Jazz every other week. For detailed descriptions of the topics and theme for each class, and the instructor bio information, click on Music.

1. Origins and Urbanization: New Orleans, Migration North, and East (10/7)

2. From Dance to Bop: Big Bands, Swing, Bebop, Hard Bop (10/21)

3. New Sounds and Freedom: The 1960s and 1970s (11/4)

4. Acoustic and Digital Artistry 1980 - 2000 (11/18)

5. Post Millenium Innovation 2001 - Present (12/2)

5 Sessions $ 99 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 86)
Separately, the price is $29 per session.
Wed., 10/7, 21; 11/4, 18; 12/2 from 1 to 3 p.m. on Zoom.


Practical Buddhism


Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self
This course explores practical Buddhism as a path to self-discovery and inner peace. We will examine core Buddhist history concepts like mindfulness, impermanence, and compassion, and apply them to daily life. Through discussion on the myths of a happy life, you will learn to understand the human interconnection with the environment, practice cultivating self-awareness, and navigate the challenges of modern life with greater wisdom and kindness. Many concepts are found in the Buddhist bestseller, The Buddha in Your Mirror - Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self by Woody Hochswender, Gred Martin, and Ted Morino (Middleway Press, 2001). Instructor Charles J Greenberg is an experienced academic librarian with long-term appointments at both Columbia and Yale Universities. He was the founding Library Director of Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China from December 2013 to June 2019. He then joined the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine as Health Sciences Library Director from January 2020 to November 2023. He currently is a lecturer at Camden County College, teaching English Composition, as well as a lecturer for the School of Information for San Jose State University, where he has taught online medical and health sciences information topics since 2007.

For dates - click Meditation.


European History Series - 19th Century through World War I Era - check back for additional topics and dates!


The Creation of Italy
A visitor to Italy today travels freely about to explore the prized cities of Florence, Naples, Rome, and Venice. But it was not always so easy: Italy is a relatively new country, and the fabled cities may indeed be regarded as prizes, because they did not all join Italy willingly! It took a combination of the wily statesman Camillo Cavour, the political activism of the secret revolutionary Giuseppe Mazzini, and the romantic nationalism of Giuseppe Garibaldi – none of whom wanted to work together - to draw disparate “Italians” together. And even that wasn’t quite enough. Napoleon III and Bismarck had something to add. This presentation will look at the remarkable personalities and events that led to the emergence of a unified Italy in 1871. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

1 Session $ 29 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 25)
Fri., 10/2 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


The Creation of Germany
Perhaps because of her dominant role in two world wars, it is easy to think of Germany as an old nation with a long history. But Germany is a young state, less than 150 years old. The original territory was divided into myriad small holdings ruled by independent noble families and surrounded by the powerful states of Austria and France; the path to unification would be blocked by all of these. Despite earlier attempts, it took the rise of Otto von Bismarck, with his cunning, wisdom, and political acuity, to overcome all these obstacles and establish the German Empire. This class will consider the events and personalities that led to the creation of the German Empire. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

1 Session $ 29 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 25)
Fri., 10/16 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


Franz Joseph - The Last Habsburg Emperor
Born into a dynasty steeped in centuries of power and tradition but also teetering on the brink of collapse, Franz Joseph inherited a sprawling, disparate empire that was crying for reform and a dysfunctional family that suffering from the effects of intrigue and inbreeding. With extraordinary self-discipline and dedication, Franz Joseph managed to hold them all more or less together, but an emperor’s private life cannot be separated from his public one, and the end of his long reign saw the destruction of everything. Franz Joseph’s life is a gripping tale of duty, power, politics, love, and loss, all played out on the world stage. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

1 Session $ 29 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 25)
Fri., 10/23 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


Kaiser Wilhelm II
Raised by modern minded royal parents, indulged by his grandmother Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was well positioned to lead his state into the new century with a peaceful, pragmatic approach. But Wilhelm was about as complicated a ruler as can be imagined, and instead, his aggressive bluster and posturing split the family, divided Europe into opposing camps, and drove the world inexorably to World War I. How did it happen? What was he thinking? In assessing Wilhelm, historians may confuse the nation with the man, but an exploration of his life reveals surprising answers about the last emperor of Germany. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

1 Session $ 29 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 25)
Fri., 10/30 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


The Russian Revolution
Like the German and Austrian empires, the Russian empire too was a casualty of the First World War. Had war not broken out, would the tsars have been able to maintain autocratic control of the country? Had Lenin not returned via a sealed train, would the moderate politicians have prevailed? This course will examine the state of Russia and its government in the early twentieth century and then follow the chain of events that toppled Nicholas II, destroyed the Romanov dynasty, and brought Lenin to power after the outbreak of war. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

2 Sessions $ 42 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 37)
Fri., 11/13 and 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


World War I
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria in August 1914 triggered a chain of events that culminated in a global war. By its end, three empires had collapsed, European society had been irrevocably changed, and a new map was drawn. Was this war inevitable? Were th Germans to blame? This course covers the alliances, personalities, and political ideals that shaped the course of events of World War I and its aftermath. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

2 Sessions $ 42 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 37)
Fri., 12/4 and 11 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


Love And Treachery – Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson
King Edward VIII relinquished the English throne and left his country to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. Forbidden to enter England, they spent their lives in exile. Surely this a love story for the ages! But was it? Did Wallis even like Edward? Did she expect to become queen? Was Edward a loyal Englishman? Close examination and new evidence reveal a different picture. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

1 Session $ 29 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 25)
Fri., 1/8 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.


George VI - The Reluctant King
George VI – Bertie, to his family – grew up in the shadow of his dapper, charismatic older brother Edward, the heir to the English throne and future King Edward VIII. Shy, dutiful, and principled, Bertie accepted his secondary role and was content with a life of happy domesticity with his wife and children. But fate had other things in store: his brother’s shocking abdication thrust Bertie into a role he did not want – that of king!. What did he think of his brother? How did he respond? It fell to Bertie, as King George VI, to hold the monarchy together after the abdication, World War II, and the decline of the empire, and to prepare his daughter Elizabeth to succeed him. That the British monarchy survives to this day is in no small part due to the dedication of this unlikely king. Instructor: Nancy Maxwell. Scroll down for bio.

1 Session $ 29 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 25)
Fri., 1/22 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.



Nancy Maxwell - Instructor Bio:

As a student at Cornell, Ms. Maxwell was encouraged to major in Psychology, but her interest in the humanities was always paramount, and her reading of History has taken pride of place.

As a teacher and counselor in an international school in Switzerland for more than twenty years, she had the opportunity to familiarize herself with the palaces and cathedrals of European cities, to savor the extraordinary wealth of artistic treasure that they contain, and to walk in the very footsteps of historical figures.

Her understanding of European history has been enriched as much by exhausting days walking the corridors and grounds of the Palace of Versailles as by descending to the dismal, tragic halls of the Conciergerie. It has similarly been her privilege to tramp the Parisian streets from the site of the Bastille by way of the Louvre and the Tuileries gardens to the Place de la Concorde and thence along the Champs Elyses to Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe. These experiences have provided both a mental and physical context in which people who lived centuries ago regain their humanity and tell their stories. It is her delight to share those stories with students.



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