Heritage Center News
Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University Issue 58 • Autumn 2013
C ontents Heemet Fescht.................................1 Dr. William Woys Weaver to host Food Workshops at PGCHC.........................2 News from the Guild................................2 German Tombstone Inscriptions in Southeastern PA.......................................3 Membership Form & PGCHC Event Listings...........................8 Special Note: The date for the 2013 Christmas on the Farm is the 2nd weekend of December this year: December 14. Vendor registration is now open for Christmas on the Farm on Dec. 14.
Enjoy Hay Rides, Pennsylvania Dutch Folklife, Music, & History at Heemet Fescht on October 5th! By: Amanda Lynn Richardson Celebrate harvest time traditions and Pennsylvania Dutch folklife at this free event in Kutztown. Enjoy tons of activities for the whole family including vendors, demonstrators, live animals, and hay rides. This event will be held rain or shine on October 5, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University.
The Old Time Plow Boys Club will provide tractor displays and demonstrations, and will provide hay rides through the beautiful fields of the historic Sharadin Farmstead. The Plow Boys’ Kitchen will be open, serving up delicious refreshments and Pennsylvania Dutch favorites at reasonable prices!
Kids will be able to paint pumpkins, build scarecrows, make butter, interact with live animals, play with old time toys and much, much more! For the first time in Heemet Fescht history, The Acoustic Roadshow’s “Make Your Own Music” tent will be here. Kids and adults alike can learn to create music and play guitar, instructed by Acoustic Roadshow host, Butch Imhoff. Also new this year; pony rides will be offered by Wannamaker Ranch.
There will be plenty of demonstrations; including blacksmithing, hearth-cooking, star embroidery, hex sign painting, quilting, fraktur designing, crank organ playing, along with many other demonstrations and displays.
The Guild Cabin will be open, and craftsmen from the Reading-Berks Guild will be on-site selling and displaying their wares. This is a unique opportunity to start early on those holiday gifts! Plus, see an historic, working tinsmith shop, as tinsmith Ray Oxenford and artist Pat Oxenford will have the tin shop open in our Zimmerman Log Cabin.
New treats for 2013: Kielbasa sandwiches and Funnel Cakes for sale by Jersey Nick’s Catering.
This year will feature live music by local musicians Keith Brintzenhoff, Yodeling Betty Naftzinger, and the Blue Ridge Mountain Clan. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ pgchc or visit our website at www.kutztown.edu/ pgchc. You can also call 610-683-1589 or email heritage@kutztown.edu for more information. If you’re interested in being a vendor or volunteer for this event, please call Amanda at 610-683-1589.
Exciting Food Workshops in Conjunction with Keystone Center for the Study of Regional Food & Food Tourism Taste the Harvest! Gardening and Cooking with Pennsylvania Dutch Heirlooms Saturday, October 12, 2013 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. World renowned food historian, William Woys Weaver, and coinstructor, Pansy Michaels – who trained with the late Julie Dannenbaum and is presently the pastry chef for the Lancaster Country Club – will explore traditional Pennsylvania Dutch cookery, the classical dishes, how to make them, where to locate seeds for your own kitchen garden, and what is happening to the cuisine as it has begun to move up-scale. The price of $150 per person includes a full sit-down meal in the dining room of the historic Sharadin Farmhouse; where you will sample, first-hand, the classic recipes discussed during the presentations. The Traditional Winter Garden: Fresh Food from December to March Saturday, November 9, 2013 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. William Woys Weaver and coinstructor Josiah Taylor, former farm manager for Colby College, will explore old-time as well as cuttingedge techniques for using your traditional kitchen garden throughout the winter. The newly reconstructed kitchen garden of the historic Sharadin Farmhouse will be used as a class room for demonstrating innovative ways to plant ahead using heirlooms that were developed for cold tolerance. The cost for this workshop is $75 per person. Bring a brown bag lunch; beverages and table setups will be provided. Part of the proceeds will be given to the Heritage Center for the maintenance of the recently reconstructed Kitchen Garden. Attendance for both events is strictly limited to 30 registrants. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Heritage Center for the maintenance of the recently reconstructed Kitchen Garden. To register for either of these fantastic workshops, please specify which you wish to attend on the form (on page 8) and send checks (made payable to Kutztown University) to the PGCHC, to the attention of ‘Food Workshops.’ See registration form, page 8.
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News from the Guild By: Patricia Oxenford The Reading-Berks Chapter, PA Guild of Craftsmen Heemet F e s c h t (formerly Harvest Fescht)is just around the corner, Gene Burkhart, Jr. displaying his beautiful pressed to be held floral artwork at Christmas-on-the-Farm in December on Saturday, October 5, 2013 2011. Gene was in the RB Chapter’s Log Cabin. at the PA German Cultural Heritage Center. We’ll have the Log Cabins open, and entries to both buildings will now be wheelchair accessible. Final construction of the walkways throughout the center should be completed by early September. This should make it much easier to get in and out of the cabins. Our chapter is working on final plans for the upcoming 64th Annual Holiday Show to be held at the Michael O’Pake Fieldhouse (formerly Keystone Hall - Fieldhouse of Kutztown University), 312 Trexler Ave., Kutztown, PA, 19530. Mark your calendar for the dates of Saturday, November 2nd (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) and Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM). The annual holiday show is a great time to begin your holiday gift shopping. Approximately 100 or more artisans, representing a wide range of traditional as well as contemporary crafts and jewelers whose work is all handmade in the USA will offer their work to complete your shopping gift list. We’ll also have Kutztown University students displaying and selling their work as well. Many of our patrons who have purchased artwork from the late W. Eugene Burkhart, Jr., will be pleased to know that we will host a silent auction of 14 selected pieces (one piece is a 2- for-1 package) from the many works of Gene. The silent auction will run all day Saturday, and Sunday until 2:00 PM, at which time the successful bidders will be announced (we hope you’ll be present at that time if you are the successful bidder). Proceeds from this auction will benefit the Reading-Berks Chapter’s Student Scholarships which are given annually to Berks County High School Seniors. The first 100 adults to attend the show will receive a Christmas ornament that was made by Gene. These ornaments were displayed on the revolving Christmas tree across from the GoggleWorks Gift Shop last holiday season (2012) in memory of Gene. In addition to the many artisans and students who display and sell their work, and the W. Eugene Burkhart, Jr., Silent Auction, we’ll also have our Pick-a-Prize Raffle Table and our Hourly Door Prize Drawings for a $10.00 gift check to be used with any artisan during the show weekend. For your convenience, refreshments and lunch by Dori Martin Catering in the café will be available for purchase and musical entertainment by the Acoustic Road Show will also compliment your shopping pleasure. Last, but not least, we’ll participate in Christmas on the Farm on Saturday, December 14, 2013 by having the log cabins open for your shopping pleasure. This is also a fun experience learning all the many PA German Christmas customs and be able to do that last-minute holiday shopping with the artisans displaying and selling their wares. We hope to see you at these events. Have a wonderful autumn and holiday season.
Heritage Center News
Issue 58
German Tombstone Inscriptions in Southeastern Pennsylvania By: Patrick J. Donmoyer The deciphering and translation of early German language tombstones in Pennsylvania presents numerous challenges to historians, genealogists, and linguists. Serving as public memorials to the deceased, many tombstones were created in a formulaic and predictable manner, offering various degrees of biographical information about the person, their familial ties, and the span of their life. However, many of Pennsylvania’s earliest stones are far from having any sense of standardization, displaying a full spectrum of possibilities in detail and content. For this reason, as stones weather and deteriorate with age, it becomes increasingly complicated in some instances to arrive at a satisfactory interpretation, even for those well-acquainted with the German language. Abbreviations, non-standardized spelling, the lack of punctuation, and unusual systems of lettering have a tendency to further obscure the inscriptions from contemporary audiences. Ironically, this modern sense of ambiguity stands in contrast with the original intentions of placing such commemorative stones – the aim being of course, to provide a legible, publicly accessible monument to future generations. The purpose of this discussion is to identify strategies for interpreting these often problematic manifestations of material culture, and to facilitate their continued use as primary source documentation of Pennsylvania’s earliest European inhabitants. In order to provide the basis for this important discussion, seven examples of early German language tombstone inscriptions will be examined in terms of language, content, and formula, each expressing a different facet of the challenges presented by many early stones. While it is true that some tombstones feature no markings at all, for the sake of this discussion only those stones which bear inscriptions will be examined, in order to identify trends in their creation and significance. In the simplest of these inscribed memorials, the initials of the deceased are carved in either German or Latin letters, and may or may not be accompanied by a date. In the case of the most complex inscriptions found in Pennsylvania, the person’s full name is followed by a date of birth, the location of birth, information concerning a spouse and children, the date of death, the age of the person in years, months, and days, as well as the biblical notation of the text read at the grave-side service, and in many cases, the full citation of the text itself.
gravestones have weathered to a degree which renders them nearly illegible. The dull surface of red sandstone has a tendency to wear to a blurry haze, while the clean contours of carved slate stones have a tendency to delaminate from freezing water and split apart. Inferior stone choices, such as shale, which when polished produce a fine initial appearance, eventually crumble after centuries of exposure take their toll. Not all damage to stones is due to the elements, however. Damages from lawn care equipment, vandalism and poor maintenance affect even some of the finest cemeteries in the Dutch Country. Many country cemeteries have recycled early tombstones into graveyard wall enclosures, where fragments can be found in various states of decay. In some of the worst cases, stones have been mutilated or obscured by various well-intended, but poorly carried-out cemetery repairs. The use of unsympathetic materials such as metal hardware, Portland cement, or various novelty patching compounds have hastened the destruction of some of the area’s finest gravestones. In addition, the use of veteran’s medallions and other metal markers can cause irreversible damage from being placed too close to the stone, causing corrosion and abrasion. These types of damages, both manmade and elemental, only reinforce the need for higher standards of graveyard preservation, as well as continued efforts to document and record the local landscape. Due to the sheer volume of German language translation requests directed to the Heritage Center at Kutztown University, especially tombstones, the following translations of seven local gravestones have been prepared to acquaint genealogists and graveyard enthusiasts with the diversity of formats in text and content available in the Dutch Country. In these examples on the following pages, prominent formats and thematic motifs will be identified to provide a sampling
Fig. 1
Highly formulaic and detailed, these latter examples are extremely valuable sources of information, and can serve as the groundwork for thorough cultural and biographical research. Various permutations of this formula are also encountered, with either omissions or additional information, including the names of parents, poetic epitaphs, and occasional mention of a role in the community or military service. In cases where these tombstones are conventional and predictable in format, the German language is often very direct, and unembellished, posing far less of a difficulty for even those only casually acquainted with the language. However, the complexity of the language is by far one of the most surmountable challenges to Pennsylvanians today, especially in comparison to difficulties presented by various forms of physical deterioration which threaten the legibility of many early stones. A large number of the earliest
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of the basic vocabulary and phraseology. It is our hope that these translations will equip readers with a conceptual framework to better recognize and interpret common patterns of tombstone inscriptions.
Fig. 2
Georg Henninger, Zions Lutheran Church, Grimsville, Berks County. (Fig. 1.) Hir Ruhet Georg Henninger Er war Gebohren In Deutschland zu Hat ten in Der Elsaß Den 13 April 1737 Eer Verheyrade Sich mit Catharina Levan Erzeigten 12 Kinder 6 Sohne und 6 Tochter Er ist Gestorben Den 14ten July 1815 [Er brachte sein Alter auf 78 Jahr] 3 Monat und 1 Tag Here rests George Henninger He was born in Germany at Hatte in the Alsace April 13th 1737. He married Catharina Levan, [they] begot 12 children 6 Sons and 6 Daughters. He died the 14th of July 1815. He reached the age of 78 years, 3 Months, and 1 day.
soelig sin die toden die im heren [sterben, von nun an.]
Georg Henninger’s stone is classic in many respects, and presents detailed information about his family. Although one line of text is obscured by a cement patch, his wife Catharina’s nearly identical stone is directly next to his, which allows for the inference of the line “Er brachte sein Alter auf...” The last line of Catherina’s stone includes the notation of a funeral text, while for Georg’s stone, this last line is submerged in concrete. Most interesting to note however, is the use of the word “Deutschland,” which at first, when accompanied by the reference to Alsace (part of France), could appear to be a contradiction. However, although Germany was not a nation at the time, this use of the name Deutschland indicates clearly that Germany was conceived not to be an area of national significance, but a cultural and linguistic region including all German-speaking people. Margret Bauman, Hereford Mennonite Cemetery, Berks County. (Fig. 2) Tatok 24 Merz ist Margrede Baumenin gestorbe im jahr 1777 Ir alt War 66 Jahr Ist sie Gefahren auf Iertz In die Ewigkeit Und hot hinterla sen ihren ehman Caspar Bauman
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This day, on the 24th of March, Margaret Baumen died in the year 1777. Her age was 66 years. She has journeyed from earth into eternity and she has leftbehind her husband Caspar Bauman “Blessed are they, who [die] in the Lord [from now on.] Margret Bauman’s stone is one of the most bizarre grave markers in all of eastern Berks County. Having been carved in an idiosyncratic and highly unusual combination of mishapen German blackletter forms and alte Schrift, this stone would give pause to even those well-acquainted with the language. Coupled with extensive use of non-standardized spelling on the stone, it is quite probable that the stone carver was not literate in German, but was instead adapting a hand-written sample prepared by someone else. The opening “Tatok” is derived from the Latin “Dato” – “On the date of.” The last name on the stone “Baumenin” has the feminine ending “-in,” as is customary in the German Language. The last line in the Funeral Reading, taken from Revelation 14:13, is probably covered by the concrete or stone support used by the cemetery for the repairing of the historic headstone.
Heritage Center News
Issue 58
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Johann Heinrich Altenheis, Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Springfield, Bucks County. (Fig. 3) ES HAT MICH DER LIE BE GOT IHM JAHR 1764 AUS DISER WELT IN DIE EWIGE FR EUDE VERSETZ T DA ICH DANZU MEINEM ERLESER GERUFEN IOHAN HENRICH ALTHEN HEIS ICH VON DISER WELT ABREIS ICH MEIN EM VATER UND MUT ER GUTENACHT ICH WIL SEHEN WAS MEI N JESUS MACHT. The Dear Lord in the year 1764 transferred me from this world into eternal joy, whereby I called upon my Savior. Johan Henrich Altenheis, from this world I depart. I bid my Father and Mother Goodnight. I want to see what my Jesus is up to.
The poetic inscription Johann Heinrich Altenheis (possibly a dialect variation of Altenhaus) is unusual in the sense that no biographical information is included in the passage, except for his name and the date of his passing. Although occasionally some words are separated by diacritic marks, there is no punctuation throughout the passage, and words often span more than one line. The conclusion of this poem does have a very basic rhyme scheme however, which begins with “Altenheis,” rhyming with “Abreis” and “Gutenacht” with “macht.” For inscriptions such as this, the communication of religious devotion takes priority over the biographical details of the life of “Henrich Altenheis.” The tombstone of Johannes Lederach, Blooming Glen Mennonite Cemetery, Perkasie, Bucks County (Fig. 4) HIER RUHET IOHANNES LEDERACH ER WARD ZUR DIESE WELT GEBOH REN DEN 21TEN JANUARY 1729 UND IST GESTORBEN DEN 27 TEN MERTZ 1789 Here Rests Johannes Lederach. He was born into the world the 21st of January 1729 and died on the 27th of March 1789. Johannes Lederach’s stone, as simple as it is in form and structure, is actually substantially more elaborate in detail and decorations than many of its accompanying stones from the late 18th and early 19th century at the Blooming Glen Mennonite Cemetery. The stones at this particular
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Fig. 5
Fig. 6
location are characterized by the plainness of their language, often including only names and dates, as well as the clean embellishments executed in the polished red shale stones. Unfortunately, Johannes’ stone, like many others, has been subject to gradual water infiltration and damage from freezing. Thankfully, portions of this inscription could be supplemented by a rudimentary, albeit partial transcription found in the Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records 1708-1985 (Philadelphia: Historical Society of Pennsylvania). This particular example illustrates the value and foresight in recording these exquisite gravestones while they are still in good condition and prior to their deterioration. Johann Lenhart Wecker, Christ Lutheran Church, Tulpehocken, Berks County (Fig. 5) 1743 HIR LIGD BEGRA BEN IOHAN LEN HARD VECKER IST GEBOHREN 1694 UND GEST ORBEN 1743 ER IST DER ERSTE
of local Moravian Cemeteries, such as the nearby Hebron Cemetery in Lebanon, where each stone is laid in order in which members of the congregation died, often indicated by a numeral at top of the stone. Johann Lenhart Wecker’s stone features crossed bones as a symbol of mortality in the lunate, accompanied by the split numerals 17 and 43. As is customary in many German language inscriptions, the numeral “1” is often replaced by a stylized “J” indicating “im Jahr 1743.” In other more elaborate local inscriptions, the “J” is sometimes combined with an “H,” abbreviating “im Jahre des Herrn” – “In the year of the Lord.” Jacob Landes, Deep Run Mennonite Cemetery, Bedminster Township, Bucks County. (Fig. 6) SeyD ihr Auch bereit. HIer LIEGT Der Leib von JACOB LANDES welcher ist gestorb -en Den 9ten Febru -ary 1822 SEIn Alter 23y[ahr] 5m[onate] 5d[age] Be ye also ready. Here lies the body of Jacob Landes who died the 9th of February 1822. His age[was] 23 years, 5 months, 5 days.
1743 Here lies buried: Johan Lenhard Vecker was born 1694, and died 1743. He is the first. This meticulously carved gravestone appears to be the earliest memorial in the cemetery at Christ Lutheran in Tulpehocken, indicating a possible interpretation of the phrase “He is the first.” This is similar to the organization
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The unusual placement of the first word of the epitaph
Heritage Center News
Issue 58
Maria Elizabeth’s stone is characteristic of the memorial of one with an early demise. Instead of omitting the details of adult life, such as marriage and children, these biographical elements are replaced with references to the parents of the young person. It is important to note that the angel placed in the upper register of the stone is strikingly similar to the set of three angels which graced the pediment of the original longitudinal facade of the 1765 St. Luke’s Church accompanying the graveyard. These angels have been featured in several recent publications, as well as an exhibition at the Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Delaware. The angel’s placement at the top of the stone in contrast to the skull at the bottom, references the heavenly and earthly kingdoms, with the certainty of death, and the hope of resurrection.
Fig. 7
Do you know of any spectacular German language stones or important graveyards in your area? Or any particularly unusual inscriptions? Please let us know, contact Patrick at donmoyer@Kutztown.edu or 610-683-1589.
Hiwwe wie Driwwe Dialect Newspaper Subscription
within a circle in the upper lunette of Jacob Landes’ stone is visually pronounced, emphasizing the ominous inscription, “Be ye also ready,” as a reminder of mortality. The lichens growing on the surface of the stone can make it difficult to discern the inscription, and without occasional cleaning, these living organisms will retain moisture and cause the stone to deteriorate. As one will quickly learn from other graveyard preservationists and genealogists, a good nonmetallic, synthetic nylon brush, a bucket of pure water, and a little effort will easily handle the worst of lichen and moss problems, making stones easier to photograph, and extending their longevity. Maria Elizabeth Erde, St. Luke’s Lutheran Cemetery, Schaefferstown, Lebanon County. (Fig. 7) HIER RUHET UNSER LIEBE TOCHTER MARIA ELIESABETHA ERDEN PHILIP ERDE SUSANNA MAG= DELEHNA EHELICHE TOCHTER IST GEBOHREN ANO 1756 FEBRUA. 7 TAG. GESTORBEN ANO 1769 JANUA. 15 TAG ALT WORDEN 12 JAHR 11 MONETH UND 8 TAG Here rests our dear daughter Maria Elizabeth Erde was born in marriage to Philip Erde Susanna Magdalena in the year 1756, February, the 7th day and died in the year 1769 January, the 15th day. She was 12 years, 11 months, and 8 days old.
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Membership Application
Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen
Holiday Show
Name(s):____________________
November 2 - 3, 2013
__________________________ Address: ____________________
__________________________ Phone: _____________________
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday For more information, visit www.rbcrafts.org.
Christmas on the Farm Saturday, December 14, 2013 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. www.kutztown.edu/pgchc
Email:______________________
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Pennsylvania Chapter
Palatines to America
Spring Conference _________ May 3, 2014
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(includes children under 18)
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Kutztown University’s Academic Forum
Jonathan R. Stayer • David Haugaard • Frederick C. Sheeler Registration is now open. Visit www.palam.org and click on Pennsylvania Chapter for more info, email pennpalam@palam.org or mail inquiries to P.O. Box #35, Temple, PA 19560. To register for the Taste the Harvest or Traditional Winter Garden Workshops (as seen on page 2), please fill-in the form below and mail to the PGCHC, attention Food Workshops. Mailing address is 22 Luckenbill Road, Kutztown PA 19530
Food Workshop Registration Be sure to include names of ALL attendees. Name(s):___________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________________ Email:
_____________________________________________________
☐ Taste The Harvest - $150/person Number of Attendees: _____ ☐ Traditional Winter Garden - $75/person Number of Attendees: _____
Total Enclosed: ___________
☐ Cash ☐ Check Number: ________ (Made payable to KU)