Saturday, December 05, 2009

The Pennsylvania Germans













Caught in a grinding war zone and persecuted for your beliefs? What're you gonna do? Where are you gonna go? A bunch of Germans caught in this situation made their way to sanctuary in Pennsylvania, starting in 1683. From Germantown, they spread out into the countryside, farming or developing Utopian societies like Ephrata (pictured above). And so began the Pennsylvania Germans or "Dutch," Anabaptists, Mennonites, Amish, and what have you. In many cases, they still dress as they did way back when. Why? I have no idea. Seems like an arbitrary place to freeze fashion and technological developments. But so it's said -- God works in mysterious ways -- and people even more so.



















Haag's Hotel and Restaurant, Shartlesville, Pennsylvania: "Haag's Family Style Pennsylvania Dutch Dinner." All a farmer -- or motorist -- can eat!

Today's Rune: Growth.

4 comments:

Adorably Dead said...

I have no clue why I never knew the Pennsylvania Dutch were German. >_< I thought the Dutch were completely different. lol

the walking man said...

Man that whole Anabaptist movement runs from slightly to very extreme but it's good to know they like to eat well.

Anonymous said...

A PENNSYLVANIAN BY BIRTH, I HAVE BEEN TO THE CLOISTER AT EPHRATA, EATEN AT SHARTLESVILLE. SEVEN SWEETS AND SEVEN SOURS ARE ON THE MENU. MMM GOOD.

Charles Gramlich said...

I probably have some relatives in that group.