Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch
Total population
85,000 in the USA. Population total all countries: 100,000. Ethnic population: 200,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
United States, especially Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia; Ontario, Canada
Languages
English, Pennsylvania Dutch
Religions
Lutheran, Reformed, Evangelical, Moravian, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, Amish, Schwenkfelder, United Christian, River Brethren, Yorker, Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Palatine German, Alsatian, Swiss German, Hessian, Württemberger, Huguenot

The Pennsylvania Dutch (perhaps more strictly Pennsylvania Deitsch, Pennsylvania Germans or Pennsylvania Deutsch) are the descendants of German immigrants who came to Pennsylvania prior to 1800. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern According to Don Yoder, a Pennsylvania German expert and retired University of Pennsylvania professor, the word "Dutch" in this case owes its origin to an archaic meaning where the word "Dutch" designated groups that are today considered German and Dutch - prior to the Thirty Years' War, the Netherlands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch were generally regarded as one of several German peoples. For the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War see Char Bouba war. For the band see The 30 Years War. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Although Yoder rejects other explanations, other sources, such as Hostetler (1993) give the origin of "Dutch" as a corruption or a "folk-rendering" of the term "Deitsch". ^[2] It is worth noting that the adjective "German" is "Deutsch" in the German language and "Duits" in the Dutch language. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Also some southern German dialects still pronounce "Deutsch" as "Deitsch" ([Daɪtʃ]). The difficulty is enlarged by the fact that the oldest native term for the Dutch language happens to be Dietsch, a stem that also shows up in the derivation of Plautdietsch. Dietsch ( "Diets" in modern Dutch) is a colloquial word for the Middle Dutch language. Plautdietsch, or Mennonite Low German, was originally a Low Prussian variety of East Low German, with Dutch influence that developed in Plautdietsch developed on a mixed Dutch / Low German substrate, according to the Dutch linguist Ad Welschen (2000), which is certainly not the case with Pennsylvania Deitsch. Plautdietsch, or Mennonite Low German, was originally a Low Prussian variety of East Low German, with Dutch influence that developed in Low German or Low Saxon (in Germany: Plattdüütsch or Nedderdüütsch; in Netherlands: Nedersaksisch or Nederduuts So Deitsch etymologically means 'German', while Dietsch means 'Dutch' ^[3].

Pennsylvania Dutch were historically speakers of the Pennsylvania German language. Pennsylvania German (also Pennsylvania Dutch, Deitsch, Pennsylvania Deutsch, Pennsilfaanisch-Deitsch, Pennsilfaani-Deitsch, Pennsilveni-Deitsch They are a people of various religious affiliations, most of them Lutheran or Reformed, but many Anabaptists as well. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation They live primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania in the area stretching in an arc from Bethlehem and Allentown through Reading, Lebanon, and Lancaster to York and Chambersburg. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ is the county seat of Berks County Pennsylvania and the center of the Greater Reading Area. Lebanon Pennsylvania, formerly known as Steitztown is the County seat of Lebanon County Pennsylvania, United States. Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the County seat of Lancaster County. York, known as the White Rose City (after the Wars of the Roses) is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania. Chambersburg is a borough in Pennsylvania, United States It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg They can also be found down throughout the Shenandoah Valley (the modern Interstate 81 corridor) in the adjacent states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, and in the large Amish and Mennonite communities in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, in Ohio north and south of Youngstown and in Indiana around Elkhart. The Shenandoah Valley region of western Virginia and West Virginia is bounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Interstate 81 (abbreviated I-81) is an Interstate highway in the eastern part of the United States. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Youngstown is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Mahoning County. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Elkhart (ˈɛlkɑrt is a city located in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. Their cultural traditions date back to the German immigrations to America in the 17th and 18th centuries. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry The United States of America —commonly referred to as the As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Only then did German immigration from various parts the southern Rhineland, Palatinate, the southern part of Hesse, Baden, Alsace and Switzerland gain momentum, and soon dominate the area. The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. The Palatinate of the Rhine (Pfalzgrafschaft bei Rhein later the Electoral Palatinate (Kurpfalz was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation But the Pennsylvania Dutch language is ultimately a derivative of Palatinate German. Palatine German ( Pfälzisch / Pälzisch or Pfaelzisch / Paelzisch) is a West Franconian dialect of German which is spoken

Pennsylvania Dutch from the Palatinate of the Rhine

Many Pennsylvania Dutch are descendants of refugees from the Palatinate of the German Rhine. The Palatinate (Pfalz Pfälzer dialect Palz) historically also Rhenish Palatinate (palatinatum Renensis Rheinpfalz is a region in south-western Germany For example, most Amish and Mennonite came to the Palatinate and surrounding areas from the German speaking part of Switzerland, where, as Anabaptists, they were persecuted, and so their stay in the Palatinate was of limited duration. The Amish (ˈɑːmɪʃ are members of an Anabaptist Christian denomination best known for Simple living, Plain dress and resisting modern conveniences The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation ^[4]

Allentown's Center Square. For the song by Billy Joel, see " Allentown (song." For the neighborhood in Pittsburgh Allentown and Kunkletown are two of the larger centers considered part of the Pennsylvania Dutch area.

Pictures from Old-Germantown. Shown here is the first log cabin of Pastorius about 1683, Pastorius' later house about 1715, print shop and house of Caurs about 1735, and the market square about 1820.

However, for the majority of the Pennsylvania Dutch, their roots go much further back in the Palatinate. During the War of the Grand Alliance (1689-97), French troops, under King Louis XIV, pillaged the Palatinate, forcing many Germans to flee. The Nine Years' War (1688–97 – often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg – was a major war of the late 17th Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The War of the Palatinate (as it was called in Germany), also called the War of Augsburg, began in 1688 as Louis took claim of the Palatinate, and all major cities of Cologne were devastated. The Palatinate of the Rhine (Pfalzgrafschaft bei Rhein later the Electoral Palatinate (Kurpfalz was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire By 1697 the war came to a close with the Treaty of Ryswick, and the Palatinate remained free of French control. The Treaty of Ryswick was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick (now known as Rijswijk) in the Dutch Republic. However, by 1702, the War of the Spanish Succession began, lasting until 1713. French expansionism forced many Palatines to flee as refugees.

The first major emigration of Germans to America resulted in the founding of the Borough of Germantown in northwest Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1683-1685. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Germantown is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the city of Philadelphia, about six miles northwest from the center of the city Mass emigration of Palatines began out of Germany in the early 1700s. In the spring of 1709, Queen Anne had granted refuge to about 7,000 Palatines who had sailed the Rhine to Rotterdam. Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714 became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702 succeeding William III of England and II of The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of From here about 3,000 were sent to America either directly, or through England, bound for William Penn’s colony. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland William Penn ( October 14, 1644 – July 30, 1718) was founder and "Absolute Proprietor" of the Province of Pennsylvania, The remaining refugees were sent to Ireland to strengthen the Protestant presence in the country. By 1710, large groups of Palatines had sailed from London, the last group of which was bound for New York. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous There were 3,200 Palatines on 12 ships that sailed for New York and approximately 470 died en route to America. In New York, under the new Governor, Robert Hunter, Palatines worked for British authorities and produced tar and pitch for the Royal Navy in return for their safe passage. General Robert Hunter (1664 - 1734 was colonial governor of New York and New Jersey from 1710 to 1720 The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) They also served as a buffer between the French and Natives on the frontier and the English colonies. In 1723, some 33 Palatine families, dissatisfied under Governor Hunter’s rule, migrated from Schoharie, NY, to Tulpehocken, Berks County, PA, where other Palatines had settled. During the American Revolution most of the Pennsylvania Dutch were loyalists. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire ^[5] They feared that their royal land grants would be in danger with a new republican form of government.

Pennsylvania Dutch Identity

Recently due to loss of the Pennsylvania German language (among others)- in many communities, as well as to intermarriage and increased mobility, especially in the more secular communities, Pennsylvania Dutch ethnic consciousness is often very low, especially among younger Pennsylvania Dutch. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Many young Pennsylvania Dutch consider themselves only descendants of Pennsylvania Dutch and it is not part of their personal identity. However many of those raised in the immediate area, or those who have close ties there, still hold those ties close even if their parents don't emphasize those ties. In some communities the Pennsylvania Dutch name is reserved only for members of the Amish and traditional Mennonite communities. The Amish (ˈɑːmɪʃ are members of an Anabaptist Christian denomination best known for Simple living, Plain dress and resisting modern conveniences The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively

See also

• Marian exiles
• Amish
• Mennonite
• Hans Herr
• Schwenkfeldian
• Old German Baptist Brethren
• Rumspringa
• Pennsylvania German language
• Hex signs
• Pennsylvania Dutch Country
• Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine
• German American
• German Texan
• Germany Valley, West Virginia
• Helen Reimensnyder Martin
• Anna Balmer Myers
• Fraktur (Pennsylvania German folk art)

References

External links

• The Pennsylvania German Society
• Lancaster County tourism website
• Overview of Pennsylvania German Culture
• German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA in Washington, DC
• Irish Palatine Association
• Nolt, Steven, Foreigners in Their Own Land: Pennsylvania Germans in the Early American Republic, Penn State Press, 2002 ISBN 0-271-02199-3
• "Why the Pennsylvania German still prevails in the eastern section of the State", by George Mays, M.D.. Reading, Pa., Printed by Daniel Miller, 1904
• The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center

In Pennsylvania German

• Deitscherei.org - Fer der Deitsch Wandel
• Hiwwe wie Driwwe - The Pennsylvania German Newspaper
• Pennsylvania German Encyclopedia