Heritage Headlines
Honoring Heritage. Continuing the Journey.
INSIDE Page 2 & 3 Current and Upcoming Exhibits Page 4 Family Workshops German Language Classes Page 5 Adult/Family Craft Saturdays Children’s Grundsau Lodge German Classes Page 6 Penn Dry Goods Market Page 7 Knoll Museum Visit Meet a Volunteer Page 8 Annie Funk Program New in the Library Board of Directors Page 9 Viehweg Update Meet the Designers! Page 10 Brown Bag Lectures
November 2012 Volume 15, Issue 4
ANNUAL FUND 2012—2013 The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center is a wealth of heritage stories about people and the lives they lived. These accounts enlighten us about former times, when things sometimes seemed better than now. Our stories also capture moments in lives when many challenges were faced and great suffering occurred and was overcome. We think about our wonderful mid-wife’s journal, kept from 1770 to 1819, by Rosina Krauss Heydrick (1737 – 1828). Rosina carefully records the live births of 890 boys and 821 girls, from both Schwenkfelder and Mennonite families in central Montgomery County. The stories told in this rare document reflect both joy and great family pain, as children came into the world – some to live full and healthy lives, others passing away at a young and tender age. Our heritage stories, such as Rosina Heydrick’s, are told through permanent and changing museum exhibits, publications and online outreach, growing accessibility to our library and archival collections, and through many and varied programs – all open to the public. We hope you have a story to share with us. On the back of the response card enclosed, you are welcome to share an anecdote of a special family memory or a favorite story connected with the Heritage Center. We would love to hear from you! The stories you share may be used for our website, blog, or our Heritage Headlines newsletter. As a nonprofit organization, we count on donors such as you for nearly 50% of our operating income. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center. Your charitable gifts will enable us to preserve and tell the inspiring heritage stories like Rosina's and yours. Sincerely,
Page 11 Program and Exhibit Schedules Page 12 Christmas Market
105 Seminary Street Pennsburg, PA 18073-1898 Phone: 215.679.3103 Fax: 215.679.8175 info@schwenkfelder.com www.schwenkfelder.com
Gerald A. Heebner President, Board of Directors
David W. Luz Executive Director
You may donate in honor or memory of a person(s) of your choice. Annual Campaign 2012-2013 ends on March 31, 2013 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Modern Design in the Valley—Page 3 Penn Dry Goods Market—Page 6 Viehweg Monument 150 years update—page 9 Christmas Market—Page 12
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Heritage Headlines EVELYN SCHULE PAINTINGS
2012 CHRISTMAS PUTZ A Touch of Modern Through December 30
Through January 20, 2013 We welcome the return of a show and sale of paintings by the late Evelyn Schule to the Meeting Room for the autumn and winter months. Mrs. Schule's lovely work is a crowd pleaser and very fitting for the season. We will have a variety of appealing works so collectors take note: you will want to add one or more to your collection!
DUTCH DECO Pennsylvania German Design in the 20th Century Through January 4, 2013 By the 1920s, traditional forms and motifs plus new materials and colors equaled a modern interpretation of textiles, craft, and art that the Pennsylvania Dutch had been making for over a century. The upcoming exhibit Dutch Deco will feature selections from the Heritage Center's permanent collection that illustrate how traditional activities, such as quilting, embroidery, and the making of fraktur, evolved in the 20th century with the use of synthetic materials and a vibrant color palette that was unknown in the previous century, bringing a touch of Art Deco and later mid-century modern aesthetics. It's a new twist on the old folks!
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This year we will be focusing on 20th century design for our Christmas Putz in keeping with our Dutch Deco theme. Our annual putz will glitter with the charming pre-war "Made in Japan" paper houses in their fanciful candy colors and sparkling mica. As always we are grateful to the late Ron Treichler for his generous donation of the putz collection -his legacy will continue to charm our visitors for years to come!
MINIATURE MILLINERY FROM THE COLLECTION OF JOAN NICHOLS Through December 30 Local doll collector Joan Nichols is lending us her exquisite collection of miniature hats for the holidays. The hats were originally displayed at Saks 5th Avenue to illustrate the history of millinery from the 19th century into the 20th century, and they beautifully capture a bygone profession -- that of the milliner. Be sure to see these adorable petite chapeaux in the wall cases in the First Floor Gallery!
FLORA HEEBNER AND HER CHINESE MISSION Through December 30 The early 20th century Schwenkfelder missionary to China, Flora Heebner, was beloved and respected by her family, friends, and colleagues. She sent many wonderful souvenirs and curiosities during her 40-year stay in China to everybody back home in Pennsylvania, and these objects are certainly well known to anyone who visited the museum on the second floor of the Perkiomen School's Carnegie Library. Flora's lovely gifts of ceramics, textiles, and all manner of Chinese art and material culture are a very small part, however, of her story. The Heritage Center's upcoming exhibit is a journey into Flora's tenure in China as a missionary and teacher through her extensive correspondence and photographs, and will be enhanced by the gorgeous Asian silk textiles, brilliant ceramics, and other objects Flora generously presented to her loved ones. We hope this will be another step in furthering our understanding of Flora's amazing experiences far away from her Schwenkfelder roots in Worcester Township.
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MODERN DESIGN IN THE VALLEY An exhibit of Knoll-related furniture designers working in the Upper Perkiomen Valley January 15 – May 5 The decision of Hans Knoll in the 1940s to locate his office furniture production facilities in the rural Pennsylvania community of East Greenville was a significant move for himself, his employees, and for the people of the Upper Perkiomen Valley. In this bucolic setting, hard working people brought Knoll's visions to life. As the company grew, so did the need for people trained and gifted with skills for designing new office furnishing products. They came, settled, and raised their families in the Upper Perkiomen Valley. This exhibit introduces the colony of designers from a tiny corner of Pennsylvania whose impact was felt across the nation and even throughout the world through their furniture designs. Some are well known while others remain skilled artisans working quietly behind the scenes. We feature nine furniture designers in this exhibition. Two, Don Albinson and Harry Bertoia, are no longer living. Robert De Fuccio and Richard Schultz are both retired. Jim Eldon, Tom Latone and Bill Shea - of Shea and Latone, Inc., and David Wothers are all active designers working full time in the craft they love. Götz Unger teaches design to students at Philadelphia University. The exhibit engages each designer in three ways: First, through the evolution of a design, the visitor sees the design process in action. Through sketches, models, prototypes, catalog and marketing information, an item changes and transforms until the product is presented in use in its intended environment. Second, each designer is requested to present or describe a design-related product they most enjoyed creating. Third, the designer's most significant item that went into production is presented and explained. This exhibit features the creativity of skilled designers and showcases the craftsmanship of a hard-working and welcoming community.
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CENTRAL IMAGES: ART OF REBECCA ROSS February 1– April 28 The Heritage Center is delighted to introduce local artist and friend Rebecca Ross to our audiences. Rebecca has a visually arresting, intriguing perspective on traditional symbols and symbolism that is not only inspiring but quite appealing. Don't miss her upcoming show in the Fraktur Gallery. As a student at the University of Nebraska in 1982, Rebecca became interested in centralized feminist imagery. She began using biblical spiritual imagery in 1984. The artworks that will be displayed are a union of several interests: spirituality, centralized imagery, history, and art history. Rebecca Ross received her B.F.A. in Art at the University of Nebraska in and her 1984 M.F.A. in Painting and Drawing at James Madison University in 1987 . She has been incorporating Pennsylvania German Hex symbols into her art since 2003. In 2001 she began using yantras as a subject for her artwork. These images are made up of four triangles intersecting five triangles and are used as symbols in both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions. The similarities of the shapes led her to using Hex symbols.
THE KEY TO DESIGN: REFINE AND REVISE Artwork by Upper Perkiomen School District Students Elementary through High School Grades February 19 – April 25 Opening reception: Sunday February 24, 2:00 – 4:00 pm Student artwork from Marlborough Elementary, Hereford Elementary, Upper Perkiomen Middle School, and Upper Perkiomen High School explores the elements of what is good design through furniture, product, and textile design.
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FAMILY WORKSHOPS Paper Houses Tuesday, December 4, 1:30 – 3:00 pm Our miniature Putz features early 20th century paper houses. We will create small paper houses using various materials that you can set on display this holiday season.
Family Workshop cost is $5.00 per participant/workshop unless otherwise noted. Registration information is available at www.schwenkfelder.com or call 215-679-3103 or email rebecca@schwenkfelder.com Family Workshops for 2012/2103 are sponsored through a general grant from Univest
Tinware Tuesday, December 11, 1:30 – 3:00 pm Tinware was a popular craft and trade for the Pennsylvania Germans. Using thin sheets of metal we will make small tin punch projects to use as a candleholder or small lantern. (Imitation) Marquetry: Wood Design Tuesday, January 8, 1:30 – 3:00 pm Inspired by the marquetry (wood inlay) table featured in our exhibit gallery, we’ll explore pattern, texture, value, and dimension using thin strips of wood and faux wood products to make a small project. Design Seating Tuesday, January 22, 1:30 – 3:00 pm Our design challenge: to create a place for sitting. Students will design plans for seating, inspired by the design process and products in our Design in the Valley furniture exhibition. Printed Textile Quilt Tuesday, February 5, 1:30 – 3:00 pm Each student will create a unique block print, then exchange prints with fellow students to make their own small wall hanging that incorporates designs by all participants.
BEGINNER TO ADVANCED GERMAN AND LATIN FOR HOMESCHOOLERS Beginner to Advanced German and Latin courses are available on a month by month basis throughout the school year for homeschoolers from September through May. To accommodate the busy schedules of our parents and students, we offer the option of attending class 10:00 am – 11:30 am or 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Wednesdays and Fridays, completing a total of three hours of instruction per week and eight classes per monthly session. $50.00 per student each monthly session December: 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21 (reduced rate) January: 4, 9,11,16,18, 23, 25, 30 February: 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 As a reminder to parents, in case of inclement weather, classes will only be cancelled if our local school district, Upper Perkiomen School District, closes for the day. School cancellations can be found on www.wfmz.com, www.cbs3.com, and your local TV stations. We will post announcements on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ Schwenkfelder.
GERMAN CLASSES
Impressionist Landscapes Tuesday, February 19, 1:30 – 3:00 pm
We’d love to have you participate in our German classes. Here’s a synopsis of what we do:
Artist Walter Baum was a Schwenkfelder descendant who lived and worked in this region. Look and respond to his landscape paintings in our collection and make a small acrylic landscape inspired by his style.
This fall we had three levels of homeschoolers learning German with our instructor, Allen Viehmeyer. Early beginners (8-9 year olds) learn the first steps in speaking German by mastering vocabulary of numbers, colors, foods, beverages, clothing, calendar, greetings, and farewells. Beginners (ages 10-11) have a book for learning to read and write German as well as expand their vocabulary.
If you are interested in our family programs and cannot come during our set dates and times, we can offer the same program to your group during non-public school hours at an alternate date and time during the month. Our group minimum is 5 participants. To register, call 215-679-3103 or rebecca@schwenkfelder.com.
The intermediate learner (12-15) uses a high school textbook to strengthen reading, writing, and speaking skills. All of the homeschoolers learn to sing some traditional German folksongs (some play instruments), watch German children’s movies on DVD to help them understand daily life in Germany, and engage in crafts and other activities connected with German language skills.
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WEEKEND ADULT AND FAMILY CRAFT WORKSHOPS Join us on Saturday mornings for crafts and leisure inspired by our collection. Bookbinding Saturday, January 12, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm $10 adults ($5 for youth participants) Recommended for: Teens, Adults, and Seniors Learn the basics of how to make a hard cover book and a single signature pamphlet stitch book. Register by January 5. Printed Textile Quilt/ Printed Textiles Saturday, February 16, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm $10 adults ($5 for youth participants) Recommended for: Ages 5 and up Make a small hand-carved block print, and then use the block to make a printed textile piece. The fabric remnant will be large enough to possibly make a placemat, table runner, or hand towel at a later time. In addition, participants will make a collective piece that features a print from all participants in the class. Register by February 9. Egg Decoration: Binsa Gras and Fabric Decorated Eggs Saturday, March 23, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm $10 adults ($5 youth participants) Recommended for: Ages 5 and up Using binsa gras, fabric and other media, we’ll make different decorated eggs inspired by PA German traditions in time for the Easter holiday. Register by March 16.
E-NEWSLETTER UPDATES To receive email updates about our collections and education programs, send your email address to: rebecca@schwenkfelder.com
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4th Annual Children’s Grundsau Lodsch “Grundsau Lodsch fer Yunge” Sunday, January 27 (snow date: February 10) Meeting at 3:00 pm, meal to follow, $5.00 donation RSVP to Rebecca Lawrence 215-679-3103 or rebecca@schwenkfelder.com by January 13
Join us Sunday, January 27, for the Heritage Center's 4th annual (Die vierte yaarlich) Grundsau Lodsch fer Yunge, the area's only groundhog lodge for children. Celebrate PA German culture by paying homage to the groundhog, learn dialect phrases, engage in music, crafts, and help our Grundsau Ricky predict the weather forecast for Spring!
GERMAN FOR READING KNOWLEDGE FOR ADULTS Allen Viehmeyer, Instructor Evening classes are available for adults wanting to improve their reading knowledge of German. Courses will be taught on Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, $80.00 per participant per month. For dates and additional information, please contact Rebecca Lawrence, Museum Educator, at 215-679-3103.
PA GERMAN DIALECT CONVERSATION GROUP Our group meets monthly to discuss topics in PA Dutch! There is no charge to join our conversation group and no RSVP is required. Winter 2012/2013 meetings occur on Thursdays: December 20, January 17, February 21, and March 21 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in the Heritage Center's meeting room. We provide coffee and tea during the meeting. Topics change each month and participants are encouraged to bring their own dialect materials or questions to discuss. Questions can be directed to Museum Educator, Rebecca Lawrence, at 215-679-3103 or via email at rebecca@schwenkfelder.com.
“Mer wolle widder Deitsch Schwetze”
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Volume 15, Issue 4
BRAND NEW MAJOR SPECIAL EVENT COMING MAY 17 & 18, 2013!
Twenty quality dealers for your shopping delight, including Raccoon Creek Antiques of Oley, Van Tassel Baumann of Malvern, Neverbird Antiques of Suffolk, VA and Rose Gallo of Richmond, VA, to name a few, will be featured in our First Floor Galleries and Meeting Room with an array of fabulous goods that you will want to make your very own. In addition to the MARKET of DELECTABLE TEXTILE TREASURES, you will have the opportunity to hear a variety of speakers, participate in a class, or take part in showings of personal collections. A complete schedule will be forthcoming online and in an upcoming newsletter, with ticket prices for the lectures and classes. Whet your appetite for textile knowledge with these programs: Kathleen Staples, an internationally recognized authority on samplers and textiles in general is a featured speaker on Saturday, presenting “Sampler 101: Let’s Start at the Very Beginning,” an introduction to American sampler making for the uninitiated and a superb review for those “in the know.” Michelle McLaughlin will offer an entertaining and highly informative presentation on the Sunbonnet Sue quilt block – a beloved 20th century design. Pat and Arlen Christ will provide an up-close and personal visit with their acclaimed quilt collection in a quilt turning, to be held Friday afternoon. And there’s much more! We want to make sure everyone is well fed, so we have a wonderful dinner planned for Friday evening called DUTCH DINNER WITH THE DEALERS. This fundraising dinner, which is being held at the charmingly rustic INN AT BALLY SPRINGS in bucolic Hereford Township, Berks County, will feature some delicious Pennsylvania Dutch fare and a chance to mingle with our dealers. The Inn also has a limited number of cozy guest rooms (with Jacuzzis!) available for those who wish to stay. Lunch will also be available on site at the Heritage Center. Additional lodging is available locally at our friends in East Greenville, the Globe Inn Bed & Breakfast, and several hotels near the Quakertown exit of the PA Turnpike. Make a weekend of it! More information will follow in the coming months. Please call 215-679-3103 or email Candace Perry at candace@schwenkfelder.com for more specifics.
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MEET RACHEL RUISARD ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS VOLUNTEER Rachel worked with Allen Viehmeyer, Associate Director of Research, during the summer and fall 2012. Rachel catalogued the manuscript music notebooks collection.
A TOUR OF THE KNOLL MUSEUM AND FACTORY On Monday, October 8, Museum Educator Rebecca Lawrence joined Upper Perkiomen School District Art Teachers Michele Burns, Middle School; Maria Conway, Marlborough Elementary; Amy Lychock, High School; Lora Mayer, High School; Kristina OlsonBerryman, Middle School; Norma Reichenbach-Nichols, Hereford Elementary; and Cathy Bintliff, Middle School Family and Consumer Science teacher, at the Knoll Museum in East Greenville. The visit to Knoll included a plant tour by Jeanne Schlicher, a tour of the KnollTextiles plant by Kevin Thornton (VP of Operations, KnollTextiles), a tour of the Knoll Museum by Carol Connell and Alice Wright, and presentations about the history of textiles design by KnollTextiles Representatives Nicole Melusky, Mandy Darrah, and Sarah Bucke. Knoll staff assembled resources, timelines, and images for reference material. Linda Kasper, Knoll Client Services Manager, arranged the day for the group. Many thanks to all the Knoll staff who set aside their Monday morning to share their passion for design and local history. The Art teachers were there in preparation for the upcoming exhibit: The Key to Design: Refine and Revise; Artwork by UPSD Students February through April at the Heritage Center. The companion exhibit, Design in the Valley, curated by local designer Robert De Fuccio will focus on the work of nine designers from our community who have had regional and national prominence in their field. Most of them have designed previously for Knoll.
What excites you about working with the collection at the Schwenkfelder Library? I am absolutely thrilled to work with Dr. Viehmeyer and the collection because I am able to immerse myself in the local history and get a feel for the Schwenkfelder and Pennsylvania German communities, past and present. While learning about the tools and procedures used in archival studies, I am also able to work with some absolutely wonderful people. Describe your cataloguing process for our readers: I determine the condition of the manuscript and put it into the database; then, I try to summarize the contents. I try to look for something that makes each manuscript stand out from the others. Determining the author/owner of the object in question often proves difficult, so I try to catch other small details that mark the manuscript as unique. Embellished handwriting, bookplates, notes written in the margins or slipped between pages, I think of each difference as important and I try to take note of everything I find. Do you have a favorite object/most interesting book you've come across? A few of the music manuscripts I cataloged contained figured bass, a basic method in music for realizing harmonies from a bass line. Dr. Viehmeyer and I tried to determine how it became a part of the Schwenkfelder culture, for there is currently no record of congregational singing, instruments in church or music education during the period from which the manuscripts originate. Describe your personal interests/personal research. I am currently a junior majoring in Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with a minor in Medieval Studies at Moravian College. I hope to attend graduate school for musicology, with the Medieval/Renaissance period as my focus. While the Schwenkfelder Library is the first non-profit organization I have volunteered with, I recently started working with the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, PA. I hope to continue working with both the Schwenkfelder and Moravian organizations and possibly incorporate one (or both) into a future research project.
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Annie Funk: A Life That Made A Difference Rev. Dr. Robert W. Gerhart Sunday, March 17, 2013, 2:30 pm 2:00 pm—Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
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NEW ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY Fall 2012 New Books Der Freund in der Noth, or, The Friend in Need, Johann Georg Hohman, introduction, translation and annotation by Patrick J. Donmoyer. Donated by Patrick J. Donmoyer.
"Annie Funk: A Life That Made A Difference," a chalk talk by the Rev. Dr. Robert W. Gerhart, will be presented at 2:30 pm in the Heritage Center Meeting Room. Using special chalks, lighting and music, Pastor Bob Gerhart of Bally, PA, will draw a portrayal of the life of Annie Funk and her journey on the Titanic while the audience watches.
The Genealogy and Ancestry of June Rothenberger Reigner, volume 3, researched, compiled, and documented by Derek C. Reigner. Donated by Derek C. Reigner.
Bob Gerhart was raised in the Bally area. He returned to the community to serve from 1988 to 2008 as Pastor of what had been Annie Funk’s home church, the Hereford Mennonite Church in Bally. His interest in Annie’s life began when, as a boy growing up in the region known locally as the Butter Valley, he learned of her life from persons who had actually known her. Discovering memorabilia from her life and work led to further research of the RMS Titanic events and that tragic “night to remember” and has spurred further reflection on the impact it continues to have in our world today. As an artist Pastor Gerhart developed the unique visualization highlighting Annie’s life and ministry and her place on the Titanic.
Hillegass source material: CD collection of source material on the Hillegass family, compiled by Timothy R. Vitale. Donated by Timothy R. Vitale.
The forty-five minute inspirational chalk presentation will take the viewer back to Miss Funk’s Pennsylvania homestead and then to her missionary activity in India before concluding with her journey on the ill-fated Titanic in 1912. Dr. Robert W. Gerhart, former Pastor of Hereford Mennonite Church in Bally, Pennsylvania, currently serves as Executive Director of AMEC, the Alliance of Mennonite Evangelical Congregations.
Bach Chorales Proclaiming the Gospels: Musical Manuscripts with German Texts and English Vertical Translations, John Kaye Gottschall. Donated by John Kaye Gottschall.
New to the Archives: Schantz family research material. Donated by Narona Gebert.
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center Board of Directors The Heritage Center is a private not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation with a 25 member Board of Directors who meet eight times throughout the year. Members are elected to a three year term and officers are elected for a one year term of office. For those who are curious regarding who is serving on our Board, here is a current list of Directors: Jennifer Allebach Andrew Anders Sara Borr John Bryant Kenneth Clemens (First Vice President) Diane Dunn Karen Gallagher Evonne Glenn Gerald Heebner (President) Waldo Johnson Martin Kriebel Helen Krieble Kathryn Lesieur
Patricia Marburger (Secretary) Rebecca McBrien George Meschter (Second Vice President) Barbara Pence Bruce Rothenberger Scott Schultz Fred Seipt Vernon Seipt Carl Sensenig Douglas Wallinger H. Drake Williams, Jr. (Treasurer) Sandra Williams
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VIEHWEG MONUMENT 15OTH ANNIVERSARY 1863 - 2013
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“Our Pennsylvania Schwenkfelders might honor their forefathers somewhat by giving a little of that prosperity which they would never have enjoyed had it not been for the faithfulness of these true and iron old people.” Dr. Solomon Schultz, January 1861
Throughout the year 2013, we will be marking the 150th anniversary of the placing of the Viehweg Monument in Harpersdorf, Germany—now Twardocice, Poland. The Viehweg Committee is hoping to raise $15,000 through 100 donations of $150. The funds will be used to meet current and future needs of care for the monument. We are pleased to announce that our fundraising efforts are well underway: we have received 19 donations for a total of $3,135.00 raised (some donated more per person than $150). A very enthusiastic “Thank you!” goes out to those who have contributed to these efforts. Gifts are still being received. If you would like to support this project, send your check, clearly marked “Viehweg Project”, and payable to: Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center. In addition, we are pleased to announce that we have contracted with a monument restoration firm in Poland to clean and treat the monument. The work should take several weeks to a month to accomplish and though not begun at the time of going to press for this newsletter, the process will hopefully be completed by the end of fall. More updates to come!
Here rest in God the faithful Schwenkfelders who were buried in this Viehweg between 1720 and 1740. The descendants in North America erected this monument in memory of their ancestors in Probsthayn, Harpersdorf, Langneuendorf, and Lauterseifen.
MEET THE DESIGNERS Sunday, January 20, 2013, 2:00 pm (snow date: Sunday, February 3) In coordination with the current exhibit, Design in the Valley (see page 4 for more information regarding this exhibit), a panel of exhibit participants will present a discussion on the process of designing. Panelists Jim Eldon, Bob De Fuccio, Tom Latone, Bill Shea, and Götz Unger will talk about such topics as how they came to settle in the Upper Perkiomen Valley, how they go about the process of designing, what things they have designed, what training and background they have, and how the Valley has affected the way they design. The panel will also field questions from the audience. Curator of Collections Candace Perry will moderate the panel. This Friends program is open to the public and is complimentary to attendees. Refreshments will follow the discussion.
Design Studios Open House Sunday, April 14, 1:00 – 4:00 pm See the studios of designers Jim Eldon (the former Town & Country Building), Shea and Latone, Inc. (East Greenville) Bertoia Studios (Bally) Richard Schultz Studio (Palm) and the Knoll Museum (East Greenville). Details of this event will be in our next newsletter.
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FALL LECTURE SERIES As is our custom, we are offering a variety of lectures in various formats. The popular Brown Bag (BB) lunches are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at noon. Bring your lunch— beverages provided—and enjoy a free lecture while you eat. Unless otherwise indicated, these lectures are normally repeated the following Sunday at 2:00 pm. Both Wednesday and Sunday programs are free and open to the public. Wednesday, December 12, noon, and Sunday, December 16, 2:00 pm The Pennsylvania Germans South of the Mason-Dixon Line by Hunt Schenkel This talk will focus on the migration and settlement of the Pennsylvania Germans along portions of the Great Wagon Road south of the Mason-Dixon Line. It will explore the ways that the culture and beliefs of these German-speaking Protestants both transformed and adapted to the political, social and religious milieu of western Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Wednesday, January 9, noon Instrumental Music: What Schwenkfelders Heard by Keith Brintzenhoff
Wednesday, February 13, noon, and Sunday, February 17, 2:00 pm Schwenkfelders and their Languages by Allen Viehmeyer Schwenkfelders differed from the other early 18th century immigrants by speaking a Silesian dialect of German. Schwenkfelders read and wrote Standard German, too. Like their other German speaking neighbors, they evolved gradually into speakers of Pennsylvania German. For generations Schwenkfelders used English along side German. Learn how the Church kept the German language alive until English totally supplanted German. The changes in language use will be illustrated by historical Schwenkfelder documents.
Entertaining and historical performance of nonreligious tunes and songs that Schwenkfelders living in southeastern Pennsylvania might have heard. Live music played by Keith Brintzenhoff on representative instruments including mountain dulcimer, autoharp, guitar, and others. Hear tunes such as “Meedli wilt du heiere,” “Buffalo Gals,” “Hei Lie, Hei Lo,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Sunday, January 13, 2:00 pm Secular Music 1500-1865: What Schwenkfelders Heard by Norm Stull and Allen Viehmeyer Chronological presentation of non-religious tunes and songs that Caspar Schwenckfeld and his followers might have heard in Silesia and southeastern Pennsylvania. Live music played by Norm Stull and Allen Viehmeyer on representative instruments. Hear tunes such as “Der Winter ist Vergangen,” “Es kommt ein Schiff geladen,” “Schlof Bobbeli Schlof,” and “Oh Susanna.”
Wednesday, March 13, noon, and Sunday, March 17, 2:00 pm Early Twentieth Century Photographs of Silesia and Germany by Allen Viehmeyer Schwenkfelders traveling in Silesia and Germany prior to World War II took numerous photos, now deposited in our Archives, of the sites they saw and the people they met. Come and experience a journey back to ancestral Schwenkfelder landscapes through a slide presentation of these photographs.
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Winter 2012/2013 Programs and Events December 1 – 9:30 am; 2 – Noon Christmas Market
February: 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 Beginner-Advanced German and Latin
December 4 – 1:30 pm Family Workshop: Paper Houses December 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21 Beginner-Advanced German and Latin December 11 – 1:30 pm Family Workshop: Tinware December 12 – noon, 16 – 2:00 pm BB Lecture: PA Germans in the South December 20 – 2:00 pm PA German Dialect Conversation Group January: 4, 9,11,16,18, 23, 25, 30 Beginner-Advanced German and Latin January 8 – 1:30 pm Family Workshop: Marquetry: Wood Design January 9 – noon Instrumental Music: What Schwenkfelders Heard
February 5 – 1:30 pm Family Workshop: Printed Textile Quilt February 13 – noon, 17 – 2:00 pm BB Lecture: Schwenkfelders and their Languages February 16 – 10:00 am Craft workshop: Printed Textile Quilt/Printed Textiles February 19 – 1:30 pm Family Workshop: Impressionist Landscapes February 21 – 2:00 pm PA German Dialect Conversation Group February 24 – 2:00 pm Exhibit Opening Reception: The Key to Design March 13 – noon, 17 – 2:00 pm BB Lecture: Early Twentieth Century Photographs of Silesia and Germany
January 12 – 10:00 am Craft Workshop: Bookbinding
March 17 – 2:00 pm, program at 2:30 pm Friends Annual Meeting — Annie Funk: A Life that made a Difference, Rev. Robert Gerhart
January 13 – 2:00 pm Secular Music: What Schwenkfelders Heard
March 21 – 2:00 pm PA German Dialect Conversation Group
January 17 – 2:00 pm PA German Dialect Conversation Group
March 23 – 10:00 am Craft Workshop: Binsa Gras & Fabric Decorated Eggs
January 20 – 2:00 pm Panel Discussion: Meet the Designers
April 14 – 1:00 pm Design Studies Open House
January 22 – 1:30 pm Family Workshop: Design Seating
May 17 and 18 Penn Dry Goods Market
January 27 – 3:00 pm Children’s Grundsau Lodsch
Winter 2012/2013 Exhibits Through January 20, 2013 Evelyn Schule Paintings Meeting Room
Through December 30 Christmas Putz Local History Gallery
Through December 30 Flora Heebner and her Chinese Mission Fraktur Gallery
January 15 – May 5 Modern Design in the Valley Art and Local History Galleries
Through December 30 Miniature Millinary Wall Cases, First Floor Gallery
February 1 – April 28 Central Images: Art of Rebecca Ross Fraktur Gallery
Through December 30 Dutch Deco Art Gallery
February 19 – April 25 The Key to Design: Refine and Revise Meeting Room
Phone: 215.679.3103 fax: 215.679.8175 www.schwenkfelder.com email: info@schwenkfelder.com
105 Seminary Street Pennsburg, PA 18073-1898
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www.schwenkfelder.com
Volume 15, Issue 4
CHRISTMAS MARKET:
Treasures and Traditions through Time Saturday, December 1 – 9:30 am to 4:00 pm & Sunday, December 2 – Noon to 4:00 pm Join us for our annual Christmas celebration at the Heritage Center and also at our dear friends' sites, Goschenhoppen Historians and the Mennonite Heritage Center. Our visitors are promised distinctly different festive holiday treats at each location, but we all share the wish to bring our patrons a bit of the warmth of Christmases past to their present - and presents!
Start out with us: SHOP: Remembering the Good Old Days Christmas Shopping Fun EXHIBITS: 20th Century Nostalgic Christmas Putz, Evelyn Schule Paintings, Flora Heebner and the Chinese Mission, Dutch Deco, Joan Nichols' Miniature Millinery
Then on to the Goschenhoppen Historians: SHOP: Vintage Christmas Collectibles, Home Baked Goodies, Folk Festival Craftsmen's Wares EXHIBIT: Trees and Trains, 18th and 19th century holiday exhibits in the Museum LOCATION: Red Men’s Hall, Routes 29 and 63, Green Lane
Finish your day at the Mennonite Heritage Center: SHOP: Pennsylvania German Folk Art Sale, featuring the finest traditional crafts EXHIBIT: Painting the Barn: Landscape Art Exhibit and Sale Historic Barn and Farm Photographs Exhibit NEW THIS YEAR: OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS PHOTO OP – be a time traveler and take your picture in an antique sleigh with a Currier & Ives backdrop! LOCATION: 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville For more information, directions or decisions about inclement weather, call the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center at 215-679-3103 or the Mennonite Heritage Center at 215-256-3020.