PA Dutch - description and history

Who are the Pennsylvania Dutch and what is the Pennsylvania Dutch Language?

The Pennsylvania Dutch people are descendants of German speaking Europeans. They are more properly called Pennsylvania German. They obtained the name Pennsylvania Dutch because the German word for German is Deutch. The Pennsylvania Dutch language is a dialect of German spoken in Southern Germany.

Plain vs. Fancy Dutch

The PA Dutch belong to many religious sects and in this respect have been categorized into Plain and Fancy (or Gay) Dutch.  Plain Dutch refers to members of the following religious communities: Amish, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren and Schwenkfelders.  The Fancy or Gay Dutch are members of traditional protestant churches such as the Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians and the like. 

The Fancy Dutch

Most ancestors of the “Fancy” Dutch have integrated into the culture at large.  And the majority of them have lost their German dialect.  They were members of the following religious sects: Lutherans, Reformed Church, Quakers, and Moravians.  There are some Fancy Dutch who are still speaking the Pennsylvania Dutch language.   They have organized various societies with the aim of preserving their language and culture.  One such organization is the Grundsow (Groundhog) lodge.   At this time there are 16 Grundsow lodges in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Total membership is about 5000.

History of the Plain Dutch

The Plain Dutch obtain their name from the clothing style they wear.  These styles, though simple and unadorned, vary from congregation to congregation.  The Plain Dutch include members of the Amish, Mennonite and Brethren religious sects.  Plain dress is part of their religious observance. 

All of the sects listed above grew out the Anabaptist movement, which took place in southern Germany and Switzerland in 1525.  The Anabaptist sects grew out of the protestant reformation.  Members of  Ulrich Zwingli’s, church in Zurich, Switzerland responded to church abuses by rebaptizing adult church members.  Today adult baptism continues to be a distinguishing practice of the Plain Dutch religious ceremony. 

The rebaptizing met with fierce resistance and persecution by Protestants, Catholic and civil authorities.  Protestant and Catholics abhorred it because they saw as a threat to church membership and sanctity of the marriage vows.  The civil authorities could not permit it because baptism played a part in citizenship.

The resulting persecution served to strengthen the resolve of the Anabaptists and caused them to migrate.  Eventually they came to the United States.

Web Sites

• Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University 
  Sixty-acre property includes a 19th century farm, a museum and library. The center sponsors numerous events.

• Pennsylvania Dutch History
  History of the PA Dutch authored by the Center for Pennsylvania German Studies at Millersville University.

By

          Michael Weber
          610-683-4746 (Phone)
          610-683-4483 (Fax)
          weber@kutztown.edu (Email)
          faculty.kutztown.edu/weber/ (Personal Webpage)

Reference

Kirchner, Audrey Burie and Margaret R. Tassia.  In days gone by: folklore and traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch  Edgewood: Libraries Unlimited, 1996.  
Main Collection:  GR 111 G47K57 1996
Outline of Pennsylvania Dutch history, customs, folklore and recipes.

Updated: 3-3-2006
Copyright 2006 - Kutztown University of Pennsylvania