Early German-American Life

The German immigrants were devout church people and scrupulously observed the Sabbath.

Indeed some districts, even today, do not allow motor traffic during worship hours. They

were members of many different religious sects such as the Mennonites, Moravians,

Schwenkfelders, Dunkards, Brinsers (United Zion Children), Widerderfer, Lutheran,

Reformed Lutheran and Baptists. Distinctive clothing was, and is, common. The costumes

ranged from the black dresses and bonnets, black frock coats and large black hats of

the Mennonite men and women to the harsh homespun garb of the Amish. The Dunkards (German

Baptists) had a very quaint garb and simple ceremonies which included sacramental washings

and baptisms. There were some 34,000 members of this sect at one time.

The customs of these people were very difficult. Monday, Wednesday and Friday were

believed to be favorable days for moving. Cattle were driven to pasture on Thursday and,

Tuesday or Thursday were the best days for weddings. Saturday was the day for shopping.

The curbside market was a development of the Pennsylvania Germans with Wednesday and Saturday

the best days for going to the market. Theaters and motion pictures are, even today, banned

in some towns and country dancing is still a favorite social event.

It was the German immigrants, in the 1830's that introduced the Christmas tree with its

bright red ribbons and apples, home-baked confections and countless tiny candles. Beneath

the tree they heaped homemade toys and gifts. They also gave us Santa Claus, the Easter

Rabbit and many other traditions.

The Pennsylvania Germans were very accomplished artisans. Although the blacksmith, clock

maker and glass maker are quickly vanishing from view, many artisans in rural areas still

ply their trade and follow the established medieval guild practices and superstitions.

As a mark of their predominantly Rhenish origin, these people have left numerous structures

that reveal elements of Medieval and Renaissance architecture, steep roofs, the outward curve

of the eaves and central chimneys of the smaller homes. Barns, famed for their large sized

construction, were decorated with hexafoos such as sun wheels and other good luck symbols to

guard against lightning. Chests and clocks were decorated with Biblical subjects and birds or

flowers-- the tulip being a favorite motif. This type of artistic decoration was also done on

title pages of books and Birth, Baptismal and Marriage Certificates.

Although some labor saving devices have been adopted for personal use, the ideal of hard

work is still the aspiration of many--especially in connection with the domestic arts, such a

s cooking and farming. German families are still some of the best and most productive farmer

in Pennsylvania.

The German's taste and flair for fine food has brought names such as: Heinz, Gerber, Kraft,

and Fleischmann toward fame. Hershey and chocolate have become synonymous. William Zeigler

developed "Royal Baking Powder", while Claus Spreckels and William Havemeyer developed a

sugar refining process. Some of the famous German brewers include: Schiltz, Miller, Blatz,

Schaffer, Buppert, Liebmann, Kreuger, Gunther and Anhauser-Busch.

The third successful periodical in Pennsylvania was a quarterly by Christopher Sauer of

Germantown under the name Der Hoch Deutsche Pennsylvanische Geschicht (The High Pennsylvania

Chronicler), which first appeared on 20 August 1739, with important information from Germany

about the Church. It later appeared weekly as the Germantauner Zeitzung (Germantown Journal).

It was from this printing press of Christopher Sauer of Germantown, Pennsylvania that the first

American printing of the Bible came in 1743. Because of their strong religious convictions, in

1688, the Germans of Germantown made the earliest formal American protest against Negro slavery.

Other important developments in American industry and commerce also came from the German

community. The broad wheeled, boat shaped, Conestoga Wagon and the Kentucky Long Rifle,

developed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are two examples. Others include a method to mine

sulphur, developed by John Roebling acoustic panels by Carl Muench wire rope by Heiman

Frasch railroad air brakes and numerous other electrical developments by George Westinghouse,

who was second only to Charles Steinmetz of General Electric pianos by George Steinway optical

developments by John Bausch and Henry Lomb, not to mention the pharmaceutical industry with

such names as Sharpe, Dohme, Merck, Mallenkroat and Pfiser.