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Press Release: For Immediate
Release
Release date: October 2, 2007
(Event date: Thursday, October 18, 2007)
Contact: Pat Arnold, 610-820-0989; Dennis
Lutterschmidt, 610-285-6326;
Shirley Conner,
610-264-2979
The Pennsylvania German Dialect, from its Origins to Today
Many Lehigh Valley residents trace their ancestry to the Pennsylvania
German settlers who came here in the 1700s. The settlers created the farms, churches,
and mills that we see in our countryside today. Coming from areas of Europe that were
later united into Germany, they spoke various dialects of German that gradually blended
into the Pennsylvania German, or “Pennsylvania Dutch,” that is spoken today in the
Lehigh Valley.
On Thursday, October 18, at 7 p.m. in Allentown, the Pennsylvania German
Friends organization will host a program highlighting the development of our local dialect.
The presenter, Frauke Hentz, is from Baden-Wurttemberg in southwest Germany,
which is the ancestral home of many Lehigh Valley residents. Her native German dialect,
Schwabisch, is related to the one spoken in our region.
The gathering, which is free and open to the public, will be held at St. Peters
Lutheran Church, 1933 Hanover Avenue, Allentown. Hentz will address the group in
English, with samplings of Pennsylvania German. Tracing the dialect from its European
roots to the one spoken in our region, she’ll illustrate the way that the variations were
blended in Pennsylvania. The role that demographics plays in creating the current
patterns of usage will also be examined.
Currently studying political science at Kutztown University, Hentz also
translates documents such as letters, wills and deeds at the Pennsylvania German
Cultural Heritage Center in Kutztown. She has been in this country for one year.
Pennsylvania German Friends presents monthly programs highlighting
local history, culture and language. Refreshments and conversation follow the program.
Parking is available in the church lot. For further information, call 610-264-2979.
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The
Pennsylvania German Society
Located in the
Zimmerman Cabin
at the Pennsylvania German
Cultural Heritage Center
22 Luckenbill Road
Kutztown, PA 19530
Our mailing address is: The
Pennsylvania German Society P.O. Box 244
Kutztown, PA 19530
(484) 646-4227
Fax: (484) 646-4228
E-mail:
pgs@kutztown.edu ©
Copyright 2005.
The Pennsylvania German Society
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