PHMC dedicated | October 06, 2008 |
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The German Society of Pennsylvania, located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest German-culture organization in the United States. Founded in 1764, to aid German immigrants, including those who arrived as indentured servants, it now promotes the teaching of the German language and culture, sponsors lectures, concerts and films, and awards scholarships. [1] Its Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library is the largest private German-language library outside of Germany. The Library was founded in 1817 and throughout its history collected a wide variety of literature and periodicals to serve the reading interests of German Society members; it continues to operate as a lending library today, with a focus on fiction, biography, and children's books in German. In 1867, under the leadership of Oswald Seidensticker, an archive was established, with the aim of documenting German-American history and culture, and that remains the primary mission of the Library today. Among the holdings are many early products of the German-American press, including a 1743 Christoph Sauer Bible, the first European-language Bible printed in North America. As a research institution, the Horner Library is also known for its pamphlet and manuscript collections related to German-American organizations and individuals, and its holdings of 19th-century popular German works that have become rare. [2]
Since 1888, the Society has been located at 611 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia. Many of the city's German-culture public artworks were commissioned by the organization, including the statue of Peter Muhlenberg that now stands behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the monument honoring Francis Daniel Pastorius and the first German settlers, in Vernon Park, Germantown. [3]
Turners are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber (1798–1872), were the leading sponsors of gymnastics as an American sport and the field of academic study.
The Pennsylvania Dutch, also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania (U.S.), Ontario (Canada) and other regions of the United States and Canada, most predominantly in the US Mid-Atlantic region. They largely originate from the Palatinate region of Germany, and settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. While most were from the Palatinate region of Germany, a lesser number were from other German-speaking areas of Germany and Europe, including Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Saxony, and Rhineland in Germany, Switzerland, and the Alsace–Lorraine region of France.
The Philadelphia nativist riots were a series of riots that took place on May 6—8 and July 6—7, 1844, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and the adjacent districts of Kensington and Southwark. The riots were a result of rising anti-Catholic sentiment at the growing population of Irish Catholic immigrants. The government brought in over a thousand militia—they confronted the nativist mobs and killed or wounded hundreds of anti-Catholic rioters.
American Bible Society is a U.S.-based Christian nonprofit headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As the American member organization of United Bible Societies, it supports global Bible translation, production, distribution, literacy, engagement, ministry, and advocacy efforts. American Bible Society publishes and distributes interconfessional translations of the Christian Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with it. Founded on May 11, 1816, in New York City, it is best known for its Good News Translation of the Bible, written in the contemporary vernacular. American Bible Society also publishes the Contemporary English Version.
The Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, commonly called the Katz Center, is a postdoctoral research center devoted to the study of Jewish history and civilization.
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society produces a significant amount of printed and electronic literature, primarily for use by Jehovah's Witnesses. Their best known publications are the magazines, The Watchtower and Awake!
The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, or simply the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, or PYM, is the central organizing body for Quaker meetings in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States area, including parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. The PYM is primarily affiliated with the Friends General Conference and is a member of the National Council of Churches.
Tun Tavern was a tavern and brewery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was a founding or early meeting place for a number of notable groups. It is traditionally regarded as the site where what became the United States Marine Corps held its first recruitment drive during the American Revolution. It is also regarded as one of the "birthplaces of Masonic teachings in America".
The Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) is a non-profit organization based on Locust Street in Center City Philadelphia. Founded as a library in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of historically valuable manuscripts and printed material in the United States.
Isaac Leeser was an American Orthodox Jewish religious leader, teacher, scholar and publisher. He helped found the Jewish press of America, produced the first Jewish translation of the Bible into English, and helped organize various social and educational organizations. He is considered one of the most important nineteenth century American Jewish personalities. He was "fiercely opposed" to Reform Judaism and was regarded as one of the most important "orthodox" rabbis of his era. Leeser is regarded as a forerunner by both Modern Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism.
Henry William Stiegel was a German-American glassmaker and ironmaster.
Roy Alvin Harrisville II was an American Lutheran theologian who wrote extensively on the interpretation of the New Testament.
The National German-American Alliance, was a federation of ethnic German associations in the United States founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1901. Charles John Hexamer was elected its first president, and served until 1917. The mission of the NGAA was to "promote and preserve German culture in America"; it essentially sought to resist the assimilation of Germans in America. At the peak of its growth, around 1916, the national organization had chapters in forty-five states, and the District of Columbia, and a membership of approximately 2.5 million people.
The Pennsylvania Prison Society is an advocacy group that supports prisoners, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is the third-oldest school of its kind in the United States. Its founder, David G. Seixas (1788–1864), was a Philadelphia crockery maker-dealer who became concerned with the plight of impoverished deaf children who he observed on the city's streets. The current school building is listed by the National Register of Historic Places, and two former campuses are similarly recognized.
The Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) is the oldest continuous denominational historical society in the United States. Its mission is to collect, preserve and share the history of the American Presbyterian and Reformed tradition with the church and broader community. It is a department of the Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Pennsylvania German Society is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to studying the Pennsylvania German people and their 330-year history in the United States and Canada. The society works to preserve and promote the history, culture, religion, and dialect of the Pennsylvania Germans, also commonly known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. It was founded in 1891 and was a founding member of the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies.
Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy is an Islamic private day and weekend school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, established in 1996. It has a coeducational kindergarten through 12th grade. It is affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society and is located in a common building, 1501 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19122. Coursework includes Islamic studies, the Arabic language, and Quran classes.
Masjid Al-Jamia is a Sunni mosque in West Philadelphia. It was founded in 1988 by members of the Muslim Students Association at the University of Pennsylvania . Eight years later, the mosque became independent from the Penn MSA and, around 2009, acquired ownership of the building. Located at 4228 Walnut Street, in a historic building formerly occupied by the Commodore Theatre, the mosque currently serves a large and diverse Muslim population in the neighborhood. The mosque's name itself signals its importance to the community, as the Arabic etymology suggests. In Arabic, Masjid Al-Jamia means “the congregational mosque”, typically where Muslims meet for Friday prayers.
Nicholas Hasselbach was a German-American printer, part of a mass migration from Germany who emigrated to Philadelphia in the mid-18th century. He operated a paper mill near Philadelphia, after which he removed to Baltimore, Maryland, where he established that city's first printing press. He was one of the few German speaking printers who that wanted to print religious literature in German. Hasselbach died unexpectedly as a relatively young man, leaving only one known example of his printing, a small book, now owned by a private collector.
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