German Society of Pennsylvania facts for kids
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| PHMC dedicated | October 06, 2008 |
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The German Society of Pennsylvania is a very old organization in Philadelphia. It is located in the Northern Liberties area. This group is the oldest German-culture organization in the entire United States.
It started way back in 1764. Its first goal was to help German immigrants. This included people who came to America and worked for a time to pay for their journey. Today, the Society helps people learn about German language and culture. They also host talks, music shows, and movies. Plus, they give out scholarships to students.
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The Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library
The German Society has a special library called the Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library. This library is the biggest private collection of German books outside of Germany! It started in 1817.
What You Can Find in the Library
For many years, the library collected all kinds of books and magazines. These were for members of the German Society to read. Even today, it works as a lending library. This means you can borrow books from it. It focuses on German stories, life stories of famous people, and children's books.
Preserving German-American History
In 1867, a leader named Oswald Seidensticker helped create an archive. An archive is a special place to keep old documents and records. The goal was to save the history and culture of Germans in America. This is still the main mission of the library today.
Special Collections
The library has many old items from German-American printers. For example, it has a Bible printed in 1743 by Christoph Sauer. This was the first Bible in a European language ever printed in North America. The Horner Library is also known for its collections of old papers and handwritten documents. These are about German-American groups and individuals. It also has many popular German books from the 1800s that are now very rare.
Location and Public Art
Since 1888, the German Society has been at 611 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia. This organization has also helped create many German-culture artworks around the city.
Famous Artworks
One example is the statue of Peter Muhlenberg. This statue now stands behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Another is the monument honoring Francis Daniel Pastorius. He was one of the first German settlers. This monument is in Vernon Park, Germantown.
