PRINTER'S NO. 2262
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
513
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SCHWEYER, KINSEY, DRISCOLL, VEREB, YOUNGBLOOD,
KIM, THOMAS, COHEN, HENNESSEY, MURT, BISHOP, BARRAR, PICKETT,
READSHAW, SCHLOSSBERG, HAHN, PHILLIPS-HILL, KIRKLAND,
GODSHALL, CALTAGIRONE, PEIFER, MACKENZIE, NEILSON, ROZZI,
ACOSTA, WATSON, DONATUCCI, V. BROWN, DiGIROLAMO, MILLARD,
McNEILL, WHEELAND, KNOWLES, MENTZER, FEE, MAHONEY, GROVE,
ROSS, MAJOR, GILLEN, ZIMMERMAN, MARSICO, FARINA, GINGRICH,
PAYNE, D. COSTA, WARD AND BENNINGHOFF, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the week of October 4 through 10, 2015, as
"Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) Heritage Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, There are communities of Pennsylvania Dutch
(Deutsch) living in many parts of the United States and Canada
today, but the largest settlement is in Pennsylvania,
concentrated in the eastern part of this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch), also called
Pennsylvania Germans or Pennsylvania Deutsch, are descendants of
early German immigrants to Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, The word "Dutch" does not refer to people from
Holland, but is an English adaptation of Deutsch, the German
word for "German"; and
WHEREAS, Both the "Dutch" and "Deutsch" spellings are
commonly used and refer to the same people and culture; and
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WHEREAS, The first major emigration of Germans to America
resulted in the founding of the Borough of Germantown in
northwest Philadelphia County on October 6, 1683; and
WHEREAS, The German population arrived in droves, mostly
before 1800, to escape religious persecution in Europe but also
to seek a better life; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) maintained numerous
religious affiliations, with the greatest number being Lutheran
or Reformed, as well as many Anabaptists; and
WHEREAS, The Anabaptist religion promoted a simple lifestyle
and their adherents were known as Plain People or Plain Dutch
(Deutsch), as opposed to the Fancy Dutch (Deutsch) who tended to
assimilate more easily into the American mainstream; and
WHEREAS, Over time the various dialects spoken by these
immigrants fused into a unique dialect known as Pennsylvania
German or Pennsylvania "Dutch" (Deutsch); and
WHEREAS, At one time over one-third of Pennsylvania's
population spoke this language, which also had an impact on the
local dialect of English; and
WHEREAS, Substantial Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) literature,
art and architecture exist and many written records were adorned
with illuminated writing; and
WHEREAS, Articles such as pottery, furniture, needlework and
barns made use of decorative motifs, often of a highly artistic
nature; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Germans have greatly contributed to the
culture of this Commonwealth, and the Pennsylvania German
Society, organized in 1891, has published abundant material
relative to the history and folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch
(Deutsch); therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
week of October 4 through 10, 2015, as "Pennsylvania Dutch
(Deutsch) Heritage Week" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage
participation in State and local observances celebrating the
contributions and history of the Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) to
this Commonwealth.
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