Multiple waves of immigration have left an indelible German influence on the Philly area. The multi-venue Celebration of Pennsylvania German Art, beginning in early 2015, will explore this legacy through traditional Pennsylvania German (a.k.a. Pennsylvania Dutch) art forms such as fraktur, letters and documents embellished with motifs such as birds and flowers.
These exhibitions are just the beginning of the Pennsylvania German experience. Visitors can find a rich store of German culture in the Philadelphia region: the customs of the Amish, the historic grounds in Germantown and top restaurants serving bratwurst.
Here are just a few suggestions for a German-themed Philly itinerary:
Pennsylvania German Art Celebrations:
Drawn With Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur from the Joan and Victor Johnson Collection showcases more than 240 examples of fraktur (calligraphic folk art) and manuscripts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Also on display are decorative objects from the period, such as painted furniture, redware pottery and metalwork. On March 1, the museum will unveil a contemporary exhibition of folk-inspired works by local artist Shelley Spector. February 1- April 26, 2015.
Mounted at the sweeping Wintherthur Museum, Garden & Library, A Colorful Folk: Pennsylvania Germans & the Art of Everyday Life presents 125 works of fraktur, redware pottery, ironwork, painted furniture and textiles, all demonstrating the cultural emphasis on beauty through everyday objects. Highlights include needlework, clothing and a painted chest by artist Henrich Otto. March 1, 2015-January 3, 2016.
Part of the Free Library of Philadelphia’sFraming Fraktur project, Quill & Brush Pennsylvania German Fraktur and Material Culture displays both hand-drawn and printed fraktur, as well as manuscripts and books from the library’s Pennsylvania German collection. March 2-July 18, 2015.The simultaneous Word & Image: Contemporary Artists Connect to Frakturlinks fraktur traditions to contemporary works that marry image and text.March 2-June 14, 2015.
Food unt Drink:
An unassuming Bridgeport diner houses Andy’s Place, where CIA graduate Lisa Endlich and her husband serve breakfast and lunch. Homey dishes such as wiener schnitzel, schinkenfleckli and erlinsbacher flute (German-style hoagie) reflect her two decades of experience cooking in Europe.
Guests can expect plenty of German specialties on the menu at Austrian Village. The family-owned bar and restaurant in Montgomery County’s Rockledge serves beef rouladen; “feasts” of wursts, schnitzel and pork leg; and apple strudel.
A German tavern with an Old City party sensibility, Bierstube dishes out hefty bratwurst platters, potato pancakes and four different kinds of spaetzle. Not to be outdone, the bar’s 26 taps and 149 bottles slake just about every kind of thirst in this two-story Deutsch wonderland.
Brauhaus Schmitz brings the traditional German beer hall to Philadelphia’s storied South Street. Chef Jeremy Nolen recreates classic dishes (sauerkraut fritters, roasted duck with lingonberry sauce and all manner of schnitzel and sausages) for a modern audience. Some 30 drafts and 100 bottles allow for serious German-style drinking.
The Bavarian fare at Center City Philadelphia’s Brü Craft & Wurst might include smoked trout with cucumbers or a frankfurter on a bun. Then there are the decidedly Philly creations, such as crispy scrapple with curry ketchup. The 39 drafts span traditional German favorites to funky craft selections.
It was only a matter of time until Philly got a mobile German restaurant. Flying Deutschman fits the bill with inventive schnitzels (Jaeger, eggplant), wursts and spaetzle. The roving eatery hits various locations, including West Chester University, Clark Park and Lankenau Hospital.
An indoor-outdoor playground for beer drinkers in Fishtown, Frankford Hall specializes in a pared-down, no-frills experience. Warm Bavarian pretzels, fries with curry ketchup and mushroom strudel pair perfectly with with German and German-style draft beers or the house-mulled wine.
A Mayfair neighborhood institution since 1930, Haegele’s Bakery was built on the nostalgic longings of its immigrant owners. It has since become a valuable resource for specialties such as heffekranz (yeasted sweet bread), schnechen (sweet buns), bienenstich (“bee sting cake” with a honey topping).
To complement the excellent beer selection at the homey Hop Angel Brauhaus in Northeast Philly, the kitchen turns out German eats with the occasional American twist. Think cheese spaetzle, sauerbraten and smoked pork chops, plus mac and cheese for the kids.
For decades, diners have flocked to Otto’s Brauhaus in Horsham, Montgomery County for heaping plates of rollmops (pickled herring), sauerbraten and pork tenderloin. Sunday diners indulge in the German buffet, and the biergarten hosts live music in warmer months.
For a true taste of Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish and Mennonite German-speaking settlers) culture, there’s the one-stop-shop Reading Terminal Market. Among the dozens of food stalls are Amish farmers selling products such as jams and chow chow; Beiler’s Bakery (shoofly pie, doughnuts and cinnamon buns); Miller’s Twist pretzels; Wursthaus Schmitz delicatessen and sandwich shop from the owners of Brauhaus Schmitz; and the old-school counter at the Dutch Eating Place.
Buy Local; Buy Pennsylvania German:
Held once a year in December, the Folk Art Sale at the Mennonite Heritage Center draws collectors from near and far. Vendors sell traditional Pennsylvania German goods and contemporary works inspired by them. The center also houses the Mary Jane Lederach Hershey Fraktur Gallery. 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville.
For lovers of authentic cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers and beer steins, German Clocks and Gifts provides a year-round Christkindlmarket. Located at Bucks County’s popular Peddler’s Village, the store also stocks Christmas decorations, wood carvings and ANRI figurines. Route 263 & Street Road, Lahaska.
Shoppers may find Pennsylvania Dutch goods at just about any area farmers’ market, but Lancaster County Farmers Market in Wayne distinguishes itself with sheer variety. On any given Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, shoppers can load up on smoked meats, soft pretzels, crafts and gold jewelry.
A nationally recognized dealer of needlework and antique samplers (pieces of cloth featuring hand-embroidered designs), M. Finkel & Daughter remains one of Antique Row’s most sought-after vendors. Among its holdings: Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, German needlework and 18th- and 19th-century samplers from across Europe.
Sites of Teutonic Interest:
Pennsylvania German art, including furniture and folk art, comprises a significant piece of the Barnes Foundation collection—in fact, it’s the largest and most significant collection of Pennsylvania German artwork anywhere in the world. Dr. Alfred Barnes also amassed German paintings from the 14th century, metalwork from the 16th and 17th centuries and artifacts from the 18th century.
The hub of Philadelphia’s German community, the German Society of Pennsylvania was founded in 1764. Regular films, concerts, language classes, conversations and lectures, as well as a 60,000-volume library, help to keep alive the important German and German-American cultural contributions to the region.
Representing 16 different sites, Historic Germantown invites visitors to engage with the neighborhood’s fascinating legacy, from Revolutionary War battles to the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad. The Germantown Historical Society offers a view of early settlers’ lives through its large collection of artifacts.
As the region’s best resource for information about immigrant populations, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania maintains an enormous archive of manuscripts, books, graphics and ephemera from the 17th century and onward. Visitors can check the online catalog beforeand to help with their searches. 1300 Locust Street,
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