Pennsylvania Germans & the Revolution

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center will host “Pennsylvania Germans and the Revolution” a collaborative, interdisciplinary conference on November 13 & 14, 2026, exploring Pennsylvania German experiences in the era of the Revolution and beyond. The conference is co-sponsored by the German Society of Philadelphia and part of America 250 PA Berks County. The conference will examine different experiences and responses to the American Revolution across a wide spectrum of Pennsylvania German communities and identities, highlighting the ways Pennsylvania German culture both shaped and was shaped by the American Experiment.
On Friday, November 13, the conference will open at 6:30 PM in the Academic Forum at Kutztown University, Room 102, with a keynote presentation by Heritage Center Director Patrick J. Donmoyer, providing an overview of the development of Pennsylvania German culture at the time of the Revolution and ways that Pennsylvania Germans responded to momentous change during the birth of a new nation. Light Refreshments will be served, followed by a Community Discussion at 7:00 PM, moderated by Dr. William W. Donner, Freyberger Professor of Pennsylvania German Studies and Patrick Donmoyer.
On Saturday, November 14, a series of presentations will commence at 8:00 AM with panels of speakers exploring selected topics in folk culture, history, language and religion, including Friederike Baer, Joshua Brown, Patrick Donmoyer, William Donner, Michael Gabriel, David Hunsicker, Mark Louden, Steven Nolt, Jennifer Schlegel, and Maria Sturm. A full conference schedule will be available at www.pagerman.org/revolution/.
The conference is free to the public, and registration is required to attend. Click here for our registration form. Optional Saturday Lunch registration is $30, and features traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fare, including sausage, sauerkraut, potato filling, salad with hot bacon dressing, and shoofly pie. Registration information is available at www.pagerman.org/revolution/ and registrations must be received by November 5. A Zoom Link is available to attend the conference virtually upon request. For more information follow PGCHC on Facebook, or call 610-683-1589 or email heritage@kutztown.edu.

Conference Schedule:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2026
Academic Forum Room 102, Lytle Lane, Kutztown University
6:30 PM-7:00 PM- Keynote Presentation: Patrick J. Donmoyer
Patriots, Saints, Rascals, and Vagabonds: Pennsylvania German Leadership in the Era of the Revolution
7:00 PM-8:00 PM – Community Discussion
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2026
Academic Forum, Room 102, Lytle Lane, Kutztown University
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM – David Hunsicker
Political Mobilization Among the Pennsylvania Germans in Western Northampton (today’s Lehigh) County During the Revolution.
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM – Steve Nolt
“We Find No Freedom … in Anything by which Men’s Lives are Destroyed or Hurt”: Pennsylvania German Peace Churches and the American Revolution
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM Break
9:45 AM – 10:30 AM – Friederike Baer
Strangers in a Strange War: German Soldiers in the American Revolution
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM – Maria Sturm
Participant, Witness, Bystander, Opponent? The German Society of Pennsylvania at the Time of the Revolution & Beyond
11:15 AM – Noon – Michael Gabriel
New Pennsylvania Germans: Johannes Schwalm and ‘Hessian’ Prisoners who Remained in America.
Noon – 1:15 LUNCH
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM – Mark Louden
Pennsylvania Germans and the Spirit of ’76.
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM – Josh Brown
Hessians in Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art and Lore
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – Jennifer Schlegel
After the Declaration but before Emancipation: The Christiana Riot and Pennsylvania German Politics.
3:30 PM – 4:15 PM- Bill Donner
Pennsylvania German Perspectives on the American Revolution at the Centennial, Bicentennial, and Semiquincentennial
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM – Q&A and Open Discussion

To Regiser call 610-683-1589 or email heritage@kutztown.edu, or fill out the registration form and mail to:
Heritage Center, Attn: PA German Futures Conference, 15155 Kutztown Road, Kutztown, PA 19530
All registrations must be received by phone, email, or mail by November 5. Payments for Lunch ticket can be paid at the door.
Please Make Checks for Lunch Reservation Payable to “Kutztown University”

Conference speaker’s schedule may be subject to change. Please return to this online schedule to check for any updates or corrections.