Events & Programs
The Moravian Archives offers a variety of lectures, classes, workshops, and other events.
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Upcoming Events
The Moravian Archives offers a wide variety of lectures, classes, workshops, and other events. For past events or events after the last one displayed here, view the full calendar.
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ExhibitsExhibits
Bridging Bethlehem: 100 years of the Hill to Hill.
Our newest exhibition chronicles the evolution of bridge-building in Bethlehem, culminating in the construction of the Hill to Hill Bridge, highlighting the cultural and social impact these structures have had on the city and its residents.
Bridging Bethlehem opens on November 11, 2024, and runs through December 2025. The MAB gallery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For this exhibit, we partnered with Lehigh University Special Collections that prepared the exhibit “Hill to Hill Bridge: Creative Genius of Lehigh Engineers.”
Click here for access to a digital version of our exhibit (Storymaps).
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German Script CourseGerman Script Course
June 2 - 13, 2025
We are currently accepting applications for the waiting list of the 2025 German Script Course.
You may sign up for email notifications regarding future German Script programs at the Moravian Archives (see link at bottom of the page: “Join Our Newsletter”).
This intensive course on learning to read German script is now in its 55th year and is the longest-running course of its kind in the country. The course is taught by Dr. Paul Peucker and Thomas McCullough, experts and experienced instructors in reading and writing German script.
Former participants include hundreds of graduate students, university professors, genealogists, curators, librarians, archivists, and hobbyists from various backgrounds. They represent such academic fields as history and German, American studies, musicology, religion, anthropology, art history, sociology, genealogy, technology, and other subjects. For example, the 2024 course included students from the United States, Canada, Denmark, Australia, and Rumania.
After two weeks of intensive studying, practicing, reading, and writing participants will be able to read German manuscripts dating from the 17th through the mid-20th centuries. The course includes many texts selected from the extensive holdings of the Moravian Archives. We will also spend considerable time learning to write German Kurrent script, based on contemporary teaching methods.
The goal of this course is not to learn the German language or to study Moravian history but to read the German script; however, we offer a learning experience that takes advantage of the historical setting of the Bethlehem community, a recently recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. Texts are chosen to illustrate the early history of Bethlehem and the work of the Moravians within their context.
By touring the historic districts of Bethlehem and nearby Nazareth, participants will experience the setting in which the events from the study material took place. We are convinced that captivating texts prove helpful in overcoming initial difficulties with German script.
Study Method
The first sessions are devoted to writing the individual script letters and words. Though not the intent of this seminar, learning to write texts in German script helps in recognizing how the individual letters are written. During the morning sessions texts are read within the group with everyone taking turns deciphering the texts. During the second week, besides reading texts, we will discuss a writing method that was used by teachers in Bethlehem during the eighteenth-century.
During this course, we will read handwritten texts from different time periods. Our focus will be on 18th-century texts, but the course also includes texts from 1571, 1631, the 19th century, and 1943. We will discuss historical dating methods and calendars, the development of cursive handwriting, and abbreviations.
Registration is limited to fifteen students.
There are no organized classes during the afternoons. This time is devoted to preparing for the next day’s lessons; many students choose to do their “homework” in groups. Thus the course combines classroom learning, group study, and individual preparation. The preparation time in the afternoon will take circa four hours. It is not recommended to plan other activities during the course. On some days we will offer walking tours.
Upon successful completion of the course each student will be presented with a certificate of participation.
Prerequisites
In order to successfully follow the course a good reading ability of modern German is needed; two years of college German or the equivalent has proven to be a minimum. Conversational German ability is not required and prior knowledge of German script is not necessary. All instruction is conducted in English, but we advise students to bring along a quality German-English dictionary.
Time & Place
The 2025 course will be taught from Monday, June 2, until Friday, June 13.
Classes begin each day at 9:00 am and last until 12:30 pm. There are no classes on the weekend.
Classes are held in the reading room of the Moravian Archives, located at 41 W. Locust Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During the course of the seminar the reading room will be closed to all other researchers. The Archives is located on the north campus of Moravian University.
Course Fee
The fee for the script course is $1,300.00 and includes the following instructional materials:
- Color reproductions of German texts
- Handouts
- Writing pads
- Binder for storing instructional material
- Roger P. Minert, Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents.
- Quills
- Coffee, tea, and other refreshments during breaks
Two slots are reserved for graduate students at the reduced rate of $650. For more information, see the section Reduced Course Fee for Graduate Students.
We require a deposit of $300.00 upon registration. Your registration becomes active after receipt of the deposit. (The deposit will be refunded to anyone who was placed on the waiting list and did not get into the class).
The deposit will be fully refunded towards cancellations prior to April 1, 2025 (for registrations after April 1, 2025: June 1, 2025). The deposit for the course is non-reimbursable for cancellations after April 1, 2025 (for registrations after April 1, 2025: June 1, 2025)
Housing costs are not included. Please note that registration for housing is separate.
Housing
Please note that the registration for housing is separate from registration for the course.
Dormitory Housing
Housing is available at Moravian University’s dormitories for $50/night (incl. linens and towels). These dormitories are located on the north campus of Moravian University, within walking distance from the Moravian Archives.
There are also various other hotels, airbnb’s, and guest houses in the Bethlehem area.
Reduced Course Fee for Graduate Students
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Two grants are available for graduate students to have the registration rate reduced to 50% of the regular course fee. Graduate students who are not fully employed and who do not qualify for reimbursement of the course fee otherwise may apply by filling out the form below. Applications will be assessed based on demonstrated need and the strenght of the letter of reference.
- applicants need to be registered for the course and have made the deposit payment
- applications need to include a cv and one letter of reference
- the deadline for applications is February 28, 2025
- applicants will be informed by April 1, 2025
- unsuccessful applicants are entitled to a reimbursement of their deposit payment should they decide not to participate in the course
There was a problem with your submission. Please review the fields below.
Registration
To register for the waiting list of the German Script Class 2025, complete the form below (registration for housing is separate, see above). We will inform you in the likely event a place opens up. You can pay your deposit of $300 (or the entire course fee) during the submission process (fully refundable if you do not get place in this year’s course). If you’d rather send a check, you may send it to:
Moravian Archives
41 W. Locust St.
Bethlehem PA 18018-2757.
Make checks payable to Moravian Archives.
If you would like to apply for the reduced rate for graduate students (two slots available), visit the section Reduced Course Fee for Graduate Students.
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School ProgramsSchool Programs
Middle & High School
The Moravian Archives brings history to life!
The Moravian Archives is pleased to offer presentations here or at your school given by Thomas McCullough, Assistant Archivist, which can be tailored in length and content to suit your students. Mr. McCullough has been teaching workshops in the community since 2015.
The Moravian Archives looks forward to working with local schools in an effort to educate students by illuminating history, the significance of libraries and archives, and the study of languages. We would be happy to modify our program to incorporate information pertaining to your curriculum or the history of your local community, and we welcome any suggestions or comments. The presentations typically focus on Moravians as a Bethlehem community, not a religion.
Teachers can choose from the following topics:
Foreign language
Through a fun deciphering exercise, students will learn that early Moravian records were written in German script—not only a foreign language, but also a handwriting different from what we use today.
Library science
Students will learn what an archives is and the similarities and differences between an archives and a library. They will learn about the Archives’ collections, who uses the facility and how materials are stored.
Contact Mr. McCullough at tom@moravianchurcharchives.org for more information or to schedule a workshop.
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Recorded Past EventsRecorded Past Events
We record many of our events: lectures, presentations, and classes. When possible, we will make these recordings available here. The recordings are listed in chronological order, from most recent to the oldest.
Can’t find the lecture you are looking for? All past MAB recorded lectures are always available on our YouTube Channel.
Please note that it usually takes a few days before a recording becomes available.
On Tour with the “Nations Guest”: Lafayette in America, 1824–1825
Lecture by Diane Windham Shaw, September 24, 2024
“Jesus Makes My Heart Rejoice”: The Origins of a Popular Moravian Hymn
Lecture by Paul Peucker, August 20, 2024
Who Was Anton Ulrich? The Life of an Enslaved Man from St. Thomas
Lecture by Christian Petterson & Paul Peucker, May 30, 2024