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Home > Library > Library Special Collections > Pennsylvania Folklife Society Collection > Ursinus College Fraktur Collection

Ursinus College Fraktur Collection

Fraktur — decorated, Germanic manuscripts and printed documents— is one of the most iconic forms of American folk art. The name is derived from the Latin fractura (breaking) and refers to the broken or fractured style of lettering known in German as Fraktur. The anglicized term “fraktur” is used in America more broadly to refer to Pennsylvania German decorated works on paper. The most common type is the Geburts-und-Taufschein (birth and baptismal certificate), which typically includes the child’s name, parents’ names, location and date of birth and baptism, and godparents’ or baptismal sponsors’ names. The popularity of these certificates reflects the importance of baptism within the Lutheran and Reformed faiths, to which the majority of Pennsylvania Germans belonged. Other common types of fraktur made by the Pennsylvania Germans include birth records (used by Anabaptist groups such as the Mennonites, who did not practice infant baptism), Vorschriften (writing samples), Haus-Segen (house blessings), valentines or Liebesbriefe (love letters), New Year’s greetings, religious texts, family records, bookplates, and rewards of merit. Less common are marriage certificates and death memorials. Some fraktur are decorated with Scherenschnitte, or cutwork, a technique that can also be used by itself.

The entire Ursinus College fraktur collection — which numbers more than 125 pieces — is accessible in this gallery. Each record includes an image, transcription and/or translation, attribution, bibliographic references, and any additional information. More fraktur may be added to form a larger database over time in partnership with other institutions, auction houses, and private collectors. Contact info@historictrappe.org to learn more.

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  • Blank Birth and Baptism Certificate

    Blank Birth and Baptism Certificate

  • House Blessing by Johann Ritter & Co.

    House Blessing

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Margretha Fetzberger

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Margretha Fetzberger

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Michael Glück

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Michael Glück

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Johannes Lap

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Johannes Lap

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Sara Schmoyer by Johann Ritter (1779-1851)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Sara Schmoyer

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Susana Wieder by Carl A. Bruckmann (1792-1828)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Susana Wieder

  • Blank Birth and Baptism Certificate by Johann Ritter (1779-1851)

    Blank Birth and Baptism Certificate

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Gertraut Ney by Johann Ritter (1779-1851)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Gertraut Ney

  • Blank Birth and Baptism Certificate by Johann Ritter (1779-1851)

    Blank Birth and Baptism Certificate

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Ester Miller by Victor Blumer (1809-60) and Charles Busch (1801-84)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Ester Miller

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Anna Maria Schmitt by Johann Ritter & Co.

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Anna Maria Schmitt

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Mandilla Fisher

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Mandilla Fisher

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Eliesabeth Miller by Johann Ritter & Co.

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Eliesabeth Miller

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Diana Catharina Young by Reuben Guth (1813-68), Augustus Ruhe (1809-92), and William Young (1820-89)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Diana Catharina Young

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for William Heiser by Gustav S. Peters (1793-1847)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for William Heiser

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Daniel Old by Johann Ritter & Co.

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Daniel Old

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Margaretha Kuenzi by Carl Friederich Egelmann (1782-1860)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Margaretha Kuenzi

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Benjamin Peter by Johann Ritter (1779-1851)

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Benjamin Peter

  • Birth and Baptism Certificate for Elisabeth Jager by Johann Ritter

    Birth and Baptism Certificate for Elisabeth Jager

 
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