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THE AMISH
(Pronounced Ah-Mish, not A-Mish)
When we travel and are asked where we’re from, we say, “Lancaster, PA.”
“The Amish,” is the typical response, “isn’t that where they’re from?”
"Yes," we answer, and that leads to many more questions and a long discussion of this little understood (or misunderstood) culture. For many visitors seeing the Amish people and learning a little about Amish culture is a major reason to visit Lancaster, despite all of the area’s other attractions and features. We understand that, but we’re not going to provide a detailed discussion of the Amish here; that’s a very complex task much better covered by experts who have studied them in depth. In this short section we'll provide some very fundamental information, pose and answer a few common questions, and provide a few resources you can look into if you want a more thorough understanding. Although the Amish can be very friendly, many tend to avoid direct business or social contact with outsiders since it might threaten their way of life. But some do welcome the opportunity. If you're interested in meeting them we've provided recommendations for sleeping, eating, shopping, and attractions related to the so called “Plain People”. They can be found in other tabs on the Home page under the overall heading, THE AMISH.
HISTORY
Let’s get started with a little background; that should help set the stage for what you’ll find in Lancaster County. The following very brief and simplistic history might help sort it out for you:
1517. Martin Luther nailed his “Ninety-Five Theses” to the Wittenberg (Germany) Castle Church. That action is considered to have begun the Protestant Reformation.
1525. Several students of a Protestant pastor in Zurich, Switzerland had become impatient with the pace of the Protestant Reformation. Among their objections to Catholic Church dogma was that they felt infants should not be baptized, only adults who had confessed their faith should be given the sacrament. Since they had been baptized as Catholic infants they now re-baptized themselves and were nicknamed Anabaptists (meaning re-baptized). At a time when government and religion were usually closely allied, they also strongly believed in the separation of church and state. As a result, they were persecuted by Protestants, Catholics, and government until the early 1800’s and many of them were put to death.
1527. Anabaptists stated their fundamental beliefs which, with minor changes, still form the basis for Anabaptist denominations (as excerpted from The Riddle of Amish Culture by Donald Kraybill): “This confession of faith emphasizes, among other issues, the authority of the New Testament as a guide for everyday life, and it highlights the following beliefs:
* Adult, or ‘believers’, baptism.
* The church as a covenant community.
* Exclusion of errant members from communion.
* Literal obedience to the teachings of Christ.
* Refusal to swear oaths.
* Rejection of violence.
* Social separation from the evil world.”
1536. Menno Simons, a Catholic priest, left the Catholic Church and became an influential member of the Anabaptist community. His followers became a denomination known as Mennonites.
1683. Mennonite migrants from Germany founded the Borough of Germantown near Philadelphia; it was the first German settlement in North America.
1693. Disagreements over specific practices within the Anabaptist/Mennonite community led to the formation of a new denomination under Swiss reformist Jakob Amman; his followers became known as the Amish.
Early 1700’s. Mass migrations of Germans (Mennonites, Amish, and others) began with some settlement in New York and a much larger group in eastern Pennsylvania.
1708. Another denomination of the Anabaptist movement was formed by Alexander Mack in Schwarzenau, Germany. It is called the Church of the Brethren, or Brethren.
1710. Mennonites purchased 10,000 acres near the Pequea Creek, south of the town of Lancaster and settled there.
1737. Although some Amish may have accompanied earlier Mennonite settlers, the Amish established settlements at Old Conestoga, a few miles northeast of the town of Lancaster, and in Northkill, Berks County, thirty miles north of Lancaster.
2010. More than 50,000 Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren live in Lancaster County, about 10% of the total population. Lancaster County’s Anabaptist population is the most well known, but an even larger group is now centered in Holmes County, Ohio and others are spread around the world. Interestingly, no Amish remain in Europe.
RESPECT THEIR WAYS
The Amish culture is centered on the concept that life should be lived as they interpret the New Testament. Those beliefs have been developed and maintained for hundreds of years and form the core of their lifestyle. Please respect them and their property as you would expect them to respect yours.If you are in direct contact with them, be polite and understand their reluctance to interact with you; it’s one way they try to protect themselves from outside influences. You will probably be tempted to take pictures of them. They strongly prefer that you do not, based on the Second Commandment, “You shall not make unto thee any graven image…” They want to be remembered by the way they lived their lives, not for their appearance. If you absolutely must take pictures, please take only those in which their faces are not recognizable. CAUTION.Wherever you drive in the county, but particularly in the eastern and southeastern portions, be on the watch for Amish buggies. They are slow moving and can be difficult to see, especially at night - despite the flashing lights, reflective tape, and red danger triangle they display. In addition, the horses can be skittish no matter how well trained they are. When you encounter one give them plenty of room when passing, keep your headlights on low beam, and at most use your horn to give only one toot.
REFERENCES
If you would like more detailed information about the Amish, we suggest you refer to other web sites or reading material. In our opinion the site with the best information is the
Lancaster, PA Information Center.
A close second choice is the
Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau.
If you prefer in-depth information there are a number of excellent books, but perhaps the best place to begin is “The Riddle of Amish Culture” by Donald Kraybill, published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. It might be hard to find in bookstores, but among other sources it's available at
Amazon.com.
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