"Healing Traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch" with Patrick Donmoyer

Exploring the cultural and historical roots of Pennsylvania Dutch healing traditions, Patrick Donmoyer introduces the customs, folkways, and rituals widely used for treating illness among humans and domesticated animals. Drawing upon his family experiences with healing traditions, as well as historical manuscripts commonly kept in family bibles and personal papers, this presentation highlights the interrelation of culturally-specific forms of medical care, with religious belief, the folk customs of the calendar year, and agricultural traditions.
Patrick J. Donmoyer is the Director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University, a folklife museum and research center on the Kutztown Campus. An avid speaker of Pennsylvania Dutch and advocate for regional folk culture, Patrick’s work blends language, cultural traditions, and vernacular architecture in his folklife research.