Falckner's Curieuse Nachricht von Pensylvania

Originally circulated in Germany, Daniel Falckner’s Curieuse Nachricht von Pensylvania was one in a wave of pamphlets about the American colonies disseminated in Europe during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It stood alongside influential works by Penn and Pastorius that were circulated among Pietists and other groups to raise awareness in Europe about the practical and spiritual climates in Pennsylvania. Falckner’s pamphlet, in particular, was used in a promotional manner and utilizes a question-and-answer format, addressing everything from how to plan for a voyage to America to common professions for Europeans in the New World, dealings with the native population, seasonal climate, and hundreds of other issues. This translation of Curieuse Nachricht, first published by the Pennsylvania German Society in 1905, includes introductory chapters and annotations by Julius Sachse. The English translation and original German text appear on facing pages, and annotations examine the differences between an original manuscript and the version widely distributed by the Frankfort Company, a group of Pennsylvania land investors, in 1702.

Daniel Falckner (b. 1666) first arrived in Pennsylvania in 1694. He returned to Europe four years later as a representative of the Pietist community in America and there wrote his Curieuse Nachricht, which became widely known among prospective emigrants to Pennsylvania.Julius F. Sachse (1842–1919) was a Philadelphia native, historian, author, and amateur photographer devoted to the study and documentation of Pennsylvania’s history. He is known for his work on the Ephrata Cloister, Pennsylvania Germans, and Freemasonry, and for his photographic documentation of Philadelphia’s disappearing historic landmarks.