PENNSBURG PA – The ancestral Polish home of the Schwenkfelders, Twardocice (Harpersdorf) and the surrounding community, is in the news. On May 8 (2024; Wednesday) from noon to 1 p.m., an updated report on what’s happening there will be offered at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, 105 Seminary St.
Dave Luz, the center’s director emeritus and scheduled speaker for its Brown Bag Lecture, will serve as an international news reporter. The topic of his informal presentation: “Current News and Updates from Lower Silesia,” now part of southwest Poland and the area from which the Schwekfelders hail.
Luz has been in contact with friends there, primarily through social media, the center explains. He’ll offer his understanding of news and events there during “the last couple of years,” including the current renovation of The Refuge Church in Twardocice (above).
The lecture is free to attend and open to the public, both in-person and virtually. If coming in person, call 215-679-3103 to reserve your seat … and bring your lunch along. For the virtual version, to be broadcast on the Zoom conferencing platform, get the necessary link by calling the center at 215-679-3103 or send an e-mail to info@schwenkfelder.org.
Coming later in May
The center’s annual Penn Dry Goods Market is a popular and widely known textile-focused antiques and vintage show, with dealers hailing from Pennsylvania and other locations on the East Coast. It’s scheduled for May 31 (Friday) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and June 1 (Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advanced sale entrance tickets are now available at a discounted price and can be purchased online.
The market’s dealers are said to be among the best in antique textiles. They offer samplers and other needlework, quilts, coverlets and woven objects, linens, yardage, sewing smalls, sewing tools and equipment, buttons, baskets, and general Americana. Visitors can expect “to find treasures from across the country and around the globe at a variety of prices,” the center reported.
Funds raised during the two-day show benefit the center and its operations. More information on the market’s events and programs is anticipated soon.
Visit the Schwenkfelder center
As the regional history museum for the Upper Perkiomen Valley, the center’s museum provides exhibits on a wide range of topics. Through May 12, it is featuring the history of Pennsylvania German food. In its research library, area residents and others can research family and local histories. Both are open to the public.
The center recently revised its operating hours. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. Admission to visit exhibits or research in the library is free.
Map from Google Maps; photo provided to Travels With The Post