Pennsylvania Dutch Ballads
The ballad is a narrative song which deals with murder, suicide, natural calamities, & unrequited love. Although ballads were sung throughout Europe, most American ballads parallel the British Isle's ballads. Pa. Dutch ballads were often of a religious nature & dealt with Biblical subjects & personal religious experiences: the wages of sin: & Biblical stories such as Solomon & the Queen of Sheeba. Both secular & religious ballads usually dealt with some tragedy: they were better suited to solo rather than choral singing. In days gone by, Pa. Dutch grandmothers would sing these ballads to youngsters to warn them of evil.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 40° 31.065′ N, 75° 47.034′ W. Marker is in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, in Berks County. It can be reached from Wentz Street. Marker is on the Kutztown Fairgrounds, home of the Kutztown Folk Festival. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 Wentz Street, Kutztown PA 19530, United
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Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania and specifically in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cider Making (here, next to this marker); Colouring Easter Eggs (here, next to this marker); Two Worlds - Dutch Country (here, next to this marker); Brick-End Decorated Barns (here, next to this marker); Griener Dunnerschdag (a few steps from this marker); Wheelbarrow Matches (within shouting distance of this marker); Quilting Lore (within shouting distance of this marker); The Conestoga Wagon (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kutztown.
Regarding Pennsylvania Dutch Ballads. Excerpt from "Today... and Yesterday" by The Morning Call
Also see . . .
1. The Pennsylvania German Society.
2. Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. (Submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 322 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
