To answer the question “What is Pennsylvania Dutch?” we dive into the group’s history, culture, and impact on the Keystone State.

If you live in Pennsylvania, you’ve certainly heard the term “Pennsylvania Dutch”—but what is Pennsylvania Dutch, anyway? We can tell you it’s much more than hex sign folk art and horse buggies.

The Pennsylvania Dutch, also known as the Pennsylvania Germans, are descended from immigrants who came to Pennsylvania from parts of Germany and other German-speaking regions between the 1600s and 1800s. They’re commonly associated with the Amish and Mennonite communities, and indeed the Amish and Mennonites are Pennsylvania Dutch—but so are many other Pennsylvanians.

The Pennsylvania Dutch culture is rich and varied, and it continues to evolve even today. In the 2020 Census, more than 169,000 people identified as having Pennsylvania German heritage. Read on to learn some key facts about this unique cultural group that’s central to the history of the commonwealth. 

The Pennsylvania Dutch are not Dutch.

First things first, the Pennsylvania Dutch are not from the Netherlands. However, even among people who are aware that the Pennsylvania Dutch descended from German-speaking immigrants, many still believe that “Pennsylvania Dutch” is a mistranslation of the German word “Deutsch,” meaning German. The Pennsylvania Dutch, after all, were originally Germans.

But “Dutch” is actually not a mistranslation! Instead, the term “Pennsylvania Dutch” is distinct, and was derived before Germany even became a state. Some historians believe the word “Dutch” came from an old-fashioned word referring to speakers of German. Others believe that the word comes from the term the Pennsylvania Dutch used to refer to themselves: “Deitsch,” which is related to the Old High German word for “people” used in medieval times. Many scholars simply prefer to use “Pennsylvania German,” which is admittedly less confusing.

We call the areas where the Pennsylvania Dutch first settled “Pennsylvania Dutch Country.”

While the Pennsylvania Dutch live in all parts of the state—and now, across the country—Pennsylvania’s German-speaking immigrants tended to live across the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania, with the heart of what’s known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country in Lancaster County. Indeed, most of the Pennsylvania Dutch today live in Lancaster, Lehigh, Berks, Lebanon, and York Counties.

The Pennsylvania Dutch are not all Amish—but the Amish are Pennsylvania Dutch.

While the Amish, easily recognizable with their simple dress and horse buggies, are most often associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, the small religious sect is not the entirety of the Pennsylvania Dutch community. Neither are the Mennonites, another religious sect within the broad Pennsylvania Dutch umbrella.

Instead, there are many Pennsylvania Dutch who are not affiliated with any particular sect. The Pennsylvania Dutch who are not Amish or Mennonite are known as “Fancy Dutch.” They’re not “plain people,” as the Amish and Mennonite are called—they’re fancy.

Pennsylvania Dutch culture is distinct and rich.

The Pennsylvania Dutch also have their own foodways that have bled into contemporary Pennsylvania cooking. Have you ever had scrapple, Lebanon bologna, shoofly pie, or soft pretzels? That’s all Pennsylvania Dutch food, which is known for transforming simple ingredients into home-cooked, hearty delights. Whether it’s apple butter from the farmers market, pickled beets, or “chicken pot pie”—chicken stew with thick homemade noodles if you’re Pennsylvania Dutch—the group has food traditions all their own.

The Pennsylvania Dutch have also had cultural impact on Pennsylvania by way of their folk art—like the colorful hex signs adorning many Pennsylvania Dutch homes and barns—as well as other arts like furniture making. For instance, today, the Amish are still known as some of the best carpenters around.

The Pennsylvania Dutch have their own language—it’s called Pennsylvania Dutch.

Pennsylvania Dutch is a dialect of German developed and spoken by the Pennsylvania Dutch community, though there are, of course, fewer native speakers of the language than there once was.

Today, Pennsylvania Dutch is mostly spoken by sectarian members of the Pennsylvania Dutch, namely the Amish and Mennonites. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, approximately 400,000 people speak Pennsylvania Dutch—and it’s “actually considered the fastest-growing small-minority language in the United States,” as Patrick Donmoyer, director of Kutztown University’s Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, told Babbel in 2022. That’s in part because the speakers of the language have very high birth rates—the Amish have some of the highest birth rates in the world. 

Pennsylvania Dutch culture remains strong.

There are numerous efforts to preserve Pennsylvania Dutch culture and keep the language alive. Take the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University, which is a folklife museum and research center that hosts classes, events, and other programming to preserve and celebrate Pennsylvania Dutch culture. The center even publishes a newspaper written in Pennsylvania Dutch!

Many communities also have their own groups that keep the Pennsylvania Dutch heritage alive, such as some communities’ “Groundhog Lodges,” which host social and cultural events. You might be familiar with one of the most famous of these groups in Punxsutawney, which puts on the small town’s Groundhog Day celebration. Did you know Groundhog Day has Pennsylvania Dutch origins?

You’re familiar with some famous people with Pennsylvania Dutch backgrounds.

President Dwight Eisenhower was descended from the Pennsylvania Dutch—the original German name of his family was “Eisenhauer.” H.J. Heinz, the founder of Pittsburgh’s favorite ketchup brand, was also of Pennsylvania Dutch stock. So was Milton Hershey of the Hershey candy company, actors Gene Hackman and Clark Gable, and labor leader Jimmy Hoffa.

The Pennsylvania Dutch ranks also include current teen heartthrob Noah Centineo and self-appointed lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow. Plus, we can’t forget our favorite fictional Pennsylvania Dutchman—Dwight Schrute of “The Office.”

You can visit Pennsylvania Dutch Country and explore this fascinating culture.

Don’t just take it from us—get yourself to Pennsylvania Dutch Country to learn more about the history of the Pennsylvania Dutch and their impact on Pennsylvania. You can visit markets like Ephrata’s Green Dragon Farmers Market & Auction or Lancaster Central Market to pick up Pennsylvania Dutch foods and Amish-made gifts, or stop by roadside stands for fresh, quality produce.

You can also explore the history and rural life of the Pennsylvania Dutch at the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum and the 1719 Museum, which features exhibits on Mennonite and indigenous life in the early 1700s.

Don’t forget to stop by restaurants, which serve up home-cooked, stick-to-your-ribs Pennsylvania Dutch food, like Frackville’s Dutch Kitchen Restaurant.