Francis Daniel Pastorius was a highly educated German aristocrat who founded Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683. He studied at four universities in Germany, becoming fluent in many languages. In America, he organized the German settlers, served as a teacher and civic leader, and drafted the first protest against slavery. Pastorius worked to help the settlers adapt to their new home while maintaining their German heritage. He played a pivotal role in the development of Germantown.

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Anthony DellaPia
German Experience into America
Final Project
May 6, 2014
Make Way for Pastorius
“Education is not received, it is achieved,” Albert Einstein.1 “Education is the most
powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” Nelson Mandela.2 “Education
is key to unlock the golden door of freedom,” George Washington Carver.3The
aforementioned leading men believed in the power of education. Similarly, Francis
Daniel Pastorius embodied these indelible standards. He grew up in a wealthy family in
Sommerhausen, Germany. Born on September 26, 1651 and dying early January 1720,
he was a very well educated man with desires to lead while in search of a better life.
A German, Lutheran, aristocrat, Pastorius studied Latin as a child. Moreover, he
spent over 20 years in formal education. From 1668 to 1675, he attended four different
universities.4. First, he entered the Nurnberg University of Altdorf, where he studied
theology.5 Secondly, he attended the University of Strassburg, where he learned the
classics.6 His third area of study was at the University of Basel. Although he only
attended lectures here and did not formally enroll himself as a student, he learned
1
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html
2
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html
3
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html
4
http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html
5
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
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http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html

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various, diverse languages.7 In addition, he became familiar with and wrote fluently in
German, Italian, French, Dutch, Spanish, Greek and Latin. 8 Finally, he went to the
University of Jena, where he studied law and eventually received his doctorate.9 After
finishing his education, he ran a law practice at Windsheim until 1679 when he moved
to Frankfurt to start a new practice.10 After he relocated to Frankfurt, he soon became a
teacher at the University of Frankfurt and taught law. While he was at Frankfurt,
Pastorius wrote many poems reflecting his thoughts on religion and politics.11
Pastorius had a close-knit group of friends that were dear to him in
Frankfurt. Finding friends was not a hard thing for him to do. Being the passionate,
devout religious man, Francis Pastorius became friends with an influential pastor. As his
mentor, Dr. Heinrich Horb introduced him to Pietism.12 A religious movement reacting to
formalism and intellectualism while stressing the Bible, Pietism was the reason for
Pastorius’ movement. Pastorius began his undertaking in the west of Europe, France,
then made his way east in Switzerland and finally ended in Germany. Years and years
of Pastorius’ plan to start a movement allowed for little progress. Then, Pastorius went
to England where he met an English real estate entrepreneur that had a huge impact on
his life. William Penn already had discovered Philadelphia and went to England for
7
http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html
8
Marion Dexter Learned, The Life of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown (Philadelphia: William J. Campbell,
1908)
9
http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html
10
http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html
11
Marion Dexter Learned, The Life of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown (Philadelphia: William J. Campbell,
1908)
12
http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html

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mainly advertisement purposes to sell land. When they met, Pastorius told Penn about
his movement and how he wanted to get people to follow along. Penn immediately told
him that Europe is no place for that movement and directed him to come to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pastorius grabbed his close friends back at Frankfurt and
went to America for added support and benefit.
Francis Daniel Pastorius arrived in Philadelphia August 20, 1683. He was
situated between the Schuylkill River and the Delaware River.13 When he arrived there,
he and his Frankfurt associates organized themselves as the first German Company,
and later, the name was changed to the Frankfurt Land Company.14 On June 20, 1683,
Pastorius bought 15,000 acres of land from William Penn as a settlement of Quakers
and Mennonites. 15 After he bought this land, it took some time for him to recruit people
to come to his land. It wasn’t until October 24, 1683 when he finally came up with a
name for his land, Germanpolis, in Latin, translates as “a city of Germany”.16 This name
soon lost its identity and people began to slant its pronunciation as, what it is presently
known as today, Germantown. He immediately associated himself with the Quakers
who lived near Philadelphia. The primary reason for this was due to his affiliation with
William Penn. When people began to notice his close alliance with Penn and observed
his deep religious beliefs and well-educated background, he immediately gained respect
13
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
14
http://www.ushistory.org/germantown/people/pastorius.htm
15
http://www.ushistory.org/germantown/people/pastorius.htm
16
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519

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and influence among the Germantown settlers and the Quaker elite.17 All of the respect
and influence he was receiving lead him to the love of a woman by the name of Anneke
Klostermann. She was the daughter of Dr. Klostermann, who was one of the first
Germantown settlers during this era.18 Francis and Anneke married on November 26,
1686.19 Pastorius made a family with Anneke and they raised two sons, John and
Henry.
All of the hard work Pastorius put into Germantown labeled him to be one of the
greatest model citizens of his time. Because of his reputable style of living, Germantown
became more popular. German immigrants would choose Germantown as their settling
grounds before any other place in North America.20 Pastorius was the glue to
Germantown; he functioned as the lawgiver, spiritual leader, and town’s clerk. He even
found himself as the primary master teacher of Germantown’s school in which the
lessons were conducted in English. Pastorius began to be so well known with his
teaching skills that parents would send their children from places other than
Germantown for him to teach them. William Penn commissioned him as justice of the
peace in 1684.21 In addition, he was elected as Germantown’s first bailiff in 1691.22
Pastorius was very proud of Germantown .The citizens adapted to the American culture
17
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
18
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
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http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
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http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
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http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
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while staying true to their original German heritage. Pastorius had a profound belief in
the importance of adapting to one’s circumstance. With a letter, he wanted to remind his
sons “each of you are an Anglus Natus an Englishman at Birth. Therefore, it would be
ashamed for you if you should be ignorant of the English Tongue.” 23 At William Penn’s
request, Pastorius, being the main promoter of Germantown, wrote a widely circulated
pamphlet in 1700 entitled, “A Particular Geographical Description of the Lately
Discovered Province of Pennsylvania”.24 This letter was profound by bringing many of
its readers to emigrate to the colony.
Pastorius also lead in the cause of slavery in America. He drafted the first protest
against slavery while living in Germantown. He and three other men wrote it and sent to
the tiny Friends Meeting in Germantown in 1688.25 By all standards the Germantown
protest failed. Nevertheless, the seed had been planted. In 1696, the Yearly Meeting
publication said how Friends Meeting in Germantown encouraged to not purchase any
more Negroes.26 In 1730, the Yearly Meeting declared new slave purchases to be
disagreeable.27 Friends Meeting in Germantown were well ahead of the general
population in acknowledging the evil of slavery. By the time of the Revolution, slave
holding was ended among Friends.
23
Marion Dexter Learned, The Life of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown (Philadelphia: William J. Campbell,
1908)
24
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
25
Marion Dexter Learned, The Life of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown (Philadelphia: William J. Campbell,
1908)
26
Marion Dexter Learned, The Life of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown (Philadelphia: William J. Campbell,
1908)
27
Marion Dexter Learned, The Life of Francis Daniel Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown (Philadelphia: William J. Campbell,
1908)

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The proud historical heritage that began more than 300 years ago has
shaped Germantown with its own identity. Francis Daniel Pastorius was the German
leader, counselor, lawyer, teacher and conveyance for his countrymen. His education
was considered one of the best of his times and a precursor to the path he took to lead.
This path has lead him to the discovery of Pennsylvania’s jewel conveniently named
Germantown.

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Bibliography
"Education Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 06 May
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"Francis Daniel Pastorius Papers." 0475. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May
2014.http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/p/Pastorius0475.html
"Pastorius, Francis Daniel." Pastorius, Francis Daniel. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May
2014.http://myweb.wvnet.edu/~jelkins/lp-2001/pastorius.html
"Francis Daniel Pastorius." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d.
Web. 06 May 2014.http://www.ushistory.org/germantown/people/pastorius.htm
"Francis Pastorius." Francis Pastorius. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May
2014.http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21519
Learned, Marion Dexter, and Samuel W. Pennypacker. The Life of Francis Daniel
Pastorius, the Founder of Germantown: Illustrated with Ninety Photographic
Reproductions. Philadelphia: W.J. Campbell, 1908. Print.