Julius Friedrich Sachse, a second generation German-American, was an accomplished late 19th century historian of the Germans in Pennsylvania and an important photographer. His particular interest in the Ephrata Community, whose cloister he helped save from the wrecker's ball, bore fruit in several publications, including The German pietists of provincial Pennsylvania... 1694-1708 (Philadelphia, 1895), The German sectarians of Pennsylvania... (Philadelphia, 1899-1900), and The music of the Ephrata cloister (Lancaster, Pa., 1903).

In October, 1890, Sachse was hired by the Pennsylvania historian, Samuel W. Pennypacker, to make a transcript of a manuscript on the Ephrata sisterhood. The original manuscript was apparently prepared in about 1745 and includes a full description of the women of the Ephrata Community, their organization, daily activities, clothing, records of deaths, and biographical information. It can be seen, in a sense as a companion to Brother Lamech's Chronicon Ephratense... (Lancaster, Pa., S. H. Zahm, 1889).

Scope and contents:

Julius F. Sachse's typescript of the Chronicon of the Ephrata Sisterhood includes photographic facsimiles of the first and last pages of the send brief, and photo illustrations of illustrated pages. Wording, spelling and orthography in the transcript has apparently been retained from the original. Conveniently, Sachse provided an index to the volume.

Tipped into the front of the volume is a letter from Sachse to Pennypacker, 1891 June 16, including an accounting of expenses for his services.

M-3257
cat. 6/96 rsc

Subject index to the Chronicon of the Ephrata Sisterhood

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