Ephrata Cloister Associates

MISSION STATEMENT

Ephrata Cloister preserves and interprets this 18 th Century religious community as a living example of religious tolerance and intellectual freedom and the significant role Pennsylvania played in the Human Rights issue of freedom of religion and expression.

Ephrata Cloister preserves and interprets for citizens and visitors, this 18 th century religious community as a meaningful example of religious toleration and intellectual freedom in the New World and of the significant role Pennsylvania played in the human rights issue of freedom of religion and expression.The Ephrata Cloister presents tours, educational programs, exhibits, and publications that increase understanding of this community and of religious toleration in colonial Pennsylvania. Major themes include:

• The people who founded and participated in the Ephrata community;
• The prominence of this radical religious community with strong Germanic traditions in the context of colonial society;
• The religious beliefs that drove the austere lifestyle of the community;
• The extraordinary domestic, cultural and social by-products, including fraktur, musical composition, religious writing, printing and architecture;
• The Cloister as a contributor to German culture in Pennsylvania