Memoirs

The following is a list of memoirs or "Lebenslaufe" by members of the Moravian community in Bethlehem, PA. The term Lebenslauf translated from German means "course of life" and is similar to a memoir, however much shorter. In 1727, Count Nicolas Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf began encouraging his followers to write such personal biographies, which would then be read at their funeral. These Lebenslaufe are meant to be a spiritual exercise to reflect on one's whole life and spiritual journey. In cases where a person died unexpectedly or at a very young age, their Lebenslauf would be written or completed by someone who was close to them. There are more than 100,000 such Moravian lebenslaufe in existence, and people often have multiple versions as it is typical to update them throughout the course of one's life.

*Please note, source documents over four pages in length are in Portable Document Format (PDF). This format will provide the English translation and the source document with German transcription, if applicable. 

Böhner, Johann - (1710-1785)
Bünninger, Abraham - (1720-1811)
Burnside, James - (1708-1755)
Cist, Rebecca - (1787-1825)
David, Susannah - (1775-1843)
Ettwein, Anna Benigna  - (1749-1834)
Ettwein, John - (1721-1802)
Garrison, Nicolaus - (1701-1781)
Gold, Johann - (1678-1745)
Horsfield, Elizabeth - (1754-1836)
Huber, Catherine (Catharina) - (1703-1798)
Josua - (1720-1761)
Krogstrup, Otto Christoph (Christian) - (1714-1785)
Lewis, Elizabeth - (1743-1831)
Magdalene - (1731-1820)
Michael - (d. 1758)
Neisser, George - (1715-1784)
Nitschmann Sr., David - (1676-1758)
Nixdorf, George - (1700-1785)
Peter, John (Johann) Frederick (Friedrich) - (1746-1813)
Rebecca - (1809-1830)
Rice, Joseph - (1785-1831)
Rose, Peter - (1733-1814)
Ross, Mary Elizabeth - (1806-1822)
Schout, Andrew - (1700-1763)
Schlegel, Anna Rosina - (1761-1831)
Schropp, Johanna Elizabeth - (1785-1810)
Seidel, Nathaniel - (1718-1782)
Strehle, Rudolph - (1712-1785)
Till, John (Johann) Christian - (1762-1844)
Thomas, Johann Francis (Frantz) (Franz) - (1732-1832)
Thorne, William - (1726-1757)
Werner, Marie (Maria) - (1711-1760)
Zeisberger,  Susanna - (1744-1824)