NOTE:
During the CAP project to reconstruct I95 in center city Philadelphia, the Exile marker near the Independence Seaport Museum has been removed and put in storage by the construction company. They will reinstall it along Walnut Walk at conclusion of the project, hopefully Spring 2028.
Check out:
Annual Meeting Programs 1921 to present
Pennsylvania State Senate Honors
Schwenkfelder Annual Day of Remembrance (Gedächtnistag)
September 24, 2014
About Us/Background of The Exile Herald
The Exile Herald was an early publication (April 29, 1921 to January 1954)
of the Exile Society which contained scholarly papers presented at their meetings
About Us/Table of Contents for The Exile Herald
Links to PDF copies of The Exile Herald
Projects/Genealogical Record
You can now complete on-line and print out a
Schwenkfelder Families Genealogical Record Supplement sheet
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The primary objectives of this Society are:
· The preservation of the history of the Schwenkfeldian religious exiles and their descendants in America.
· The promotion of social interaction among its members.
The Society of the Descendants of the Schwenkfeldian Exiles is not officially affiliated with the Schwenkfelder denomination, a religious body with four churches in Pennsylvania located in Philadelphia, East Norriton, Worcester, and Palm, although some Society members are also active members of the Schwenkfelder denomination. The Society does, however, work with the denomination and the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, 105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA 18073, in its efforts to preserve the Schwenkfelder beliefs and history.
Become a member! Download our Exile Society Membership Form.
Schwenkfeldian Exile Society | 105 Seminary Street | Pennsburg, PA 18073
Phone: 215-679-3103 | Fax: 215-679-8175 | Email: exile@schwenkfelder.org
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2023 Exile Society Annual Fall Meeting & Presentation
Sunday, October 29, 2023
2:00 p.m. – Annual Fall Meeting
2:30 p.m. – “The Heebners of Lansdale: Titans of Industry”
presented by Linda Evans, board member of the Society of the Descendants
of the Schwenkfeldian Exiles and the Lansdale Historical Society, and
Anna Heebner, a descendant of the Heebners of the Agricultural Works.
The program will look at the Heebner Agricultural Works of Lansdale, founded by patriarch David S. Heebner of Worcester, in partnership with his sons, Isaac, Josiah, and William. The horse tread, a device for using horses to provide power to run farm equipment, was improved by the Heebners and became their major product. They also invented, improved, and manufactured other farm equipment, such as threshers, cleaners, feed cutters, and feed mills. Always looking for new opportunities, they expanded their business in several directions.
A year before Lansdale was incorporated, the Heebners moved into town and built a plant adjacent to the North Pennsylvania Rail Road. The quality of their products and their business acumen resulted in rapid growth, and soon they were shipping their products worldwide. Their influence on the growth of the town of Lansdale will also be discussed.
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, 105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA 18073
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OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST TO SCHWENKFELDER DESCENDANTS
Annual Salford Pilgrimage
6:00 p.m., Sunday, June 2, 2024
Salford Schwenkfelder Meetinghouse, Fretz Road, Lower Salford Township, PA
Gedächtnistag (Annual Day of Remembrance)
3:00 p.m., Sunday, September 22, 2024
This traditional service of Thanksgiving is the oldest continuous celebration of thanks in the United States.
It commemorates the arrival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 13, 1734,
of some 180 Schwenkfelder immigrants fleeing persecution in their native homelands of Silesia, Germany.
Upon arrival, they paused to give thanks to God for the safe arrival to a place where they would find freedom to practice their faith as they pleased. Every year since, the Schwenkfelders gather to remember
their faith and reflect upon their struggles and opportunities.
Following the service, the day concludes with a traditional meal of bread, butter,
apple butter, and water – a reminder of that very first gathering in 1734.
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PAST EVENTS
Annual Salford Pilgrimage
6:00 p.m., Sunday, June 4, 2023
Salford Schwenkfelder Meetinghouse, Fretz Road, Lower Salford Township, PA
Gedächtnistag (Annual Day of Remembrance)
3:00 p.m., Sunday, September 24, 2023
Olivett-Schwenkfelder Church, Township Line Road, Norristown, PA
2022 Exile Society Annual Fall Meeting & Presentation
Sunday, October 30, 2022
2:00 p.m. – Annual Fall Meeting
2:30 p.m. – Historian Craig Bird spoke on John F. Hartranft’s Masonic Connections
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, 105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA
Society of the Descendants of the Schwenkfeldian E 
Are Copys of Adolf Pannash Painting available for purchas? My Grandfather X6TH came over on that ship in 1737.
Michael Beckel (Tobias Bockell)
Copies of the Pannash print, “The Landing of the Schwenckfelders from the St. Andrew” (shown under above tab: Schwenkfelders in Pennsylvania) are available through the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center (www.schwenkfelder.com or call 215-679-3103) for a cost of $3.00 + PA tax $0.18 (if PA resident) + $1.50 S/H per print.