Front Matter Vol. 44 (2009)

Abstract

Depicted on the front cover is the seal of Germantown, Pennsylvania, founded by Francis Daniel Pastorius in 1683. Ihe seal was designed by Pastorius shortly before 1700. 'Ihe three-fold cloverleaf with Latin motto denotes the three principal occupations among the citizens of Germantown: viticulture and wine-making, flax-growing, and textile production. The Latin motto reads Vinum Linum et Textrinum ("grapes/wine, flax/linen, and weaving mill/weaving"). Pastorius formulated the same motto in German as D er Wein, d er Lein u n d d er Webeschrein.Ih e Society for German-American Studies has elected to display the Germantown seal on its website, stationery and membership brochure as well as on the cover of the Yearbook o f German-A merican Studies in commemoration of the earliest group settlement of German-speaking immigrants in North American. Our source for the image is Rudolf Cronau,