Object Story: Painted Schrank

This wardrobe holds important clues about the identity of an early Pennsylvania family. Philip DeTurk was already the third generation of his family living in America when this piece of furniture was built. Philip was born around 1757 in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. His father John DeTurk was born in Oley Township in 1713, and his father Isaac had first come to New York in 1708 as an immigrant from the area now known as Germany and moved to Oley in 1711. Imagine three generations of a family living in the colonies before the American Revolution began! 

The DeTurk family continued to maintain much of the German identity and culture even after they had been living here for many generations. It would not have been hard to maintain German traditions in Oley, Pennsylvania. While there were families of many different backgrounds in Berks County, Pennsylvania (Lenape people, Swiss, French Huguenots, English and Welsh Quakers), most residents probably spoke German. German culture and traditions are still very much a part of Pennsylvania. 

Sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s, John DeTurk most likely had this schrank crafted for his son Philip. “Schrank” is a German word for closet or cabinet. It is a distinctly German piece of furniture.

We know that John spoke German since he left written records in that language. When he purchased a new home that belonged to a man of English descent, he promptly remodeled it completely using Germanic-style stonework. Remember, this is a man who had never visited Germany. Why was he investing large sums of money to create an outward display of his German roots?

But we also know that John identified strongly as an American. He and his sons volunteered to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. They were not loyal to England, even though England had paid for and authorized Isaac’s trip to the colonies. As soon as the Declaration of Independence was signed, John volunteered to take an oath of allegiance to the new United States of America.

Living Descendants

How long would the strength of German heritage last in the family? Philip’s gravestone is written in German, but his brother Samuel’s is not. Already the family members were opting out of German aspects of their identity.

Shelle DeTurk is a descendant of Samuel who lives today in Raleigh, North Carolina. When asked what aspects of German culture she identifies with she said, “If not for the DeTurk family book, I’d have never known we were ever German at all. My grandfather fought in World War II – a war fought against Germans. I can say that most of the pride in heritage that we have is held in the state of Pennsylvania where the family was raised for generations. But today we are spread across the U.S. from North Carolina to California and even Hawaii.”

Questions for Discussion

• How was John DeTurk’s identity shaped by both German and American lifestyles? How might the purchase of this wardrobe be a clue to help us learn more?
• According to genealogical records, Shelle DeTurk’s family left Pennsylvania three generations back. How might Shelle’s identity today be affected by that departure?
• An important right that all immigrants have is the right to keep one’s original cultural identity while adapting to America as a new homeland. How does having multiple cultural identities enrich America, and enrich your life, personally? How does it change or expand your ideas about what it means to be an American?
• Becoming American can mean having multiple cultural identities. The first Americans were themselves immigrants, who brought traditions and customs from their homelands with them. Being able to keep your own language, cultural customs, and religious beliefs and being American go hand in hand.