Another Antique book 1906

Another old book, is this a Bible?
1906

 

bunch of Scottdale's in the US...

 

Pennsylvania lol

 

Not a Bible, but a prayer book for members of some kind of "brotherhood."

 

Seems to be part of a funeral service for the person named. A prayer for the dead?

 

I found something a little interesting
the book is maybe written for Peter Becker from Scottdale, I found something about a Peter Becker came over from Germany, and there's actually a place called Germantown in Scottdale maybe named after him?? or his ancestors

http://www.brethren.org/bhla/hiddengems/peter-becker.html

 

The date in the book is in 1906, so whether he was in anyway related to the 1723 Peter Becker is not certain. There are several Germantowns in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately that article does not say exactly where in Pennsylvania that specific Germantown was. Unless that was mentioned elsewhere in what you read?

 

The Peter Becker who brought the Brethren Church from Germany to America was born in 1687 and died in 1758. This book was inscribed to a Peter Beckers (?) in 1906. It appears to have been printed in Zurich, Switzerland. There are thousands of these types of religious volumes floating around the U.S. due to the German "diaspora" at the turn of the last century. (For example, we have several that belonged to my great-grandmother.) Most, if not all, have no value beyond sentimental.

Debora

 

It is called Sterbetrost, which means dying solace. I can't read the rest due to the sideways problem.

 

I corrected the photos.. Thank you

 

If that's "Peter J." (which it appears to be,) FamilySearch.org has someone by that name who died in Scottdale in 1908. Roman Catholic.

Debora

 

Thank you!!

 

Swiss. Zug.
"Bruderschaft vom guten Tod", a brotherhood founded by the Jesuits, part of the counter-reformation. most probably some kind of Inner Swiss Catholic Taliban...
here a bit in German. you won't probably understand it, but you can read it.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruderschaft_von_der_Todesangst_Christi

 

I wouldn't say they were "Catholic Taliban", they were a brotherhood who prayed for a merciful death for themselves and others, reaching out to the sick and dying and promoting prayer and the Anointing of the Sick or the Extreme Unction

And this is one of their prayer books in the 12th edition, so its likely there are many of them.

 

your answer shows a profound knowledge of Switzerland and its history.
just as a start to understand the general situation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonderbund_War

these brotherhoods were lead by Jesuits and secretly supported by the then ultra-conservative powers like Austria and France. anti-democratic, today we would call it rather fascist with a Führer in a ridiculous small state in Rome.
the Jesuits were forbidden for a while.
the Protestant cantons - those that made Switzerland an economic success - have to support these catholic cantons up to today.

 

That's where you are coming from.

But this particular Brotherhood was conservative but not extreme. It was founded in 1648 and has no special connection to Switzerland or any wars.
The only counter reformatory actions listed on your wikipedia entry is their care for the sick and giving them the last rites and the building of calvarys.

At that time of the Sonderbund war, there was not much democracy around except for Switzerland, in most countries revolutionary forces fought to break up absolute monarchies, but all they could achieve was participation on a low level. In Switzerland the Catholics (not the Jesuits alone and definitely not this Brotherhood) fought for a Catholic State but not against democracy or for the pope or a state ruled by him. As I understand it, they fought for their independence, whereas the reformed wanted to form a closer knit state.

The Jesuits themselves were a conservative congregation and missionaries in the colonies where they often worked against slavery and exploitation of natives. This and their loyalty to the pope instead of the rulers of the countries made them unpopular and lead to many conspiracy theories and their persecution. (I am not saying all criticism is unfounded)

 

we stop it here. no use for me to discuss with people that call the Jesuits conservative.

PS: reminds me a bit when I was told about the garbage disposal system in Switzerland by the shoecleaner of the limo-driver of the third auxiliary secretary of the vice- ambassador in Geneva; he knew more about Switzerland after nine months than I do after appr. 50 years. pics showed an empty appartment and he had to buy furniture on the flea-market.
PPS: you can ask me anything about whaling in Nantucket; I wasn't there but...

 

I am absolutely fine with ending the discussion, especially because it has nothing to do with the book in question, but I am sorry I didn't understand a single sentence in your reply.