Europeans are amongst the oldest, and at the same time the newest, peoples to have settled in southwestern Pennsylvania. The region's earliest settlers were from northern Europe and they were followed by large-scale immigration from eastern and southern Europe at the turn of the 20th century. Peoples of European descent established themselves as "Pittsburghers," contributing mightily to the culture, politics and economic growth of the region. In recent decades these communities have had the good fortune of being enriched by the arrival of new immigrants from their European homelands.

The diversity of European settlers has added a great deal to the cultural heritage of western Pennsylvania. This diversity is present in all aspects of society, from cuisine to art to religion, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim are all represented here. Regional businesses, workers, cultural and academic institutions embrace both the diversity of the peoples of Europe and the unifying powers of the European Union in order to strengthen mutually beneficial international cooperation.

Pittsburghers with ancestral roots stretching back to Europe three centuries, one century, or just one decade are justifiably proud of their contributions to southwestern Pennsylvania. However, they also know that this is a new era, and their European roots are both country-specific and continental in nature; steeped in tradition but also daringly new. They encompass cultural and economic, western and eastern European, and all of Europe's religious sects. Southwestern Pennsylvanians of European descent were, are, and will be important players in the future of southwestern Pennsylvania, and they are anxious to have readers consult the website to learn more about the many different organizations that represent the peoples of this region whose original ancestral homeland was the continent of Europe.

Chatham University Global Focus
Year of Europe: Germany
The Global Focus program at Chatham University engages students in the purposeful study of peoples and civilizations. Our community of scholars promotes the acquisition of sustainable global competencies through the critical and holistic exploration of one specific country or region of the globe every year. The program concurrently reinforces crosscultural ties and internationalization initiatives in the greater Pittsburgh area and beyond.  
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