About
Moravian University is a private university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution traces its history to girls' and boys' schools opened in 1742 by Moravians, descendants of followers of the Bohemian Reformation under John Amos Comenius.
The Bethlehem Female Seminary was founded in 1742 as a girls' school, and renamed as the Moravian Seminary and College for Women in 1913. Moravian boys' schools were founded in 1742 and 1743 and merged in 1759 to form Nazareth Hall in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The boys' school established a Moravian College and Theological Seminary in 1807, which moved to Bethlehem in 1858. The two colleges were accredited to award undergraduate degrees in 1863 and merged in 1954 to form Moravian College. In 2021, the college was elevated to a university. Based on the foundation of the girls' school in 1742, before the university was accredited, or granted any sort of degree, and was instead more akin to a primary school, the university claims to be the sixth-oldest college in the United States.
Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2024. This designation includes two Moravian University buildings: the Second Single Brethren's House and the Widows' House, both situated on the campus' south side along Church Street. The Second Single Brethren's House now serves as a hub for musical education and celebration while the Widow's House provides residential facilities for the school's faculty and staff.