At some point you know the evenings in Philadelphia by heart. The same venue, the same show, the same old crowd. Not bad – but not the thing you look forward to all day either. If that sounds familiar, you are in the right place. Because there is an evening in Philadelphia that feels different.
Philadelphia - more than the Liberty Bell
Philadelphia is where American independence was declared, home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the first capital of a young nation. There is no shortage of history here. But alongside it there is something no visitor centre advertises: a circle of men who, for well over a century in this country, have met to cultivate humour, art and friendship. This is Schlaraffia.
On paper a cultural society; in spirit the opposite of what "club" usually suggests: no committees, no agenda, no one you are supposed to impress - an evening ruled by wit, music and real conversation. A worldwide fellowship in which a tradesman sits beside a doctor and, after an hour, nobody asks what anyone does "in real life".
Where the circle meets
The chapter gathers a little north of the city, in Warminster, at 130 Davisville Road. The evening has an easy thread but no programme in the sense of an event: someone recites something of his own, someone plays, someone speaks and is interrupted twice by a good punchline. In between there is plenty of room for the kind of conversation you still remember the next day.
Anyone around Philadelphia looking for an evening that leaves you richer rather than tired is in the right place with us. A guest visit costs nothing and commits you to nothing; let us know beforehand and we will keep a seat free - with the real risk that afterwards you will say: "I haven't had an evening like that in a long time."
🦉 Our Reych is called Filadelfia and carries the number 128 in the worldwide fellowship of Schlaraffia, founded in Prague in 1859. Above it all stands the motto of every Schlaraffe: In arte voluptas - in art lies delight.
An evening where everyday life stays outside
Picture a circle of men who meet regularly – not to compare who drives which car, but to laugh together, to listen and, for a few hours, to set aside the seriousness of life. No phone on the table, no schedule pressure, no rivalry. Instead: a poem, a song, a clever punchline, a good conversation.
What counts here is not oneʼs profession or bank balance. A tradesman sits next to a doctor, a teacher next to an entrepreneur – and after an hour no one remembers who does what "in real life". That is exactly what makes these evenings so refreshingly different.
Why it does you good, especially today
So much of our free time has become quiet, solitary and spent in front of a screen. We consume rather than take part. An evening in real company – with people who listen to you and whom you see again – has almost become a luxury. It is the kind of leisure that leaves you not tired at the end of the day, but richer.
And the best part: you need no skills and need bring nothing. Those who wish contribute something themselves – those who would rather listen, listen. Both are welcome.
What to expect on such an evening
You arrive, are warmly welcomed and need not worry about a thing. The evening has an easy thread running through it: sometimes someone recites a poem, sometimes there is music, sometimes a good punchline draws hearty laughter. In between there is plenty of room for conversation – the kind that stays with you the next day. No one pushes, no one tests you, no one is trying to sell you anything.
As a guest you are invited simply to be there. Many describe it afterwards with the same sentence: "I havenʼt had an evening like that in a long time." And that is precisely the point – hours that stand out from the routine, in the best sense.
🦉 And what is it called? This evening has a name: Schlaraffia – a worldwide association of men who cultivate humour, art and friendship. In Philadelphia there is a circle of its own that meets regularly.
Curious about an evening like this?
Come along as a guest – free, without obligation and completely relaxed.
