The historical value of Moravian autobiographies, Lebenläufe, has been debated among researchers. One question is how we should interpret the obvious genre dependency of the texts. The Lebensläufe follows a clear structure and often contains quotations or other references to the Bible, various hymns or other religious texts. These intertextual references can be interpreted as having a spiritual function, illustrating the writer’s journey through the temporal world towards spiritual awakening. However, I propose the use of quotations might also be seen in the light of Walter Ong’s thoughts on orality and literacy. The Lebensläufe are structured very much in accordance with the principles of an oral culture, as described by Ong. Indeed, both the texts themselves and the context in which they originate are situated at a crossroads between oral and literary cultures. To relate to the theme of the conference: the Moravians and their autobiographies repeatedly travelled back and forth between oral and literary spheres. A further exploration of the intersection between orality and literacy in Moravian Lebensläufe might therefore be a fruitful task for further research.