"Sons of Herman" Lodges
Replies: 4
Re: "Sons of Herman" Lodges, very active in Nebraska in late l800's/early l900's
| Richard Albrecht (View posts) | Posted: 21 Jun 2005 4:01PM GMT |
Classification: Query
The Order of the Sons of Hermann was organized in New York City in 1840 by a small band of men of German descent. This marked the founding of the nation's oldest fraternal benefit society.
Hermann, for whom the Order was named, was an early folk hero known as Hermann the Cherusker (the latter is the name of the ancient German tribe to which he belonged). He also was known historically by the name the Romans gave him – Arminius – and Webster's Biographical Dictionary lists him as Arminius.
His story is one of the great stories of all time. After his capture by the Romans, he was pressed into military service in the Roman Army and became an impressive military leader. However, when the Romans became particularly oppressive to his people, Arminius forsook the glories of Rome to organize the German tribesmen for a military victory that was to shake the ancient world.
Roman legions were considered invincible in those years, but Hermann's tribal forces annihilated three Roman legions in the Battle of Teutoburger Forest in 9 A.D., when Hermann was only 27 years old. Historians say his victory was the beginning of the end of domination by the empire of the Caesars over Germany as well as the British Isles.
Hermann's heroics for his people were not without extreme cost to him. In vengeance, the Romans captured his pregnant wife and took her off to slavery in Rome. A son was born to the wife in Rome and had to remain a slave for the rest of his life. Hermann never saw his wife again or his son.
Hermann died 12 years after his great military victory.
Today a monument topped by his statue stands as tall as a 16-story building on a wooded hilltop near Detmold, Germany. There also are statues of Hermann in New Ulm, Minn.and the Grand Lodge.
Meanwhile, back to the early history of the Sons of Hermann in this country: From the small beginning in New York City in 1840 (making it the oldest fraternal in the United States), Sons of Hermann had grown to 800 members in six Northern states by 1847. At a convention held in Milwaukee on Christmas Day 1848, a Grand Lodge with offices in New York City, was organized.
The newly created national Order adopted the motto "Friendship, Love and Loyalty." This motto lives on in the hearts and good works of the members of the Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas.
The first permanent settlers of the Texas Hill Country were pioneers who came to Texas from Germany in 1845 and 1846. After establishing such towns as New Braunfels, Fredericksburg and Comfort, a number of these settlers moved into San Antonio, which already was a frontier community of long standing. These settlers formed a society and social life of their own in San Antonio. It was a society which welcomed the extras which the Order of the Sons of Hermann was soon to offer and thereafter perpetuate.
The National Grand Lodge sent John Lemnitzer of Rochester, N.Y., and Jakob Goll, also from the Northern United States, to San Antonio, and they helped the San Antonians establish the first Hermann Sons Lodge in Texas Harmonia Lodge No. 1, in 1860. The lodge was fully chartered on July 6, 1861. The Order gave the pioneers much in the line of mutual interest and protection, and the movement took off in other communities.
On March 27, 1890, with the Alamo, the Cradle of Texas Liberty, as a backdrop, Texans from newly formed lodges in Austin, Taylor, Temple, Waco, La Grange, Brenham and Houston met with Harmonia Lodge's representatives to form the Grand Lodge of the Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas. Approximately 75 of Texas Hermann Sons' 152 local lodges have observed their centennials.
Since 1921, the Order of the Sons of Hermann in Texas has been autonomous and independent of any national affiliation.
Hermann, for whom the Order was named, was an early folk hero known as Hermann the Cherusker (the latter is the name of the ancient German tribe to which he belonged). He also was known historically by the name the Romans gave him – Arminius – and Webster's Biographical Dictionary lists him as Arminius.
His story is one of the great stories of all time. After his capture by the Romans, he was pressed into military service in the Roman Army and became an impressive military leader. However, when the Romans became particularly oppressive to his people, Arminius forsook the glories of Rome to organize the German tribesmen for a military victory that was to shake the ancient world.
Roman legions were considered invincible in those years, but Hermann's tribal forces annihilated three Roman legions in the Battle of Teutoburger Forest in 9 A.D., when Hermann was only 27 years old. Historians say his victory was the beginning of the end of domination by the empire of the Caesars over Germany as well as the British Isles.
Hermann's heroics for his people were not without extreme cost to him. In vengeance, the Romans captured his pregnant wife and took her off to slavery in Rome. A son was born to the wife in Rome and had to remain a slave for the rest of his life. Hermann never saw his wife again or his son.
Hermann died 12 years after his great military victory.
Today a monument topped by his statue stands as tall as a 16-story building on a wooded hilltop near Detmold, Germany. There also are statues of Hermann in New Ulm, Minn.and the Grand Lodge.
Meanwhile, back to the early history of the Sons of Hermann in this country: From the small beginning in New York City in 1840 (making it the oldest fraternal in the United States), Sons of Hermann had grown to 800 members in six Northern states by 1847. At a convention held in Milwaukee on Christmas Day 1848, a Grand Lodge with offices in New York City, was organized.
The newly created national Order adopted the motto "Friendship, Love and Loyalty." This motto lives on in the hearts and good works of the members of the Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas.
The first permanent settlers of the Texas Hill Country were pioneers who came to Texas from Germany in 1845 and 1846. After establishing such towns as New Braunfels, Fredericksburg and Comfort, a number of these settlers moved into San Antonio, which already was a frontier community of long standing. These settlers formed a society and social life of their own in San Antonio. It was a society which welcomed the extras which the Order of the Sons of Hermann was soon to offer and thereafter perpetuate.
The National Grand Lodge sent John Lemnitzer of Rochester, N.Y., and Jakob Goll, also from the Northern United States, to San Antonio, and they helped the San Antonians establish the first Hermann Sons Lodge in Texas Harmonia Lodge No. 1, in 1860. The lodge was fully chartered on July 6, 1861. The Order gave the pioneers much in the line of mutual interest and protection, and the movement took off in other communities.
On March 27, 1890, with the Alamo, the Cradle of Texas Liberty, as a backdrop, Texans from newly formed lodges in Austin, Taylor, Temple, Waco, La Grange, Brenham and Houston met with Harmonia Lodge's representatives to form the Grand Lodge of the Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas. Approximately 75 of Texas Hermann Sons' 152 local lodges have observed their centennials.
Since 1921, the Order of the Sons of Hermann in Texas has been autonomous and independent of any national affiliation.