Today, November 18th, Rev. Joseph Hartmann has been pastor of the First German Evangelical Parish of Chicago - St. Paul's Church - for 25 years. Rev. Hartmann was born Sept. 18, 1824, at Bornheim in Bavaria. He received his education in the Gymnasium of Speyer and that of Zweibrucken. He also attended the universities of Bonn and Uztreeht, where he studied philosophy and theology.

In 1849 he came to America and in the same year he passed his examination before the German Evangelical Synod of North America in Cleveland, Ohio. His first parish was at West Turin in Lewis County, in the state of New York. From there he came to Chicago. His activities here were most successful. Besides his increasingly flourishing parish, he started 2several new German Evangelical parishes. He is also the creator of many Anglo-German parochial schools and thus deserves fullest recognition for the preservation of the German language and German customs in Chicago and in the Northwest.

His activities as synodal president and as preacher were equally successful. He is also the founder of our German orphanage. After the fire of 1871, it was his driving power which was mainly responsible for the rebuilding of his church and school and of the orphanage.

Pastor Hartmann has, here in Chicago, baptized 11,562 children, confirmed 2,810 children, married 4,677 couples and given the Last Supper to 37,500 people.

During the Civil War he strongly advocated the Union and fought with great ability in the "Hausfreund" published by him in the interests of the preservation of the Union and the Abolition of Slavery.

On account of what he has done for the Germans and the Republic, Rev. Hartmann has become highly respected and beloved. The church celebration in his honor will take place Sunday in the midst of his parish. But all the Germans from Chicago wish to extend to this highly deserving man their most sincere congratulations!