The order of the Hermann's Soehne, that just has erected a beautiful monument to the ancient liberator from the Roman yoke, the Cherusker Armin or Hermann, is a pure German organization and was founded in New York in the year 1840.

At that time the Germans there resided largely in the Avenues A and B, at Hudson and Clinton Streets. There were their churches and club halls. New York "Rowdyism" governed the city at that time and showed its fury also, with brutal intolerance, against the Germans.

When in the spring of 1840, a prominent German was to be buried, the long funeral procession in Chatham Street was pelted by the rowdies with stones, snow and dirt, was split up, pursued into all directions and ill-treated. Respectable Germans called an indignation meeting. In this meeting Mr. Georg Heiner gave the signal for the foundation of the "Alliance of the Hermannsoehne". Mr. Heiner (he is still living in New York) paralleled in his speech the attacks of the rowdies on the Germans with the persecution of the Germans by the Romans 2and called: "A Hermann is needed to free us from the Nationalistic claws!" Enormous approbation greeted these words. The result was a German organization on June 17, 1840, that constituted itself on the first of July as "Gesellschaft der Hermanns Soehne" (Society of the Sons of Hermann).

The purpose was: Maintenance of German mutual protection, cultivation and furtherance of German customs, German language and German science. The banner was black-red-gold. The organization, infused great respect in the rowdies. The Germans were left in peace. On October 12th, 1847 the HermannsSoehne appeared in public for the first time on the occasion of the dedication of the Washington Monument at the Union Square, - they came 800 men strong.

On April 20th, 1848 the first section of the association outside New York where six chapters existed, was founded in Milwaukee. On May 8th, 1848 the Hermanns-Soehne of New York held a grandiose parade through the city in celebration of the revolution in Germany.

At the end of December, 1848 the organization assumed the character of an order with the acceptance of the motto: "Friendship, Love and Fidelity," and the 3proclamation of the following platform:-"All people are alike. All are animated by one desire and strive for one aim, the betterment of physical and spiritual elements of their existence. It is the duty of each human being, to care not only for himself, but also for the welfare of his fellow men, because every single one finds in the common welfare his deserving share of good fortune."

"In order to have this great and worthy work furthered, we offer a brotherly hand and establish this tie of friendship. Together we sow and together we expect to harvest. We will further the German customs, the German spirit, the German science, we will mutually cultivate, patronize and assist each other. This be our principle and our platform. We will look at ourselves as one family and keep sacred the family ties."

On January 1st, 1849 the first Grand President, Mr. John Linder opened the first Grand Lodge meeting in New York. The order soon increased so that on January 1st, 1857 the first National Grand Lodge was held in Rochester. The order has now 500 Lodges with 33,000 members in 38 states. Mr. Schuetz of Texas is at present the new elected National Grand President.