About Hermann Sons
Hermann Sons (Orden der Hermann’s-Soehne) was founded by German immigrants on July 20, 1840 in New York City at the Henry Clay House on Avenue A and First Street, not as an insurance company, but as a mutual aid society and brotherhood intended to foster German customs and German benevolence on this continent, and for its members to be humbly in service to each other. In addition to camaraderie, friendship and celebrations, the brotherhood existed to care for each other through difficult times. The sick were to be visited and comforted. The needy were to be helped, and the grief stricken were to be cared for by loving friends. The dead were to be borne to their final resting place by their brothers, the widows protected, and the orphans educated.
The brotherhood was named for Hermann the Defender.
It was not long before Hermann Sons lodges began forming across the United States in cities with large German communities. A national grande lodge, with offices in New York City, was established in 1848.
The life insurance component of membership was not added until 1875.
Membership was originally limited to members with German heritage and of good moral character. All lodge business was conducted in German. Religious or political affiliations were never a requirement.
The colors of the order, black, gold, and red, signified German unity. Black symbolized the darkness brought about by ignorance and prejudice. Above that, red signified ties to German spirit and culture, and gold represented true freedom resulting from labor and knowledge.
The motto is Friendship, Love and Loyalty.
In 1860, two representatives from the national grand lodge traveled to San Antonio and soon formed the Harmonia lodge. Seven more lodges followed shortly throughout central Texas.
On March 27, 1890, the Grand Lodge of Texas of the Sons of Hermann was founded in San Antonio. Within a year there were more than 90 lodges in Texas. Today more than 120 lodges remain in the state.
From 1861 until 1920 the Texas lodges were part of the National Order of the Sons of Hermann.
By 1913, Texas had more than one tenth of all membership of the national order. In 1921 the Texas Grand Lodge was financially stronger and had more members than all other lodges in the United States combined, and broke away from the national order. The Texas Grand Lodge has operated independently and autonomously ever since. The National Grand Lodge of Hermann Sons no longer exists.
By 1939 there were 350 lodges across Texas with 17,000 members, and 9 San Antonio lodges with more than 3500 members. Meanwhile, most lodges outside of Texas died out during World War I. Texas lodges sustained membership and even grew during wartime.
Around the country, several Sons of Hermann lodges still exist which were once under the national order but never affiliated with Hermann Sons of Texas, including three in Ohio.
Since 1937 all Hermann Sons business in Texas has been conducted in English. The order has been open to all ethnic groups since 1994.
The order operated a German summer school from 1894 until the early 1940s, has maintained a retirement home (“Altenheim”) at Comfort, Texas since 1916, and has operated summer youth camps in Comfort since 1954, and has offered children’s dance lessons since 1954. There are also two cemeteries in San Antonio cared for under the Hermann Sons auspices.
Hermann Sons Hall is the San Antonio Home Association building, home to the eight San Antonio lodges. When it was built in 1911, the Grand Lodge offices were also located in the Home Association building until 1950 when the present Grand Lodge was built next door. For 113 years and counting, the bulding has been owned and operated by the Hermann Sons Home Association and has served as a meeting and social space for its members, as well as office space for the San Antonio lodges.
Visit our History blogs for much more information about the historic Hermann Sons Hall.
Hermann Sons Hall 