The German Order of Harugari, sometimes called the Ancient Order of Harugari or by its German name, Der Deutsche Orden der Harugari, is a mutual benefit and cultural association of German Americans founded in New York City in 1847 that was at one time the largest German secret society in the United States.[1]
The order was established on March 9, 1847, by Philipp Merkle,[2] Fredrich Germann, Peter Schnatz, T. Rodrian, J. Deger, I. Germann, W. Schwartz, A. Glahn, V. Denzer, and S. Merz.[1] [3] The objectives were mutual protection in a time of high German immigration and anti-German sentiment in the U.S., and preservation of German language and culture.[1] [4] The order forbade discussion of religion, politics, or social issues.[5]
The word harugari refers to worshipers in a sacred grove, or haruc, and demonstrates the founders' inspiration in Germanic paganism.[1] It was also identified with the ancient Germanic tribe, the Cherusci; the order's first lodge, Arminia #1, was named for their leader Arminius, who defeated Publius Quinctilius Varus and destroyed three Roman legions in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.[6]
The order grew slowly but steadily, being introduced successively into Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio.[6]
Membership declined in the final decades of the nineteenth century as German immigrants became more assimilated.[7]
In 1860 there was a split between two competing sections of the order,[8] the Independent Order of Harugari and the Ancient German Order of Harugari. These merged in January 1869 into Der Deutsche Orden der Harugari.[9] There was also a German Order of the Harugari of Illinois, organized in 1869 and incorporated independently in that state.[10] A Harugari Cemetery was established in 1877 in Manchester, Missouri.[11]
The order had a three-tier structure, with local subordinate lodges under the direction of grand lodges, which in turn were controlled by the Grand Lodge of the United States.[6] Harugari was the largest of the German associations; by 1854 it had grown to 5,119 members, and by 1871 to over 20,000; in the 1870s there were over 300 Harugari lodges. It was hard-hit by the depression during that decade but rebounded.[12] By 1896 there were 30,000 members in 300 lodges in 27 states.[6] At one time its headquarters was located in Ozone Park, Queens. Alvin J. Schmidt was unable to ascertain whether it still existed in 1979,[13] but in 1994 there were reportedly 90 members.[14] Supreme officers were called "Bards" and members "Bretheren."[8]
At the request of the New York and Pennsylvania state grand lodges, starting in 1890 the order instituted affiliates for women, known as "Hertha-lodges."[7] There were 7,000 female members in 1896.[6]
Like the Sons of Hermann, Harugari attracted more working-class members than other fraternal groups such as the Freemasons.[15] In 1870 the head of the order described its membership as belonging to "the workers' estate."[16]
There were three membership degrees. The order's motto was "Friendship, Love, and Humanity." Although it was considered altruistic, its critics accused it of being antagonistic to the Catholic Church.[13]
Harugari promoted German-language singing; in 1887 there were 20,000 members in Harugari Singing Societies,[6] and in 1895 the New York Times mentioned 50 Maennerchors and biennial Saengerfests.[1] Surviving units of the Harugari still exist.[17]