Teutonia Order
The Teutonia Order was founded in 1841 by German immigrants in the US state of Texas .
Goal setting
German immigrants in Industry and Cat Springs founded the “Teutonia Order” under the leadership of Friedrich Ernst (1796–1848) , whose most important goals according to the statutes were to “preserve German national identity, promote German immigration and facilitate correspondence between Texas and Germany ” were. In order not to be suspected of pursuing German nationalist goals, the order, which also accepted women as members, held a large celebration on March 2, 1843 on the occasion of the anniversary of the Texan declaration of independence .
activity
Friedrich Ernst hoped that through the work of the order, on the one hand, to induce more German emigrants to settle in Texas, on the other hand, to be able to influence Texan politics in such a way as to favor German immigration. In a petition he made suggestions to the Texas Congress and President Sam Houston , such as the employment of consuls in the German Hanseatic cities . In 1844, Henry F. Fisher was appointed the first Texas consul in Bremen .
Another member of the order, Gustav Dresel (1818–1848), noted in his “ Texan Diary ” (translation: Max Freund): “ Emigration itself cannot be supressed. It is, therefore, a fine and noble task to guide the sixty to seventy thousand people who leave Germany every year, to concentrate them as much as possible, to preserve thereby the German element, and to make up for the loss of working capacity and capital by suitable connections with the mother country. “The express objective in the 1830s to 1840s was to found a“ free German colony ”in Texas. However, the consequence was that complete assimilation was initially delayed. The aim was also to promote prosperity on both sides - in Texas and Germany - through close economic ties with Germany.
Even today, the assembly rooms of the Teutonia Order are often used for dance festivals, social gatherings and other celebrations.