German Order of Harugari

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.

The order was established on March 9, 1847, by Philipp Merkle,Fredrich Germann, Peter Schnatz, T. Rodrian, J. Deger, I. Germann, W. Schwartz, A. Glahn, V. Denzer, and S. Merz. 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. The order forbade discussion of religion, politics, or social issues.

The word harugari refers to worshipers in a sacred grove, or haruc, and demonstrates the founders' inspiration in Germanic paganism. 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.

The order grew slowly but steadily, being introduced successively into Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio.

Membership declined in the final decades of the nineteenth century as German immigrants became more assimilated.

In 1860 there was a split between two competing sections of the order, the Independent Order of Harugari and the Ancient German Order of Harugari. These merged in January 1869 into Der Deutsche Orden der Harugari. There was also a German Order of the Harugari of Illinois, organized in 1869 and incorporated independently in that state. A Harugari Cemetery was established in 1877 in Manchester, Missouri.

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