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German
Separatists
Three groups of
German Separatists attempted colonization in
America. German Separatists were individuals
who formed groups that challenged the established
Lutheran church in the German States, especially
in the Kingdom of Württemberg. The first German
Separatists to immigrate to the United States
were the followers of George Rapp. Rapp was
born in 1757 in Iptingen, Württemberg. By the
time he was thirty years old he had become a
radical Separatist preacher. As a young man
he was inspired by the radical writings of Spener,
Boheme, and Swedenborg, which greatly influenced
his own philosophy. He believed in the individual's
power of personal communication with God and
the right to interpret the teachings of Jesus
in your own way. He gathered a following in
Iptingen, but his individualistic take on the
Bible brought the group persecution from the
established Lutheran church. Despite the opposition,
Rapp continued to spread his ideology even though
he was imprisoned numerous times. The constant
harassment prompted the group to immigrate to
the United States. In July of 1803, Rapp, his
son John, and one other follower, boarded a
boat for America. They arrived in Baltimore
and began to search for suitable land in Pennsylvania
and Maryland. Rapp decided on a 3,000 acre tract
of land in Butler County, Pennsylvania and arranged
for the migration of his followers. In July
of 1804, 300 Rappites arrived in Pennsylvania.
They were joined by 250 more a month later.
By February of the following year their community
in Butler County, named Harmony, was established.
The colony was communal and celibacy was introduced
in 1807.
When the population
became too great, the Rappites decided to move
to a new location. They migrated to a 7,000
acre plot of land 70 miles north of the Wabash
and Ohio River junction, where they had better
access to river trade. Even with the readily
accessible river, that location proved to be
extremely isolated. They moved for the final
time to Ohio, eighteen miles north of Pittsburgh,
where they could easily market their goods and
it was here that the group would enter into
a period of economic prosperity. Over 700 people
moved to the new location in Ohio, but the celibacy
(which was retracted in the 1830s) crippled
the growth of the colony. By 1862, the population
had shrunk to 200. By the 1890s the population
had decreased to the point that the commune
was no longer functional.
A
number of Rappite offshoots began to spring
up by former members and people who were inspired
by the Rappite's communal society. The Society
of United Germans was a Rappite offshoot established
in Teutonia, Ohio. The society lasted from 1827-1831,
ending when the leader, Peter Kauffman left
the society. Sidney Rigdon, a Baptist preacher
in Pittsburgh was inspired and impressed by
the Rappites. He formed a commune in Kirtland,
Ohio in 1827. This too would be short lived
as Rigdon and his group would later converted
to Mormonism when Joseph Smith moved to Kirtland
in the early 1830s. Communities were started
on the Ohio River, Louisiana, and Michigan as
well, but none lasted beyond the Civil War.
George Rapp and his followers found much success
during their economic height, but could not
keep the population high enough to maintain
their religious-communal society into the new
century.
A second group
of Separatists from Württemberg formed in the
late 18th century. This movement was founded
by Frederick Christoph Oetinger when he combined
existing Separatist theory with the mystic teachings
of Jacob Boheme. One of the central beliefs
of Oetinger's sect was the prediction that the
second coming of Christ would occur in 1836.
Oetinger accumulated many followers, but was
opposed by the established Lutheran Church.
The group believed that everyone was created
equal; therefore they did not acknowledge civil
authority. They also did not serve in the military.
Some members were celibate, and some were vegetarians.
Like George Rapp and his followers, Oetinger
and his group were persistently persecuted for
their beliefs. Some followers were attacked
and imprisoned. Migration became necessary for
the group's survival. The decision to immigrate
to the United States was heavily influenced
by Barbara Gruberman. Gruberman moved to Württemberg
from Switzerland where she was unwelcome because
of her mystical beliefs and her practice of
going into trances and receiving visions. In
Germany she became a Separatist leader. The
followers believed that her visions were from
God and they made her their "mother." It was
Gruberman who first introduced the group to
the idea of immigration to America, but she
died before they left.
The group's first
migration was not to America, but to the southern
border of Württemberg under the protection of
King Frederick. However, they were forced to
leave in 1816. In 1817, 300 followers left Europe
for Philadelphia. They stayed with the Quakers,
who were essential in arranging their passage
to America and aiding in their settlement once
they arrived. With a loan from the Quakers,
the group bought 5,500 acres of land in Tuscarawas
County, Ohio, and named their new community
Zoar. The community had a rough start, finding
difficulty raising money. They found themselves
working for neighboring farms to support their
families. It was not the group's intent to live
communally, but during these hard times they
often found themselves helping each other in
a mannerism akin to a communal society. They
also realized that communal living would prevent
the society's dispersion while looking for jobs,
keeping the community more tightly knit. The
community voted in communism in 1819. Celibacy
was introduced in 1822, but it only lasted until
1830, when the leader of the community, Joseph
Bimeler, got married and subsequently recalled
the celibacy rule. The opening of the Erie Canal
in 1825 greatly aided their commerce and allowed
their community to flourish during the 19th
century. They exported their surplus products
and opened a brewery and a hotel, further increasing
their income. Some beer was sold at the hotel,
but much of the beer was consumed internally.
The community
of Zoar began to decline in the late 19th century
due to a combination of economic hardship, decline
of religious faith, and increased individualism.
Young members had a difficult time living communally
while the outside world enjoyed the individuality
of capitalism. Religious vigor was also weaker
in the younger followers, leading to the eventual
dissolution of the community in 1898. The land
was disbursed among the remaining 222 members,
and the community officially ended on December
7, 1900.
In 1842, a third
wave of German Separatists from Württemberg
came to the United States. These Separatists,
called the Community of True Inspiration, or
the Inspirationists, originated in 1714 as a
protest to the ritualism of the established
Lutheran Church. They believed in biblical prophecy,
were pacifists, did not take oaths, and refused
to send their children to Lutheran schools.
These beliefs and acts of defiance targeted
the group for persecution. They left Württemberg
for Hessen, a more tolerant German state. They
prospered there until drought and hostile neighbors
forced them to migrate again, this time to America.
Nearly 5,000 acres
of former Seneca Indian land was purchased in
New York for the Inspirationists. In 1844, over
300 Inspirationists arrived in New York, and
4,000 more acres were bought. The population
of the colony, which they named Ebenezer, increased
to 800 by 1845. In the beginning, individual
members obtained property rights, causing an
imbalance of wealth in the community. Leaders
soon realized that the financial disparity between
group members would eventually put a strain
on the community, so they converted it into
a communal society. Their communism was not
absolute, it was a system of mutual sharing
where land, buildings, machinery, and livestock
were common, and household items and tools were
personal. Ebenezer consisted of four communities
on 8,000 acres of land. Middle Ebenezer (now
Gardenville), and Lower Ebenezer were the largest
villages, whileUpper and New Ebenezer were smaller.
The movement also sprouted in Canada where two
communities, Canada Ebenezer and Kenneberg,
were set up in Welland County, Ontario.
After about ten
years in New York they began to feel the pressure
of the outside world infiltrating the community.
Buffalo was becoming a large city, and there
was a threat of the railroad encroaching on
their villages. They decided to move west to
a more rural location in Iowa. They found a
tract of land along the Iowa River, twenty miles
west of Iowa City. The residents of Ebenezer
gradually moved to the new location, which they
named Amana. By 1859, 1,200 Inspirationists
were settled in Amana. Upper and Lower Ebenezer
were vacant by 1861, and all of the residents
of Ebenezer had moved to Amana by 1864. Amana
consisted of seven villages; Amana, East Amana,
Middle Amana, West Amana, South Amana, High
Amana, and Homestead. These villages became
known as the Amana Colonies and still exist
today. They survived throughout the 19th century
as a quiet, secluded communal society, but the
20th century brought changes. The outside world
began to infiltrate the colonies; some young
men were drafted into the army and English replaced
German in everyday speech. The Great Depression
left the colonies on the brink of bankruptcy.
They decided to reorganize the community by
liberalizing themselves from communism. Members
worked for pay, factories became corporations,
and community kitchens were abolished. They
abandoned the social institution they had adopted
nearly one hundred years before in order to
save their colonies. The religious conviction
of the Inspirationists held the community together.
Today, the Amana Society, Inc. continues to
own and operate 26,000 acres of land. The most
famous of the Society's products is the Amana
Refrigeration, Inc., which is a leader in refrigerator
production. The Society's land was not divided
after the end of communism, so the colonies
continue to reflect their communal heritage.
The Amana Society represents a successful attempt
at group immigration and religious freedom.
By adapting with American society as a whole,
the Inspirationists found a way to keep their
society, culture, religion, and heritage alive.
Next
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By
Rickie Lazzerini
Historian
Kindred Trails Worldwide Genealogy Resources
BA History
University of California, Santa Barbara
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© 2005 Rickie Lazzerini,
All Rights Reserved
This page may be freely linked to but may not
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the author.
Comments or inquiries regarding this article
may be sent to:
KTHistorian@GMail.com
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