Society of the United Germans at Teutonia

The Society of United Germans was a Rappite offshoot from 1827 to 1831 established in Teutonia, Ohio.

History

Peter Kaufmann (1800–1869?) was a German born printer and publisher who came to the USA in 1820. He met Robert Owen in 1825 and settled in the Economy community in 1826. The following year he was the leader of a group that established Teutonia which by 1831 was unsuccessful.

The Society of United Germans at Teutonia was a splinter group from George Rapp’s Economy village. It was led by printer, educator, and Hegelian philosopher Peter Kaufmann. Kaufmann believed in the Harmony Society’s ideals, such as communal living, sharing, and the alleviation of human suffering. He drew the line, however, at the Society’s millennialism, the abolishment of marriage, and the practice of celibacy in preparation for the second coming of Christ. Kaufman was not alone, and in November of 1827, he along with 18 other dissidents formed the Society of United Germans at Teutonia. The group’s aim was no less than the “the welfare and salvation of all humanity.” They practiced communalism and sought a more democratic approach to governance than George Rapp’s somewhat despotic governance of Economy. The members of Teutonia agreed to share everything for ten years but reserved the right for members to leave with their share of the profits at anytime. They decided to establish a school and use as much of their earnings as possible to help free slaves, evangelize the Native Americans, and to spread the Gospel on the frontier. The group also published a newspaper, A Herald of a Better Time. By 1831, the group realized that with hard work and frugality they could be completely self-sufficient. Peter Kaufmann left Teutonia for Canton, Ohio and the group disbanded shortly thereafter. Many of the original members and their families remained in the area for generations.

Constitution (excerpt)

• Art. 3 "We unite pro primo for ten years with each other, on the following principels: Every member, who joins with us, puts his whole property, or only a part of it, as he thinks proper, into the common stock. The property may consist of money, land, grain, cattle, house furniture, store-goods or any other valuable articles, which will be accepted on the following terms: the proprietor chooses nine or more impartial men, who with his consent, determine the value of the articles and according to this valuation the society accepts of the property, and promises to restore the same to its proprietor, after the lapse of ten years, in case he should demand it, together with a proportionate part of the acquired profits."

• Art. 6:1 "The establishment of good schools and institutions of education, of our own children, as well as for those of others. Into these institutions we will receive poor orphans, and the children of the poor and indigent, without distinction of language, contry, nation or color, entirely gratis, and give them not only all the necessaries of life, but also instruct them in every useful occupation and knowledge, so that they may become men in the most pure sense of the word, and then afterwards Christians."

• Art. 6:2 "We shall further use a part of our means for the redemption of our Black brethern, not only out of their bodily slavery, but also for their reformation into quiet, peaceable and industrious men, and exemplary Christians. 3. Something similar we have in view, with regard to the Aborigines of our blessed country - as we shall not shun any pains, to convert the Indians to Christianity, and ennobling civilization."

• Art. 8 "In ratification and confirmation, we do sing meanwhile, this constitution with our own hands, and the same shall remain in force so long, until the whole society finds it necessary, to project a more extensive and comprehensive one." Signed in print by 19 leaders (representatives) of the Teutonia community.

Model (Harmony Society)

The Harmony Society was a Christian theosophy and pietist society founded in in 1785 by Johann Georg Rapp (1757–1847), also known as George Rapp, from Iptingen, Duchy of Württemberg. They were called Harmonists, Harmonites, Rappites, or the Harmony Society. Rapp and his group of believers began meeting in Iptengen and eventually emigrated to the United States, where they established three communities: Harmony, Butler County, Pennsylvania; Harmony (later named New Harmony), Posey County, Indiana; and Economy, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Rapp became inspired by the philosophies of Jakob Böhme, Philipp Jakob Spener, Johann Heinrich Jung, and Emanuel Swedenborg among others, and later wrote "Thoughts on the Destiny of Man", published in German in 1824 and in English a year later, in which he outlined his ideas and philosophy. Rapp lived out his remaining days in Economy, where he died on 7 August 1847, at the age of 89.

Rappite, a member of a religious communal group founded in the United States in the early 19th century by about 600 German Pietists under the leadership of George Rapp, a farmer and vine grower. Protesting the growing rationalism of Lutheranism, the group decided to leave Germany for America. Rapp and his son went to western Pennsylvania in 1803, where they purchased 5,000 acres of land, and were soon joined by their followers. But the land was not suitable for vine and fruit culture, the main economic activity of the community. In 1815 a new village, with 800 members, was built near the mouth of the Wabash River in Indiana and was called Harmony (or Harmonie). Rapp ran the community with a strong paternal hand. He heard the confessions of all who joined, and anyone who sinned confessed to him before the day ended. All quarrels were settled the same day they occurred. Shortly after coming to the United States, the Rappites renounced marriage, and eventually all persons lived in celibacy.