German Society of Pennsylvania

Members of the German Society of Pennsylvania constituted the Executive Committee in charge of the arrangements for the Humboldt birthday centennial celebration in Philadelphia: William J. Horstmann (chair); C.M. Baumann; Julius Hein; Lorenz Herbert; Emil Herwig; Paul Jagode; Rudolphi Koradi; Josef Kinike; Oswald Seidensticker; and F.W. Thomas.

The German Society of Pennsylvania was founded in 1764 to provide practical and charitable assistance to German immigrants in Philadelphia, and to protect them from abuses. Due to the increase in German immigration in the course of the 19th century, the Society's charitable work greatly expanded and could no longer be managed solely on a volunteer basis. Its Agentur, or agency, was established in 1847, under the direction of a salaried Agent, and charged with coordinating the Society's relief efforts. The types of aid offered through the Agentur included job referrals, medical assistance, train tickets, and small amounts of cash. In 1885, a separate employment office was created, run by the Assistant Agent; that office existed until 1900, when it was folded back into the Agentur. In 1900 the newly founded Women's Auxiliary of the German Society assumed responsibility for much of the charitable work that had previously been performed by the Agentur. The role played by the Agentur declined even further during and after the First World War.