German Society of Maryland

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

The German Society of Maryland was founded in 1783 and is still in existence over 242 years later. Their stated purpose on the website is to “preserve and promote the German heritage, language, and traditions through educational, social and benevolent programs; and to develop the unity and continuity of the German American community in the State of Maryland.” Their website can be accessed at https://germansociety-md.com.

 

Their website provides historical information noting that the Society was founded in 1783 but received its corporate charter from the Maryland Legislature in 1818. Two articles have been written about the Society’s history and can be accessed online

 

·      Wust, Klaus G. Pioneers in Service: The History of the German Society of Maryland, 1783–1981. This article can be accessed at https://germansociety-md.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/pioneers.pdf

·      Mruck, Armin. Two Hundred Years: The German Society of Maryland. This article can be accessed at https://germansociety-md.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Armin.pdf

The Maryland State Archives (MSA) in Annapolis has in their Special Collections the “German Society of Maryland Collection” on microfilm. It has been digitized, so that it can be accessed onsite at the MSA; however, it is not available to access from home. The collection dates from 1854. 

 

The collection contains two series:

 

·      Series 1: Passenger Lists, Transcripts. This series contains 101 items.

·      Series 2: Documents. This series contains 37 items.

These records offered many surprise findings, such as a travel diary containing genealogical family information for several generations, and are well worth exploring!

 

Teresa Steinkamp McMillin wrote a complementary post on Midwest German aid societies. See her blog at https://lindstreet.blog.