Badischer Benevolent Society
 |
The St. Louis Badischer Unterstützungs Verein was a German-American benevolent society incorporated on 20 December 1885 to provide financial and social support for immigrants to St. Louis from areas including and surrounding what is today the province of Baden, Germany. The society charged its members annual dues “which were the basis for payment of benefits in the case of illness and death.” Members were encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle and were penalized for improper behavior, such as dueling or fighting. By 1899, there were 482 members. However, with the implementation in the early twentieth century of government benefits, the services provided by the society were not as necessary, and membership declined. The group had about fifty members in 2007 when they donated two membership documents to StLGS.
We thank Joe Hammes, the group’s president in 2007, for donating the material, and Wendell Davis, who transcribed the data. |
To see additional artifacts from this group, visit Missouri Historical Society Artifacts.
Badischer Benevolent Society Ledger
Badischer Benevolent Society Members
Last modified: 01-May-2026 14:08