Helvetia Unterstützungs Verein (Helvetia Beneficial Society) Columbus, Ohio: Founding Documents & Membership

Authors

Donald G. Tritt

Keywords

Helvetia Beneficial Society, society documents, society membership

Abstract

Having grandparents, aunts, and uncles who emigrated from Switzerland in the 1860s, I treasured the many occasions hearing stories of our ancestral homeland—the “old country.” With peers of my Swiss relatives, I reveled in August 1st celebrations, picnics, club house gatherings, sängerfests, and shooting events. Captivated by these stories and events, I wanted to know more about their life and times in Switzerland and—what happened after their arrival in America. My Swiss grandparents settled in a German-speaking area of Columbus, Ohio, known today as “German Village.” The first Swiss club in Columbus, the Grütli Verein, was founded in 1870. Beneficial and singing societies came later in the 1880s and 1890s.

Recommended Citation

Tritt, Donald G. (2021) "Helvetia Unterstützungs Verein (Helvetia Beneficial Society) Columbus, Ohio: Founding Documents & Membership," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 57: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol57/iss1/2