History of the Danish Brotherhood of America
Over one hundred years have passed since a group of Danish pioneers - beginning a new life in a new land - formed a brotherhood to help each other. The story of those years is a story of growth and change, challenges, and striving to meet the needs of people living in a rapidly changing world. Most of all, it is a story of Danish immigrants working together and sharing a committment to preserving their heritage while pursuing their dreams in their new home.
The seeds of the Danish Brotherhood in America (DBIA) were planted in the 1870s when thousands of Danes were leaving their native Denmark to find greater opportunities in the United States of America and Canada. The immigrants came with a love for the traditions and culture of their native land and a hope and a dream for the opportunities they could find in their new home. However, the language was new, as was the culture. They needed the help, support, and companionship of those who shared their common interests.
That was the kind of companionship Mark Hansen was seeking when he formed the "Dansk Vaabenbrode" (Danish Brothers in Arms), an organization for Danish veterans, in Omaha, Nebraska, in the 1880s. Since Hansen was a veteran of the Danish Army and had fought in the Civil War in the United States, his organization emphasized the military service that its members had in common.
The Schleswig-Holstein War of 1864 between Denmark and Prussia (pre-Germany) had swelled the ranks of both Danish veterans and Danish immigrants. So, the Danish Brothers in Arms grew quickly. Other similar groups sprang up around the country.
In 1881, it was proposed that those local groups join together in a national organization. Five of the groups agreed to unite and they planned the first convention of the new group for 1882.
By the time the convention opened the next year, many members clearly saw the much greater potential for the organization. They recognized that there were thousands of Danish men in America who needed the support and social sharing of this group even though they were not veterans.
A majority of members accepted the idea of a broader membership and at that convention "The Danish Brotherhood in America" was born. The DBIA purpose was to reach out to "honorable men, born of Danish parents or who were of Danish extraction." William Wind of Racine, Wisconsin, was elected as the first president of the Brotherhood.
In those early days, the DBIA was set up as a network of "lodges" and offered insurance coverage and other benefits to newly minted Danish-Americans. The DBIA is affiliated with the Woodman of the World/Assured Life Association (Highlands Ranch, Colorado), another fraternal organization, which has helped the Danish Lodges over the years.
*This is taken from our brothers up in Portlanta, Oregon.
http://www.portlanddanes.org/