Danish Brotherhood in America, also known as the Danish Brotherhood Society, is an American fraternal organization that was founded in 1882 in Omaha, Nebraska, for the Danish community. It had about 8,000 members in 2010. A period report said of the Danish Brotherhood, "This is by far the strongest and most influential secular organization about the Danes in America."Nelson, O.N. (1899) History of the Scandinavians and successful Scandinavians in the United States. p 44.
History In 1881, Mark Hansen formed the Danish Arms Brothers, a group of Danish veterans who had fought in the American Civil War or the Danish-Prussian War, in Omaha, Nebraska. Other societies sprang up in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. In January 1882, five of these societies met in a convention in Omaha and decided to form an ethnic fraternal order that would offer benefits to its members as well as preserving Danish culture and traditions.Danish Brotherhood in America Sharing their Heritage and their Dream pp.1-2Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, Connecticut; Greenwood Press p.80 The order grew steadily; at the end of its first year of existence it had six lodges and 200 members.Danish Brotherhood in America Sharing their Heritage and their Dream p.2 By 1889, it had 883 membersSchmidt p.80 and in 1891, 2,000 in 41 lodges.Danish Brotherhood in America Sharing their Heritage and their Dream p.2 In 1897, it was reported to have 10,000 members in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, California and Washington. In 1923, the Brotherhood had 283 lodges in at least 15 states with 19,176 members.Preuss, Arthur A Dictionary of Secret and other Societies St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co. 1924; republished Detroit: Gale Reference Company 1966; p.101 By 1925, the Danish Brotherhood in America had 21,000 members. In 1979, it was back down to 10,000 members in 150 lodges.Schmidt p.81
The Supreme President of the Brotherhood as of 1923 was Soren Iversen of New Haven, Connecticut.Preuss p.101
In 1960, the Brotherhood began a scholarship program.Schmidt p.81
The organization merged into Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association in August 1995.http://www.denverwoodmen.com/shared/content_objects/documents//dbia%2520history.pdf&pli=1"Danish Brotherhood in America", Woodmen of the World. Retrieved 10/5/10.
Most of the records of the Danish Brotherhood in the United States and Canada are located at the Danish American Archive and Library in Blair, Nebraska, USA. These consist of membership lists by location with information of potential use by genealogists.
Organization The Brotherhoods local chapters were called "Lodges" and regional groups were called "Districts". The quadrennial national convention was the highest authority. Omaha remained the headquarters of the organization through at least 1979.Schmidt p.81
The DBA also had a youth auxiliary, the Young Vikings. In addition to fraternal benefits members of this group competed to attend a summer jamboree.Schmidt p.81
Insurance and benefits At a convention in Milwaukee in September 1919, the Brotherhood unanimously agreed to a new benefits plan that would put the organization on a 100% solvent basis. Under the new system each policy would be charged with its deficiency which could be paid up all at once or at the death of the policyholder.Preuss p.101
Notable buildings
Notable buildings of the group include: Omaha National Bank Building was the Brotherhoods headquarters as 1924.Preuss p.101 Washington Hall (Seattle, Washington), built in 1908, renovated in 2010 Columbia Hall, in Dannebrog, Nebraska, also built in 1908 Danish Brotherhood Hall, Lodge #227, Detroit, Michigan, built 1915 but vacant as of 2021. Danish Brotherhood in America National Headquarters Building, 3717 Harney Street in Omaha was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1966.
The brotherhood building in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was burned during the riots in 2020.
See also Danes in Omaha, Nebraska Danes Hall Den Danske Pioneer
References
Further reading Denmark our heritage, America our home, Danish Brotherhood in America. 1981. (Available at Danish American Archive & Library - Dana College) Danish Brotherhood in America twentieth national convention. Ohio History Central.