New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-07-21
HERMANN STOOD
FOR LIBERTY
OLD TEUTONIC HERO REFUSED
TRIBUTE TO MIGHTY RO-
MAN EMPIRE.
STATUE WEST OF CITY DUE TO
JULIUS BERNDT AND JOHN
HAUENSTElN

There he stands, guarding the peace
fully sleeping city with naked brand,
looking every inch the hero from the
front and resembling gigantic bat
from the rear. AS impervious to the
weather as Herman of old to the thun-
ders of Rome, the colossal figure of the
old teutonic hero stands, the guardian
of the destinies of New Ulm.
But who was, or is, or has been this
Herman and what did he do that he
should now brandish his trusty sword in
the faces of peace-loving people regard
less of the ordinance against carrying
concealed or dangerous weapons? Did
he have anything to do with the Indian
outbreak? Is he an advertisement for
some patent medicine or new brand
of tobacco? Who, is the Dickens is he
and how did he get there? Such are
the questions asked of New Timers by
their visitors. And strange to say,
there are mighty few people who really
know who Herman was or what his
statue is doing on the heights overlooking
the city.
According to Ridpath's History of the
World, this Mr.. Herman had deep
seated conviction that our Revolu-
tionary forefathers who lived some
eighteen centuries later were about
right when they voiced the sentiments
that "Taxation without representation
is Tyranny. That isn't quite the way
that old man Herman put it up to the
debonaire tax collector Mr.. Varus whom
the man higher up, who was just as
greedy then as he is today, had sent out
to pry a few ducats loose from the
Dutch. But he was firm with Mr..
Varus and suggested that he 60 Jump in
the lake or the Teutonic equivalent of
that hackneyed phrase. Varus thot
Mr.. Herman was narrow minded to
take such progressive view towards
the old established customs of Rome and
at once collected mighty army to back
up his views. Such disrespect to the
eagles of Rome on the part of an un-
lettered dub who didn't know the
difference between the Golden Mile
stone in the Forum and Turkish bath
was too much. So Varus and his hired
men started out to bring the old fellow
to his senses.
But Old Man Herman had also been
busy and had collected a strongarm
squad that didn't care whoop for all the
grandure that was Rome's as long as they
could dodge their income tax or what
ever form of taxation Augustus, who
was then chief of Rome's Tammany
Hall, had devised. And Varus found the
path beset with difficulties. He followed
his enemy into the Teutoberger Forest
and suddenly found himself surrounded
by the Germans.
A pretty good sized killing resulted
even judged by present day standards.
Some forty thousand of the picked
DICTIONARIES of Rome fell in the awful
slaughter and Varus, like the good
Roman he was, committed suicide when
he found that the unlettered Teuton had
simply wiped out his army and captured
the Roman Eagles that had never be-
fore bowed to barbarian foe. The
Empire City was panicstriken and even
the mighty Augustus cried out in his
despair, "Varus, Varus, give me back my
legions." Other attempts were made
to bring the defender of German rights
to submission but it was in vain and the
slaughter in the Teutoberger Forest
marked the beginning of the end for
mighty Rome. Herman became a
mighty hero of hero loving race and
his deeds are still sung in German
legends.
So much for the history Of Herman.
Now what has that to do with his statue
being placed on the heights Of New Ulm.
The idea of the Herman Monument
originated with Julius Berndt of this
city. A nation wide organization of
Germans calling themselves "The Sons
of Herman" has long existed. The
purpose of the organization is to keep
alive the old German ideals and customs.
It is also of the nature of fraternal in
surance organization. Mr.. Berndt
wrote to the president Of the Order
Of the Sons Of Herman and suggested
the monument. After some interchange
Of letters the matter came before the
national convention which was held at
Philadelphia in 1885. A committee was
appointed which reported favorably on