The Historic Hermann Museum highlights the impact German and other European immigrants played on Hermann's development.

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Located in the historic 1871 German School building, the Historic Hermann Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy and history of German and European culture in Hermann. The museum features seven exhibit rooms that feature a wide variety of items on display including furniture, clothing, photographs, tools, memorabilia, children's toys, model boats, and musical instruments. The building was constructed in stages and is a contributing property of the Hermann Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school, which operated until 1955, was unique in that it was one of the few privately-funded bilingual (German and English) public schools in the state. The clocktower was added in 1890 and still works; it must be hand wound to operate. The museum property includes a small park open to the public.

Historic Hermann Museum

This walking tour of Hermann starts at one of the only museums in the United States dedicated to the history of German migrants to the United States and continues on to the statue of the German chieftain Hermann and the county courthouse. After that, enjoy a stop at a historical marker commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition followed by the local history museum and Hermann Farm Museum. Be sure also to explore the Rotunda, an octagonal building just south of this walking tour that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

One of the only museums in the US dedicated to German migrants. Visit a significant part of German-American history &ndash; and early Missouri settlement &ndash; at Deutschheim State Historic Site. Stroll through the restored 1840s and 1850s buildings and explore how German-Americans settled the Hermann area and developed the basis for a Missouri wine industry. Grapevines planted in the 1850s can still be seen on the property as can a number of historic artifacts.

Deutschheim State Historic Site

Situated prominently in a median on Market Street, the Hermann Statue depicts the German chieftain Hermann (then known as Arminius), who commanded an alliance of northern European tribes that destroyed a three legion-strong Roman army at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D. The battle prevented the Romans from conquering central-northern Europe, which was then known as Magna Germania. Historians consider the battle one of the most consequential in history and one of the worst defeats of the Roman army. To honor his memory and legacy, the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, which founded Hermann in 1836, decided to name the city after him. The statue was dedicated in 2009 and depicts Hermann standing with his right hand gesturing towards the Missouri River and holding a spear with his left hand. It is located in a small plaza with benches, flag poles, and a historical marker. 

Hermann Statue

Built in 1898, the historic Gasconade County Courthouse sits prominently on a hill overlooking the Missouri River. The two-story Neo-Classical building features a large central dome and four small ones at each corner of the structure. Other notable features include arched windows, and Corinthian columns. A large limestone staircase leads from the southern side of the building to the 1st Street. Local merchant Charles D. Eitzen left $50,000 in his will for the building. The courthouse is therefore unique in that it is believed to the be only courthouse in the country built using private funds. The courthouse is a contributing property of the Historic Hermann District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Gasconade County Courthouse

George Frederick Bayer was born in Baden, Germany on September 27th, 1800. In 1830, Bayer immigrated to Philadelphia and worked as a music professor. The following year, he married Catherine Krecher and the pair had five children. In August of 1835, the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia was formed with subscribers purchasing shares for $25. In the spring of 1837, Bayer and two other representatives were sent west to identify the site for the new colony. Bayer was elected as the representative to secure the land parcel and by July, he acquired 11,000 acres of government land as well as some privately owned parcels for a total of $15,612.Bayer chose the land along the Missouri River because of its similarity to the Rhineland in Germany. With the land secured, Bayer was again elected to be the Settlement Agent in order to manage affairs in the new town. In December 1837, the first seventeen settlers (nine adults and eight children) arrived in Hermann via the Missouri River. However, Bayer was detained in Pittsburgh because he fell ill. The new settlers struggled against the winter weather and the challenge of clearing the land. Bayer and his family arrived in March of 1838, and he was immediately met with dissatisfied settlers who were also concerned by his delayed arrival. Bayer faced a difficult task with minimal resources, and it is still debated whether Bayer's challenges in the years ahead were a result of a lack of support or a personal failure. Bayer's initial responsibilities included surveying all 11,000 acres of the land, supplying the settlers with food, and assigning settlers their plots of land. Sources indicate that some settlers trusted and followed Bayer's leadership while others felt that his management fell short and decided to return home to Germany. After the slow start to the new colony, leaders in Philadelphia decided to discharge Bayer from his duties in October of 1838. Bayer died in March of 1839 and was buried in the Hermann Cemetery. In 1986, following a study of the early history, the town founder was posthumously exonerated of “any wrongdoing” in his management of Hermann.

This statue and marker was erected in the courtyard of the Gasconade County Historical Society to honor the memory of George Frederick Bayer who is recognized as the founder of Hermann, Missouri. Hermann has a unique history as it was a planned colony sponsored by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, an organization that was formed in 1835. Bayer helped the Society realize its goal of establishing a colony in the West where people of German descent could establish farms and businesses and live in a place where German culture and language could be preserved.

Statue of George F. Bayer 

Located in Hermann Riverfront Park, this historical marker commemorates the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which, on May 26, 1804, camped nearby on the southern end of Loutre Island. The following day, the expedition sailed passed present-day Hermann and camped for the night at the mouth of the Gasconade River. In his journal, William Clark noted the location of the first camp and the numerous deer seen on the riverbanks. On the 27th, the expedition encountered several canoes and traders who had recently traded with the Omaha, Pawnee, and Osage Indians. Just to the west of this marker is another one that commemorates the fact that Hermann is the juncture of three pioneer trails: the Lewis and Clark Trai, the Ozark Frontier Trail, and the Old Iron Road. 

Historical Marker: The Lewis and Clark Expedition Across Missouri

Hermann, Missouri was founded by George Frederick Bayer in 1837 after the land was chosen by The German Settlement Society of Philadelphia. The population grew rapidly and by 1842, an election was held in which it was decided to move the county seat of Gasconade County from Mt. Sterling to Hermann. One of the major industries of the town was vineyards and winemaking, a craft and tradition that is represented in the Hermann Farm Museum.The museum complex is made up of several historic buildings that were preserved and moved to this site in order to provide a space that was engaging and reflective of Hermann’s cultural history. Throughout the 1830s and 40s, German immigrants settled in Hermann and began farming and raising livestock. This early stage of the community's history is represented through the museum’s “First Settlement Village,” a group of historic buildings built by early settlers. One of these buildings includes what is now known as The Mercantile, which was built in 1840 by F. Seudemeyer as a family home that now serves as a gift shop and place to speak with docents. The complex also includes a home constructed in the early 1850s by day George Fries while he worked as a day laborer. This building was updated to resemble a German Schützenhalle, which was a place where people gathered to eat and drink after enjoying the sport of Scharfschießen. This sharp-shooting-based sport was popular in Germany beginning in the 14th century when the first festival was held, celebrating the skills used by hunters and the capacity of citizens to defend their community. German immigrants maintained the tradition and in the first ten years of German settlement in Hermann, a volunteer militia was formed by immigrant sharp-shooters, which was called Hermann Jaeger Verein (later: Hermann Jaeger Battalion).The village's Trading Post was also a home built in the early 1850s. Francis Boeing built the structure and used it both as a home and post office while he served as Hermann’s postmaster. The western half of the building is made up of the original house while the eastern half is made up of a 1790s log structure that was transported from Wardsville, Missouri. This log structure is meant to represent the French immigrants that settled in Hermann before the Germans arrived. This half of the building serves as the trading post and consists of many items the French would have traded with people such as the Native Americans and those migrating west. The final building in the village is the Tradesmen barn, a wooden building in which those practicing various trades would have offered goods and services. These trades could include Blacksmiths, bakers, cobblers, and of course winemakers.The focal point of the Hermann Farm Museum is the Teubner-Husmann Household, a Greek Revival house built in 1847 by Charles Teubner. Charles was born on March 8th, 1808 in Stolberg, Germany and was a shoemaker while he lived in Germany. On April 23rd, 1838, he left Europe on a ship traveling from France to St. Louis, Missouri. After a stint in Alabama, he returned to Missouri in 1846 and settled in Hermann. In February of that year, he bought 200 acres along the Missouri River to be used as a plant nursery and wine vineyard. The following year, he began construction on the Teubner-Husmann House. He met his wife Josephine Husmann while hunting on her family’s property, which neighbored his own, and they were married in 1847.Josephine Teubner was born on May 5th, 1822 in Meyenberg, Germany. She came to the U.S. in 1836 with her family and they first settled in Philadelphia. After her father, Martin Husmann, bought shares in the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, the family moved to Hermann in 1838. Josephine lived there with Martin and her brother George until she was married. Martin died after an accident at the town’s mill (now known as Tin Mill Restaurant) and George moved in with her and Charles. George had previously learned about the idea of wine as a natural healing aid from his other sister’s husband, who was a homeopathic doctor in Pennsylvania. He was likely first exposed to viticulture (grape cultivation) when his brother-in-law and uncle planted Pennsylvania’s first commercial vineyard in Allentown. When George moved in with Josephine and Charles, he became Charles’ apprentice and became a winemaker. George earned a reputation as the father of Missouri wine. He was one of the founders of the Napa wine industry and helped save European vineyards from phylloxera (a pest that attacks commercial vineyards).On September 10th, 1851, Charles Teubner died while his son Charles was three years old and Josephine was pregnant with their second son, Frederick. Just three years later, a ship arrived in Hermann from St. Louis carrying passengers who were ill with Cholera. After becoming infected from caring for those passengers, Josephine died on May 19th, 1854. Although George had been in California for a year looking for gold, he returned to Hermann to take over the business and raise his nephews.

This living history museum along the Missouri River was founded in 1971 by Jim and Mary Dierberg after they visited Hermann during Maifest, a German tradition that celebrates the coming of Spring. The couple came from St. Louis, Missouri but also had a home in Santa Barbara, California where they owned a winery and three vineyards. Jim Dierberg was the founder and chairman of First Banks and decided to buy the bank in Hermann the week after their initial visit. In 1974, the couple purchased a winery in Hermann with cellars that dated back to 1847. After the cellars were excavated due to being filled in during Prohibition, the Dierbergs opened Hermannhof Winery. Over the next four decades, they continued to buy historic buildings and preserve them so they could be turned into restaurants and lodgings. The Dierbergs are largely credited for the revitalization of Hermann which allowed it to become the tourist destination it is today. They contributed to the preservation of Hermann’s history by setting up a non-profit organization called the Dierberg Education Foundation.

Hermann Missouri Historic District Walking Tour

Historic Hermann Museum

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