Free Society of Teutonia

The Free Society of Teutonia was one of the earliest Nazi organizations in the United States. It was officially a German American organization, but also publicly expressed a strong support for Nazi Germany and Nazism in general. It was formed in 1924 by four German immigrants, including brothers Fritz, Peter and Andrew Gissibl; both Fritz and Peter Gissibl were reportedly members of the Nazi Party. The organization was originally led by Fritz Gissibl, a non-citizen. From a headquarters in Chicago, the society set about recruiting ethnic Germans who supported right-wing German nationalism. The Teutonia Society functioned partly as a social club, with meetings frequently ending up in heavy beer drinking sessions. However its activities became increasingly dominated by extremist politics and modeled on those of the SA in Germany; as its membership increased, the society became more vocally antisemitic, anti-communist and opposed to the Treaty of Versailles. The group changed its name to the Nationalistic Society of Teutonia in 1926, at which point Peter Gissibl was advising members to also seek Nazi Party membership. The group gained a strong, if fairly small following, and was able to establish units in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Missouri, Detroit, New York City, Cincinnati and Newark, New Jersey. The group's treasurer was Fritz Gissibl, who was also the main Nazi Party representative in the United States and who regularly collected money for the Nazis through the Society. A "thank you" letter from Adolf Hitler to the Society would cause a stir during the Second World War when the Gissibl brothers were brought to trial following an FBI investigation. The group accepted Hitler as its titular leader and members adopted the Nazi salute. The Society changed its name again in October 1932 to become the Friends of the Hitler Movement. Under orders of German immigrant and German Nazi Party member Heinz Spanknöbel, the Society was dissolved in March 1933. In May 1933, Nazi Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess gave Heinz Spanknöbel authority to form an American Nazi organization.