Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Gustavus II Adolphus Society Minneapolis, Minnesota |
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The Gustavus II Adolphus Society ( G II A ) was founded June 11, 1886 to create a community for Swedish men. Naming their group after a well-loved king of Sweden, the founding twelve members created a program of debates, lectures, music, singing and athletics; in exchange for a membership fee of $1, brothers were eligible to receive sick benefits at a time when employers did not provide health insurance. The motto of the group became "Unity, Equality, Brotherhood, Progress." Younger as well as older people joined the society and in 1893 it was officially chartered by the State of Minnesota as a fraternal organization. In 1950s, membership grew as the society reached out to the direct descendents of Swedish immigrants. The Lake Street building was sold in 1995, and it was gutted by a fire on January 16, 2004.
GIIA holds their meetings on the Second Fridays of the month, September through May at 5:30 p.m. With a recent change, these meetings are now being held at the Knights of Columbus building, 1114 American Blvd. West, Bloomington, MN (map). See the Events page for additional information for this meeting location. Currently, a ladies auxiliary group supports this Swedish fraternity, just as the fraternity supports the community by providing, since 1961, scholarships for students at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. (Previously, the Society held their meetings at the American Swedish Institute at 2600 Park Avenue in Minneapolis, image below.)
The Swedish population in Minnesota skyrocketed between 1880 and 1920. Minnesota became home for the largest Swedish population in the country and by 1910, only Chicago surpassed Minneapolis's 26,000-strong population. In Minneapolis, Cedar-Riverside was home to more than 6,000 Swedes, and Cedar was called Snusgatan, or Snoose Boulevard because of the large number of Swedish saloons and dance halls. During Prohibition in the 1920s, the heart of Swedish Minnesota shifted to South Minneapolis.
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