Call Number:

4087

Repository:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Extent:

0.25 linear feet (; 1 half-sized document box)

Language:

English

Date:

1965-1975 (bulk) and 1922-1976 (inclusive)

Creator:

Sokol U.S.A..

Abstract:

The Sokol movement began in the Czech region of Europe in 1862 and was brought to the United States by Eastern European immigrants shortly after. A fraternal benefit society that also offered athletic and social activities to its members, Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodge 93 was established in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1905. A women's lodge, Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodge 66W was added in the 1910s. Both of these lodges were active into at least the 1970s. The Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodges No. 93 and No. 66W (Bethlehem, Pa.) printed matter and photographs, 1922-1976, document the activities of lodges 93 and 66W and include images of members and activities, programs from conventions, newsletter articles, and other materials.

In 1862 in the Czech region of Europe, Miroslav Tyrs and his father-in-law founded the Sokol movement. An all-age gymnastics organization based on the Ancient Greek idea "a sound mind in a sound body," Sokols used lectures and outdoor activities to train people physically, morally, and intellectually. Sokols aimed to be apolitical, but they contributed heavily to the development of Czech nationalism. When immigrants from Eastern Europe settled in the United States in the 19th century, several Czech and Slovak immigrant communities opened Sokols as places of moral, physical, and social training and as a way to build community and foster American patriotism. The national branch of the Slovak-based Sokols was the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, which was established in 1896 as a fraternal benefit society that offered insurance and athletic programs to its members. Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America is now known as Sokol USA.

Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodge 93 was established in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1905. The Bethlehem Sokol expanded its numbers with the addition of a women's lodge, Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodge 66W, and a juvenile branch of Lodge 93 in the 1910s. The groups acquired a lot and built Sokol Hall in Bethlehem, which they used for their headquarters. The building served as a place for both physical and social activities in the community. Both of these lodges were active into at least the 1970s.

Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodges No. 93 and No. 66W printed matter and photographs, 1922-1976 (bulk 1965-1975), consist of typed organizational histories, photographs, programs, and typed articles for the "Sokol Times." The photographs include images of members and activities. The programs are from conventions and slets (competitions) and some contain histories of the Sokol movements and its various representations in the United States. Histories about lodges 93 and 66W can also be found in the articles for the "Sokol Times." There are no financial or administrative records for these organizations in this collection.