The materials within the Harmonie Society of Detroit (or, the Harmonie Club) records cover the organizations operations and history. The bulk of the collection consists of sheet music that was used by the Society members.
Founded in 1849, the Harmonie Society of Detroit, also known as the Harmonie Club of Detroit, was organized by German Americans living in the city, who enjoyed singing Lieder, or German poems set to music. As the Society quickly began increasing in size, a clubhouse was built in 1872 as a gathering place for not only members of the organization but German Americans in general. Located at Lafayette and Beaubien, the clubhouse stood until it was destroyed by a fire in 1893. The building was replaced in 1895 at 267 East Grand River where it still stands as a historic site of the state of Michigan.
The Society took great pride in their high musical standards as the organization employed well qualified directors. The club hosted their own men's and women's chorus groups, and also allowed other local groups to use the facilities. While the Society began as an organization of people wanting to sing together, the building became a place of gathering for German Americans in Detroit. The building not only contained practice rooms, but also meeting rooms, a banquet hall, pool tables, a bar, lounges, and much more. The building was a center for German American culture in Detroit during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
As the older generations passed away and the younger generations began moving farther away from the downtown area, membership shrank and the club could no longer afford to own the building. The Harmonie Society continued to meet in various locations, but membership continued to dwindle until it was disbanded in the late 1980s.
