Rapp, George

Rapp, George,

1757–1847, German religious leader, known as Father Rapp, b. Württemberg. In 1803 he emigrated to the United States, where he and his followers, known as Rappites, formed the Harmony SocietyHarmony Society,
religious society founded by German Separatists under the leadership of George Rapp. The Harmonists (or Rappites) held property in common and subscribed to the austere doctrines of their leader, including that of celibacy.
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Rapp, George

(1757–1847) Protestant religious leader; born in Iptingen, Germany. A farmer's son, he studied the Bible on his own and became the leader of a group of 200 like-minded families; as Protestant separatists they were subject to persecution. In 1803 he established a communistic settlement in Pennsylvania, called the Harmony Society, with himself as dictator. In 1814 the community migrated to Posey County, Ind., encountered hostility, and returned in 1824 to settle at Economy, (now Ambridge), Pa. There the colony prospered, becoming famous for its wines, spirits, and woolen goods. As one of its tenets was celibacy, the community gradually and inevitably declined.