WILLKOMMEN

The Texas Hill Country Freethinkers is a religious-free organization with members primarily residing in the Hill Country area north of San Antonio.  Cities include Boerne, Sisterdale, Comfort, Kerville, Helotes, and Fredericksburg.

A long history of freethinking exist in these hills that started in 1845 after a number of German Freethinkers (Deutsche Freidenker) settled in the hill country area. Freethinking became fashionable in the German state of Prussia during the reign of Frederick the Great, who ruled from 1740-53, within a period known as the "Age of Reason." These settlers were predominantly German intellectuals who advocated reason and democracy over religious and political autocracy.

Freethinkers valued their newfound freedoms of speech, assembly, and separation of religion and government. Instead of religious dogma, Freethinkers believed in individual philosophy. They advocated equal rights for all persons, and their moral values were dominated by a respect for life and nature. Intellectual pursuits were shared with agriculture and crafts of physical labor.

Loyalty to the Union during the Civil War had cost many their freedoms and lives since they were against secession and slavery. Many were to relocate to other nearby urban areas, states, and a few returned to Europe.

Today Freethinker origins continue to influence the spirit of the community and surrounding areas.