San German (Puerto Rico)

San Germán is a municipality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico founded in 1506. It is located in the southwest of Puerto Rico and is bordered to the north by Mayagüez and Maricao, to the east by Sabana Grande, and to the west by with Cabo Rojo and Hormigueros, and to the south with Lajas. San Germán is divided into 18 neighborhoods and San Germán Pueblo, the urban and administrative center of the Municipality of San Germán. His demonym is sangermeño.

San Germán is the second oldest town in Puerto Rico, San Juan being the first. During the 17th century, the island was divided into two administrative regions, with San Germán being the head of the western region of the island. The 78 municipalities that the island currently contains (2018) were founded from these two regions. If a line is drawn between Arecibo to the north and Ponce to the south, an approximation of the former extent of the San Germán region can be obtained.

History

Its origins were very precarious due to the numerous enemies of Spain at that time plus the designs of nature. It had to move several times and that is why it is known as the founding city of towns.

The current city begins its history around the same time as the colonization of Puerto Rico. Even though the city was never located on the south coast of the island, this city is often confused with that of Santa María de Guadianilla (current municipality of Guayanilla). San Germán was founded by order of Juan Ponce de León after a skirmish with Taínos in February 1511. This town was attacked and destroyed by French corsairs, and moved inland.

In November 1511, Juan Ponce de León handed over the governorship of Puerto Rico to Juan Cerón, lieutenant of Viceroy Diego Colón. Cerón ordered Miguel de Toro, lieutenant of Juan Ponce de León, to create a "Christian villa" in the western part of Boriquén, calling it San Germán. This second foundation attempt occurred in November 1511 at the mouth of the Guaorabo River, near the area known today as Añasco. This town was attacked again in 1528, May 1538, and again in 1554. Construction of a fort to protect the town began in 1540, but in 1546 when the population, tired of attacks, began moving inland once more, and the construction of the fort was suspended. Even after the exodus, the port of Guaorabo continued to be active.

Ponce de León gave the name of Higüey to what is now called San Germán. Later Cristóbal de Sotomayor lived in a place near the town of the cacique Agüeybaná, and called it Tavara, in honor of Doña Beatriz de Tavara, who was his mother. In 1540 a fortress was built and it was determined that the residents of San Germán moved their houses inland, and others began to settle in the Lomas de Santa Marta by 1543.

Caribbean attacks on that coast forced them to return south, this time to the port of Guayanilla in 1556. On May 12, 1570, the Royal Court of Santo Domingo ordered that the towns of San Germán and Santa María de Guadianilla were merged into a single city to help prevent further attacks. Due to the English and French attacks, they moved again this time to Lomas de Santa Marta where they settled permanently in 1573 and its first mayor was Don Rodrigo Ortiz Vélez. Its official name was the Nueva Villa de Salamanca, named after the city of Salamanca, in Spain. Even so, the population called the new town "San Germán el Nuevo" and finally, as the Villa de San Germán. Since 1514 Puerto Rico had been divided into two parties (San Juan and San Germán). Already in 1777 Abbad y Lasierra describes San Germán like this; “Captain Miguel Toro established the neighbors that belonged to him on the site that he occupies today. It has a large square square and two streets that extend to the convent of Santo Domingo. The religious continues saying “His vicar of his has jurisdiction in all his territory, up to the Jacaguas and Camuy rivers. The site where the Villa is located is a long and uneven hill; there are 411 houses, the rest of its neighbors amounting to 1,166 with 7,958 souls, scattered throughout its territory”. "This villa contains some of the oldest and most distinguished families on the Island."

Some 51 years later in 1828 San Germán had a population of 32,424 inhabitants which was the largest on the island despite the fact that it had already lost 18 towns from the lands that originally belonged to it.

Plazuela de Santo Domingo, San Germán

In 1871 the telegraph was installed and six years later San Germán received the title of City, granted by His Majesty Alfonso XII. The following year the first newspaper in this city came out - “El Eco de la Lomas”. For the year 1880 the Recreation Circle was created, which still exists and that same year they celebrate some Floral games. By the end of the XIX century, San Germán was quite possibly the cultural center of Puerto Rico. Among the acts was the planting of a ceiba on the "Hill of Liberty". This tree can still be admired on that site.

In 1950 it had a population of 29,553 people. According to the 1990 census, San Germán has 35,133 and ranks number 33 among the municipalities on the island. For the 2000 census it has a population of 37,105 people.

Flag

Green - Color of the shield of Christopher Columbus and his son, Viceroy of America, and representative color of the power of the church. White - The purity of the blood of the great families that colonized San Germán. Purple - Color of the coat of arms of Juan Ponce de León, the first governor of Puerto Rico.

Coat of Arms

First quarter: Miter and staff on a green field representing Germán de Auxerre, the town's patron saint. Second quarter: The Arms of the kingdoms of Aragon and Sicily, where King Ferdinand the Catholic exercised power over him. Third quarter: Here the arms of the county of Foix and the kingdom of France are combined, which constitute the family shields of Germana de Foix whose name perpetuates in the name of San Germán. Fourth quarter: Coat of arms of Ponce de León, Crown: Municipal and civic standard, used to crown San Germán as a city by carrying 5 towers. It is used to differentiate between a town and a city by decree of the king. 5 towers denotes that the city obtained its title as a city during the hegemony of the King of Spain.

Neighborhoods

The municipality of San Germán is divided into 18 neighborhoods and San Germán Pueblo, the administrative center and main town of the municipality.

Due to its size, Minillas is usually subdivided into the sectors of Minillas Valle, Minillas Carretera, Minillas Parcelas and Minillas Alto.

Government and politics

A mayor is elected every 4 years from among the inhabitants of the municipality. The inhabitants also have the right to choose 2 senators (as they are part of the Mayagüez senatorial district) and 2 district representatives (as they are part of the representative district 19 and 20). San Germán is also part of the island's politics, choosing a Governor and a Resident Commissioner in Washington D.C., United States.

Geography

West view of the Hoconuco River in San Germán

• Mountains; Cerro Avispa (550 meters), Alto del Descanso (768 meters) and Tetas de Cerro Gordo (883 meters). The Maricao Forest occupies some lands north of San Germán.
• Rivers; Cain, Duey, Rosario, Guanajibo (Estero), Hoconuco and Guamá.
• Climate; The average temperature is 25 °C and the maximum recorded is 40 °C and the lowest 7 °C

Economy

Agriculture

The area is known for its cultivation of bananas, pineapples, and the limited cultivation of sugar. There are also some small-scale dairy farms.

Industries

The population is employed mostly by Fresenius Kabi (Fenwal Inc. formerly Baxter Inc), Johnson & Johnson, Insertco (Printer mostly dedicated to drug literature), Wallace International, General Electric among others.

Tourism

San Germán's greatest treasure is the church of Porta Coeli, one of the first examples of a Gothic-style church in Latin America. Porta Coeli today remains a major attraction drawing thousands of local and international tourists. The parish is located in the historic center of San Germán, declared a "Historic District" by the National Register of Historic Places.

Commercial establishment

Most of the commercial establishments are located in San Germán Centro.

Plaza del Oeste is the largest shopping center in the city, and contains the following stores: Anchor Establishments: Econo Supermarkets, Kmart

Other establishments: Mike's Steak House, Palermo pizzeria and restaurant, McDonalds, Walgreens, El Mesón (Sandwiches), La Gran Vía, Quality Gym & San Germán Tae-Kwon-Do Institute, Sally's Beauty Supplies, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Banco Santander KFC, Foot Locker, Radio Shack Caribbean Cinemas, a 7-screen movie theater and Ferretería Santana Inc.

In the center of town is La Farmacia Martin, which has been serving for over 80 years.

Heritage

• Porta Coeli Church
• San Germán de Auxerre Church
• Casa Museo Lola Rodríguez de Tió
• Bolas Bridge
• Casa Morales
• Ceiba de la Libertad
• Historical Gallery
• Museo y Casa de Estudio Ramírez de Arrellano y Rossell
• Museum of Pharmacy (Antigua Botica Domínguez, founded in 1877)
• Museum of the History of San Germán, located in the former premises of the Bank and Caja de Economía de San Germán
• Santo Domingo Plazuela
• San Germán Antiguo National Historic Site
• West Square
• Poblado Rosario

Festivals and Events

• Pattern Day - July 31
• Anon Festival - September
• Christmas Festival - December
• Pana Festival - July
• Patron Festivals of the Poblado Rosario - October

Education

San Germán several elementary and secondary schools, and two higher schools (Lola Rodríguez de Tió High School, and Poblado Rosario High School, Laura Mercado School). It also has the private schools Colegio San José, Academia Presbyteriana and Academia Sangermeña. The Intermediate Schools of San Germán are Julio Víctor Guzmán (Urban Zone), The Second Unit Federico Degetau (Barrio Hoconuco Alto), The Second Unit Francisco Mariano Quiñones (Barrio Minillas), and The Second Unit Galo Rosado (Barrio Sabana Eneas).

The main campus of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico is located in the central area of San Germán. It was the first private university in Puerto Rico, and is still known for introducing the wonderful game of Basketball to Puerto Ricans, for which reason San Germán is known today as the "Cradle of Puerto Rican Basketball". The impact is still felt today, since in Puerto Rico this sport is second only to Baseball in sporting preference on the island.

Sports equipment

San Germán has a professional team from the Puerto Rico National Superior Basketball League, Los Atléticos de San Germán. His nickname is the "orange monster" for his orange uniform. It is also known as Los nenes llorones, and is the oldest professional team on the island, with 14 National Championships, the last being in 1997, and 12 sub-Championships.

• St. Germán's Atletics in the "BSN"