San Germán (, ) is a historic

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

located in the Sabana Grande Valley of southwestern region of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, south of Mayagüez and

Maricao Maricao () is a town and the second-least populous municipality of Puerto Rico; it is located at the western edge of the Cordillera Central. It is a small town set around a small square in hilly terrain, north of San Germán, Sabana Grande and ...

, north of Lajas, east of Hormigueros and Cabo Rojo, and west of Sabana Grande. San Germán is spread over eighteen barrios plus San Germán Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is both a principal city of the San Germán–Cabo Rojo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Mayagüez–San Germán–Cabo Rojo Combined Statistical Area. San Germán is the second oldest city of Puerto Rico, after San Juan, and its historic downtown is preserved as the

San Germán Historic District The San Germán Historic District is a historic district (United States), historic district located in the western section of the town of San Germán, Puerto Rico. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The d ...

. Puerto Rico was, at one time, divided administratively between the San Juan and the San Germán municipalities. The latter covered the western half of Puerto Rico and extended from the western shores of the island to

Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, th ...

in the north and Ponce in the south.

History

The population of San Germán when Alonso Manso was named the first bishop of Puerto Rico in 1511 was "about 50 residents". Outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Germán was one of the largest settlements in the 16th century, as well as

Coamo Coamo (, ) is a town and municipality founded in 1579 in the south-central region of Puerto Rico, located north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo ...

and Aguada. San Germán is also known as the "''founder of towns''", given the fact that in 1514 the Spanish Crown separated the island into two administrative territories (''Partidos''). The borders of the two partidos were established as the Camuy River to the north and the Jacagua River to the south. They were named the '' San Juan Partition'' and the ''San Germán Partition''. Spanish settlement in San Germán occurred early in the conquest and colonization of Puerto Rico. After the destruction of a small early settlement near modern-day Añasco during a Taíno uprising which started in February 1511, in 1512 the new settlement was built by Miguel Díaz at Guayanilla and was named after

Germaine of Foix Ursula Germaine of Foix (french: Ursule-Germaine de Foix; ca, Úrsula Germana de Foix; ; c. 1488 – 15 October 1536) was an early modern French noblewoman from the House of Foix. By marriage to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, she was Queen of Ar ...

, the second wife of King Fernando II, and in reference of

Saint Germanus of Auxerre Germanus of Auxerre ( la, Germanus Antissiodorensis; cy, Garmon Sant; french: Saint Germain l'Auxerrois; 378 – c. 442–448 AD) was a western Roman clergyman who was bishop of Autissiodorum in Late Antique Gaul. He abandoned a career as a h ...

. This town was attacked by

French corsairs Corsairs (french: corsaire) were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of ...

in August 1528, May 1538 and 1554. The construction of a small fort began in 1540, but work stopped in 1546 when the population of the town began moving inland to the current modern location. On May 12, 1571, the Royal Audience ('' Real Audiencia'') of

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

authorized that both the populations of San Germán and Santa María de Guadianilla be merged into a single city due to the constant French attacks. The new city was built on the Hills of Santa Marta, next to the Guanajibo River in 1573. Its official name was Nueva Villa de Salamanca, named after the city of Salamanca in Spain. However, the population called the city San Germán el Nuevo (''New San Germán'') and, eventually, the Villa de San Germán (City of San Germán). San Germán is also known as the "''founder of towns''", given the fact that in 1514 the Spanish Crown separated the island into two administrative territories (''Partidos''). The borders of the two partidos were established as the Camuy River to the north and the Jacagua River to the south. They were named the '' San Juan Partition'' and the ''San Germán Partition''.

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in San Germán with the significant amount of rainfall.

Geography

San Germán is in the southwest region of the island. The town is located on the Sabana Grande valley which is bound by the Cordillera Central to the north and the Santa Marta Hills and the Lajas Valley to the south. Mountains in San Germán include Alto del Descanso (2,520 ft; 768 m) and Tetas de Cerro Gordo (2,897 ft; 883 m). San Germán has a number of rivers: Río Caín, Río Duey, Río Rosario, Río Guanajibo (Estero), Río Hoconuco, Guamá River and Rio El Brujo.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, San Germán is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as . # Ancones # Caín Alto # Caín Bajo # Cotuí # Duey Alto # Duey Bajo # Guamá # Hoconuco Alto # Hoconuco Bajo # Maresúa # Minillas # Retiro # Rosario Alto # Rosario Bajo # Rosario Peñón # Sabana Eneas # Sabana Grande Abajo # San Germán barrio-pueblo # Tuna

Sectors

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions) and subbarrios, in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (''sectors'' in English). The types of ''sectores'' may vary, from normally ''sector'' to ''urbanización'' to ''reparto'' to ''barriada'' to ''residencial'', among others.

Special Communities

(Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in San Germán: Ancones, Comunidad El Retiro, Comunidad Las Quebradas, La Tea, Parcelas Las Carolinas, Parcelas Minillas en Barrio Minillas, Parcelas Sabana Eneas, and Rosario Peñón.

Climate

Tourism

San Germán's historic downtown is the site of the ''Porta Coeli'' church, one of the earliest Spanish churches built in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. ''Porta Coeli'' is still a major historical attraction that attracts both domestic and international tourists every year.

Landmarks and places of interest

* Puente de Bolas (Bridge of Balls) * * (San Germán history museum) * Casa Morales * Ceiba de la Libertad * San Germán Historic Gallery * Lola Rodríguez de Tió Museum * Casa Cruz de la Luna * Ramírez de Arrellano y Rossell Museum * Santo Domingo Plazuela * Three Races and One Culture Mural *

* Porta Coeli *

Inter-American University of Puerto Rico The Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Spanish: ''Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico''; often abbreviated to ''UIPR'' or ''Inter'') is a private Christian university with its main campus in San Germán, Puerto Rico. It also has c ...

* Church San Germán de Auxerre The urban center of San Germán is mainly composed of Spanish colonial houses. Many have been restored and conserve their Spanish look while other houses are somewhat abandoned and in poor condition. There are ongoing projects employing public and private funding to preserve and restore many houses and monuments and to maintain San Germán's colonial era look.

Culture

Festivals and events

San Germán celebrates its patron saint festival in late July / early August. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in San Germán include: * Festival de la Pana - July * Anón Festival - September * Christmas Festival - December * Christmas Parade - Early December * Patron Celebrations (The Virgin of the Rosary)—Celebrated in San Germán's Rosario Poblado, which borders the municipality of Mayagüez.

Sports

San Germán is home to one of Puerto Rico's oldest basketball franchises, dating back to the 1930s, the San Germán Athletics (los Atléticos de San Germán), nicknamed "The Orange Monster". Many glories of Puerto Rican basketball have played in San Germán, a city that is also known as "The Cradle of Puerto Rican Basketball". Some of those players are Arquelio Torres, José "Piculín" Ortiz, Eddie Casiano, Nelson Quiñones, Elías "Larry" Ayuso, Christian Dalmau, and so many others. Their home court is The Arquelio Torres Ramírez Court, which houses approximately 5,000 fans. The Athletic's fan base is most commonly referred to as their sixth man, or "The Orange Monster". This is because for a visiting team it's extremely hard to win in San Germán due to how vigorous and "into" the game the fans are. The Athletics have been to 26 National Superior Basketball (BSN) Finals, of which one was cancelled (1953) due to confiscation because of a fight between players from San Germán and the Ponce Lions, giving birth to Puerto Rican basketball's most intense rivalry. Championships (14): 1932, 1936, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1997 Sub-Championships (11): 1931, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1986

Economy

Agriculture

The area around San Germán grows fruits ( banana, pineapple) and sugarcane on mid-scale. Dairy farms are also present in small scale. Some locals grow other produce on a small scale.

Business

Most businesses are located in or near the downtown area ( San Germán Pueblo). Plaza del Oeste is the main shopping center.

Industry

Major employers of the city include Fresenius Kabi, CCL, Wallace International, Baxter Serum Mfg., Cordis, Insertco (print shop for medical instructions inserts), Wallace Silversmiths de Puerto Rico,

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

(production of circuit breakers) and several other companies in the service industry.

Motion pictures filmed In San Germán

Act of Valor ''Act of Valor'' is a 2012 American action film produced and directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh, and written by Kurt Johnstad. Starring Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sánchez, Nestor Serrano and Emilio Rivera, as well as active duty U.S. Navy SEAL ...

(2012) Which follows a Navy Seal squad on a covert mission to recover a kidnapped CIA Agent Morales (

Roselyn Sánchez Roselyn Milagros Sánchez Rodríguez (born April 2, 1973) is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, producer, and writer. On television, she is best known for her roles as Elena Delgado on the CBS police procedural ''Without ...

). * Dinero Sangre (1986) In a banana republic a ruthless mercenary waits to make a killing in gold. Only two people stand in his way ( Guy Ecker)

Demographics

Government

Like all municipalities in

, San Germán is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is Virgilio Olivera Olivera from the New Progressive Party. Olivera was elected in the 2020 general election. The city belongs to the

Puerto Rico Senatorial district IV Puerto Rico Senatorial District IV, also known as the Senatorial District of Mayagüez-Aguadilla, is one of the eight senatorial districts of Puerto Rico. It is currently represented by Evelyn Vázquez and Luis Daniel Muñiz (both from the New ...

, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, María Teresa González and Gilberto Rodríguez were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

By the 16th century there was a rough road called (Camino Real) connecting San Germán (which was located near the mouth of the Añasco River) to other areas of Puerto Rico, including San Sebastián,

, Toa Alta, and Caparra. In 2019, there were 44 bridges in San Germán.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

Green - The Episcopal dignity and also the color of the Shield of Christopher Columbus and his son, don

Diego Colón Diego Columbus ( pt, Diogo Colombo; es, Diego Colón; it, Diego Colombo; 1479/1480 – February 23, 1526) was a navigator and explorer under the Kings of Castile and Aragón. He served as the 2nd Admiral of the Indies, 2nd Viceroy of the Indie ...

, Viceroy of the Indies, who named the city in honor of Germane de Foix. White - The purity of the blood of the great families who colonized San Germán, according to a history book by

Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra (1745–1813), born in Estadilla, Spain, was a Benedictine monk and the first historian to extensively document Puerto Rico's history, nationality, and culture. Biography Abbad arrived in Puerto Rico in 1771 at age ...

, a Spanish

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk. Purple - Color of the Shield of Juan Ponce de León, first governor of Puerto Rico.

Coat of arms

First Quarter: The Mitre and the Staff in a green field represent St. Germain of Auxerre, the Patron Saint of the city. Second Quarter: The second quarter exhibits the arms of the Kingdoms of Aragón and Sicily, where don Fernando the Catholic reigned. Third Quarter: In this quarter the arms combine with the County of Foix and the Kingdom of France, which constitute the family shields of Germaine de Foix whose name is perpetuated as the name of the city of San Germán. Fourth Quarter: Is Ponce de León's shield. The Crown: Is a civic or municipal standard and is used as a stamp for towns and cities; San Germán was assigned five towers to denote that this population formally obtained the title of city from the Spanish crown in the

nineteenth century The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium. The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolish ...

Education

The following schools are in San Germán: #Bartolome de Las Casas: PK-6 #Georgina Alvarado: PK-5 #Henry W. Longfellow: PK-5 #Herminia C. Ramirez: PK-5 #Julio Victor Guzman: KG-8 #Laura Mercado: 6-12 #Lola Rodriguez de Tio: 9-10 #Mariano Abril: PK-6 #(Second Unit) Francisco Maria Quinones: KG-8 The main campus of the

is located adjacent to the downtown area of San Germán. It was founded in 1912 as the ''Polytechnical Institute of Puerto Rico'', the first

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. Dep ...

on the island. The Colegio San José, was a private school which was established in San Germán in 1930 and closed in 2017.

Notable Puerto Ricans from San Germán

* PFC Joseph R. (José) Martínez destroyed a German infantry unit and tank in Tunisia, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, by providing heavy artillery fire, saving his platoon from being attacked in the process. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

, by General George S. Patton, thus becoming the first Puerto Rican recipient of said military decoration. * Ubaldino Ramírez de Arellano—Senator *

Lola Rodríguez de Tió Lola Rodríguez de Tió,This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name ''"Rodríguez"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''"Tió"''. (September 14, 1843 – November 10, 1924), was the first Puerto ...

—poet, author of the original lyrics of Puerto Rico's national anthem,

La Borinqueña "" (from the native name of Puerto Rico, ''Borinquen'' or ''Boriquen''), ) is the official anthem of Puerto Rico. After Puerto Rico became known as "The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" in 1952, the first elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, sig ...

, and pro-independence advocate * Benjamín Marcantoni - opera singer * Benicio del Toro—Award-winning actor * Francisco Mariano Quiñones—Abolitionist and politician * Samuel R. Quiñones—Longest-serving President of the Puerto Rico Senate, serving for twenty years.

Gallery

San Germán, Puerto Rico.jpg, San Germán San German, Puerto Rico.jpg, Street in San Germán LA BOTICA.jpg, Pharmacy Museum Residential building in San Germán, Puerto Rico.jpg, Residential building in San Germán

References

External links

San German, Puerto Rico

San Germán and its barrios, United States Census Bureau

Official Webpage of the San German Atleticos

Welcome to Puerto Rico! San German Map

Welcome to Puerto Rico! San Germán

San German Municipality on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:San German, Puerto Rico Municipalities of Puerto Rico Populated places established in 1511 San Germán–Cabo Rojo metropolitan area 1511 establishments in the Spanish Empire