German Hospital

     The German  Allgemeine-Deutsche Unterstuetzungs Gesellschaft, a society to help German speaking people in need, was founded in 1854 and one year later the society opened a free clinic. The society started with 82members which had increased to 6,000 by 1916.

"GERMAN-HOSPITAL"

was located at Noe and 14th. Street in San Francisco. Because of anti German sentiments during World -War- I, it was renamed,

FRANKLIN–HOSPITALL

Over the years additions were made until in 1965 ground was broken for the new

"DAVIS-MEDICAL-

CENTER"

The first public

Hospital on the

West Coast also

has a German

connectition.

The first public hospital on the West-Coast was established by Dr. Frederick Zeile, who was born on April 14, 1809 in Reutlingen, Wurttemberg. In 1847, on account of failing health, but mostly because of political entanglements Zeile was compelled to leave his beloved Fatherland. He went to London, like so many of his political compatriots, where he establishes a private hospital in connection with general practice. He found the climate not agreeable and decided to cross the Atlantic but not before he donated his private hospital to the German Benevolent society of London. Frederick reached San Francisco in 1849. Gold had been found, and people of all walks of life and in great numbers, migrated to the “City By The Bay.” Zeile realized that the community was in desperate need of a hospital and with the cooperation of Dr. Turner and Dr. Hastings they founded the first public hospital on the West Coast.

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