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'Hans Herr' (September 17, 1639 – October 11, 1725) was born in Zürich, Switzerland, a descendant of the Knight, Hugo Herr. He joined the Mennonite religious society.
When religious persecution became unendurable, many of his congregation emigrated with him to the Palatinate in Germany, which was governed by a ruler who promised them protection and religious freedom. This was satisfactory until the Palatinate fell into the hands of other rulers, when the Mennonites were again subject to sever religious persecution. When this occurred, a number of them visited Penn in London, in 1707, and arranged terms with him to colonize a portion of what is now Lancaster county, and in 1709, Hans Herr, John R. Bundely, Hans Mylin, Martin Kendig, Jacob Miller, Hans Funk, Martin Oberholtzer, Wendel Bowman and others bought 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land on the south side of Pequea creek. A warrant was issued for the land October 10, 1710, and it was surveyed October 23, 1710. The tradition, which is no doubt true, is that these people held a conference as to what steps should be taken to inform their relatives and friends left behind in Europe of their opinions and expectations, and it was determined that Hans Herr, their their revered minister, should return, explain the situation and the great advantaged of emigration, and bring with him those he could induce to come. He returned with many more immigrants despite making the journey at 70 years old. He had six sons.
He was a bishop in the Mennonite faith and came to America in 1710 with a group of fellow Mennonites seeking religious freedom. They settled near what was then the western frontier of Pennsylvania, in what is now Lancaster.
The Hans Herr House, built by his son Christian Herr in 1719, is open to the public as a museum, and is the oldest Pennsylvania German settlement still in existence today.

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★ The 1719 Hans Herr House & Museum