By Myra Lee Adams Goff

When the Gemischter Chor Harmonie (Sängerbund) sings on the last Sunday of Wurstfest, they will be upholding a long-standing tradition of celebrating with music.

For the past 50 years bands,singers, polka dancers, waltzers, chicken dancers, and some very sophisticated instrumentalists have danced hand and hand through the Wursthalle.

The very first Wurstfest, loosely called Sausage Week in 1961, was opened with another Sängerbund group, the Clear Springs Frohsinn with Otto Seidel as director. Raymond Salge remembers practicing the solo part of “God Bless America” at the fenced dance slab at Landa Park.

The sausage week was to end there with entertainment and a sausage dinner. Rain had been threatening for several days and then at the last minute, the sausage festival group moved the whole celebration to the National Guard Armory.

The next year, the festival moved back to Landa Park where it stayed for two more years, followed by four years in the “hole on the Plaza” (remnants of the Eiband and Fischer Building). (See http://sophienburg.com/blog/?p=18 November 2006.)

In 1967, the festival moved to half of the empty cottonseed warehouse in Landa Park. Soon the Wurstfest took over the other half of the building which became the present Wursthalle, and after extensive remodeling, expanded its present location.

Raymond Salge, whose father, Bert Salge, was one of the organizers of the Gemischter Chor Harmonie in 1916, remembers singing in the Armory and how difficult it was because of the noise of merrymakers.

The love of music is strong in the German culture. Author Curt Schmidt says, “They sang when they were happy and they sang when they were sad.” (Source: Omas and Opas)

A favorite leisure activity was singing in groups, therefore the formation of the Sängerbund.

Many dance halls in the area (too many to name) were buildings devoted to music and dancing.

The Wurstfest has promoted that tradition in New Braunfels and kept it alive.

The Bavarian type polkas or “Oompah” is believed to have originated in the beer gardens of Europe.

So how appropriate is that for Wurstfest?

You won’t hear many other types of music there.

Opa Tim Salge, one of the vice chairmen in charge of entertainment, says that the Wurstfest strives for a large majority of polka music and a small amount of so called “other.”

Do you think Tejano music sounds like the German polkas? Author Guadalupe San Miguel, Jr. says in his book Tejano Proud about Tejano music, “Música tejana has been based primarily on a polka beat. Polkas are European in nature brought to the Southwest by Germans and other Europeans who settled in Central Texas in the first half of the 19th century.” (That’s us)

An interesting Wurstfest related story is about the well-known singer Flaco Jimenez (Texas Tornado).

Upon hearing a polka band in the Wursthalle, he was invited to join them on the stage and play Tejano polkas with the band for almost an hour.

That headliner band was the 18 Grammy winning polka master, Jimmy Sturr, from the little village of Florida, New York. With Jimenez, Sturr has since then recorded several CDs, a favorite around here being “Hey Baby, Que Paso”.

Sturr returns as a headliner at Wurstfest the second weekend this year.

Being the 50th year of Wurstfest, the organization has asked Opa Alton Rahe to write their history with Opa Darvin Dietert in charge of photographs.

It will be released next year.

No doubt there will be lots about music in that book because both Rahe and Dietert have been involved in Oompah music since they, along with Gordon Zunker, organized “The Hi-Toppers” band while they were still in high school.

This successful band played at Wurstfest for 25 years.

Headliner Myron Floren who died in 2005 will be missed, but I’ll bet when you go to Wurstfest, you’ll hear plenty of that good old Oompahpah Oompahpah Oompah Oompah Oompahpah!

The Hi-Toppers in 1949. From left, Gordon Zunker, Darvin Dietert, Alton Rahe, Allen Moehrig, Kenneth Rheinlander and Melford Haag.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

Did you know that museums come to life at night? The Sophienburg will for two nights on Friday, October 15^th and Saturday, October 16^th Five well-known characters from old New Braunfels will be there. The program has been written for children and adults alike. Children will come away from the program with a good understanding of what a museum is, its importance and a souvenir cookie.

This interesting and informative program is the brainchild of Sophienburg employee Amber Miller in cooperation with the Circle Arts Theater (Friday) and the NBHS’s Key Club and German Club (Saturday). The characters will be portrayed in costume by members of these three groups.

In the entryway of the Museum, Prince Carl will greet the groups. He will point out his seal, his powder horn, and will talk about his authentic writing desk and chair-the one on which he wrote letters to his fiancée back in Germany, Princess Sophie. The Prince will be loaded with information.

Entering the Museum, John Meusebach will be there in person. He will tell you about his very important treaty with the Indians. Among the Indian artifacts, a large collection of arrowheads found in Landa Park is hanging in a glass case. The next time you visit Landa Park, you will probably remember some of his Indian stories.

Next we will go to the section in the Museum called the cabin where ladies from long ago are looking at scrapbooks. They will tell us about the Sophienburg’s huge collection of photographs.

Around the corner we see Mrs. Helena Landa, wife of Joseph Landa, after whom Landa Park is named. Mrs. Landa is just finishing her carriage ride through the park as she does every day. Mrs. Landa will tell you about her son, Harry Landa, who opened up Landa Park to the public.

Entering the main street section of the Museum, we will be met by botanist Ferdinand Lindheimer. He will explain how he went all over Texas collecting plants and giving them names. He became well-known by doing this and was thereby called the “Father of Texas Botany”. Walking along, Mr. Lindheimer will point out the Louis Henne Company, an old hardware store that still exists today. Right next to the store is Tante Amalie’s toy store. She filled the store with toys right before Christmas and was closed the rest of the year.

Across the way Mr. Lindheimer will tell us about H.V. Schumann, one of many pharmacists in early New Braunfels. He has many interesting stories about what was sold in the old pharmacies. A show globe hangs in the front window to let citizens know by the color of the water if there were any contagious diseases in town. Finally we come to the office of the first newspaper in town, “Neu Braunfelser Zeitung.” Mr. Lindheimer was the first editor of this German newspaper.

We leave Ferdinand Lindheimer and there is Hermann Seele sitting in the celebrations area of the Museum. Called the “soul” of New Braunfels, not only because “Seele” means “soul” in English, but because he organized singing and dramatic societies. He organized so many festivals and celebrations. The Kindermaskenball is still held today and Seele brought the idea from Germany.

When you say goodbye to Hermann Seele, you will go right into Sophie’s Shop where you may purchase the new T-shirt which says, “In New Braunfels ist das Leben Schön”. It’s all black, a good way to remember “The Night at the Sophienburg.”

Here are some of the details of the event: Reservations are essential. Price is $5 per family. A children’s coloring contest will also take place with winners to be announced. Call Amber at the Sophienburg at 629-1572 for details and to make your reservation.

Ciaran Boardman, Amber Miller and Keva Boardman examine photographs in the cabin in the Sophienburg Museum.