Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
By Myra Lee Adams Goff
Now everybody sing:
“You better watch out, you better not pout,
“You better not cry, I’m telling you why,
“Weihnachtsmarkt is coming to town.”
Yes, indeed, Weihnachtsmarkt begins Friday morning at New Braunfels Civic Convention Center. The local Christmas Market, patterned after those in Germany, is the major fundraiser for the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. In addition to grants and donations, Weihnachtsmarkt keeps the Museum and Archives afloat.
The history of these markets in Germany goes way back in time when merchants would set up their outdoor booths before Christmas. Locally, the market has a history beginning in 1989.
Weihnachtsmarkt is more than a commercial enterprise. It celebrates the creativity and artistic ability of those who put it together. The atmosphere inside the civic center will put you in the mood for the Christmas season. Not only do merchants compete in decorating their booths, but the whole center is decorated.
Three years ago, I said I thought Prince Carl must have invented Weihnachtsmarkt because of his connection to the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. But now, after seeing Jane Mauldin’s poster, I think Santa Claus invented the market. First of all, Santa is coming to town. Think about it — presents, shopping, decorations, trees, food.
Mauldin’s poster highlights Santa in traditional red coat and since he must be a Texan, he has on black cowboy boots. He has landed in Landa Park, which is celebrating its 75th birthday. Santa has his bag bursting full of toys, and around him are little boys and girls hoping to be the recipients of something. Behind Santa is the Pioneer statue showing a family of emigrants and also the gazebo on Landa Lake. Off in the distance is the miniature train rounding the bend. Mauldin’s poster is advertising Santa, so I’m sure he invented Weihnachtsmarkt.
Coca-Cola is given credit for how we picture Santa Claus. The rotund, happy man in red is a long way from his ancestor, St. Nicholas, who looks rather ghostly in brown burlap threatening children to be good or be the recipient of switches, potatoes, or sausage.
If Santa and Prince Carl both show up at Weihnachtsmarkt, maybe we can have a political debate and solve this issue of who began Weihnachtsmarkt for once and for all.
Mauldin’s poster will be featured on the shopping bag everyone will receive. It’s not your ordinary shopping bag — it’s a keeper. Posters from the last three years can be purchased at Sophie’s Shop at the market. Collect all three from 2009, 2010 and 2011. Frame them, and hang them during the Christmas season. They will appreciate in value.
Speaking of Sophie’s Shop, I would like to tell you about all 80 booths, but since there’s no room, I will tell you about the Sophienburg’s booth. Nancy Classen, manager of the museum’s shop, Teresa Johnson and Sarah Reeves have been to market and have come back with some amazing items for Christmas. Some ornaments are strictly New Braunfels ornaments, including a replica of our Comal County Courthouse that is being remodeled and the three Plaza Bandstands.
In all this shopping madness, let’s not forget the first Christmas celebrated on the coast in 1844, when the first emigrants arrived. The Rev. Ervendberg held the first Communion and Christmas service there. A live oak tree was decorated with candles and small gifts for the children, and Prince Carl presented a silver chalice, a communion pitcher, and a wafer plate to the pastor for use at the first church in New Braunfels, the German Protestant Church.
A duplicate chalice resides in the ancestral home of Prince Carl in the castle of Braunfels as a reminder of our connection. (Source: “Journey in Faith”; Gregory and Goff)
Join us at Weihnachtsmarkt Nov. 18-20 and help the Sophienburg Museum and Archives keep alive the history of the settlement of New Braunfels.
Weihnachtsmarkt - Sophienburg President Tammy Albrecht, artist Jane Mauldin and Sophienburg Executive Director Linda Dietert stand in front of Founders’ Oak in Landa Park.
More about Weihnachtsmarkt…
Myra Lee Adams Goff writes a biweekly column about the Sophienburg Museum and Archives for the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.
Tags: 1844, 1989, booths, Braunfels, candles, children, Christmas, Christmas Market, Christmas service, Coca-Cola, Comal County Courthouse, Communion, communion pitcher, cowboy boots, decorations, emigrants, food, fundraiser, gazebo, German Protestant Church, Germany, history, Jane Mauldin, Landa Lake, Landa Park, live oak tree, merchants, miniature train, Nancy Classen, New Braunfels, New Braunfels Civic Convention Center, ornaments, Pioneer Statue, Plaza Bandstands, poster, presents, Prince Carl, Rev. Ervendberg, Santa Claus, shopping, silver chalice, Sophienburg Museum and Archives, Sophie’s Shop, St. Nicholas, Teresa Johnson. Sarah Reeves, trees, wafer plate, Weihnachtsmarkt, “Journey in Faith”
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Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
By Myra Lee Adams Goff
Icons are very important. When we think of the iconic Dirndls and Lederhosen, what do we think of here in NB? Wurstfest, of course, and that will be Nov. 4-13.
Both items of clothing have been around in Europe for a long time, particularly Austria and the Bavarian part of Germany. Old- time German native dress, known as Tracht, was made of natural materials such as wool or linen and any embroidery or lace embellishments were handmade. There were traditional forms of clothing given to different regions, and now found mostly in museums.
The Dirndl which actually means “girl” started out in antiquity as clothing worn by female servants. This folk style dress was not worn by others until the mid-1800s. The dress became a sign of national pride of Germany, hence the icon. Certain colors, hat styles and embroideries on aprons also denoted different regions.
The Lederhosen (leather pants) for workmen came from the Alpine regions of Austria and Bavaria. They were worn by riders and hunters. These rugged Hosen were either short or long and made of goat or sheepskin. Prince Carl was a hunter, but somehow I can’t picture him in the sheepskin Lederhosen.
In 1870 Emperor Franz Joseph helped the folk dress along by making it popular among the aristocracy, but of course, made of silk. The material for Lederhosen changed from sheepskin to soft deerskin. Like the Dirndl, there was embroidery on the pants and suspenders, denoting different regions.
All kinds of Dirndls and Lederhosen can be seen at the Munich Oktoberfest and if you want to see a large gathering here in NB, go to Wurstfest. Of course, you will also see traditional blue jeans, incidentally invented by a Bavarian, Levi Strauss, when he emigrated to San Francisco during the Gold Rush.
Another icon of Wurstfest is the beer stein. Read my column of Oct. 20, 2009 found on the sophienburg.com website. A beer stein and mug has been produced every year since 1969.
An interesting side story to Wurstfest icons: Local collector of Wurstfest memorabilia, Dexter Gillespie, has a vast collection of items. He has playing cards with the Wurstfest logo and 300 beer mugs. He has all but the first mugs made from 1971-74. He also has a 1998 mug, the year of the flood, which has become rare because of its significance and availability. Gillespie has an original beer bucket- a paint can with handle- when beer was sold in that container at the beginning. My favorite of his collection is a 12 inch figurine of the late J.C. Reagan made in 1989, complete with Lederhosen, stein, accordion, sausage and pins on the hat. The cartoonish character was created by artist Douglas Lee Harris. Another of these figurines was made the following year of Ed. Grist, but Gillespie does not have one. Both men were good ambassadors for Wurstfest.
Let’s not forget the food items, the most prominent being sausage, potato soup, potato pancakes, pretzels, and all those delicious sweets like strudel and German cookies. Beer is the most sold drink on the grounds. Of course there are other “not so German” food items for sale.
To celebrate 50 years of Wurstfest, two Opas, Alton Rahe and Darvin Dietert, were commissioned to write the history of the organization. Both are 5th generation New Braunfelsers. Rahe wrote the history and Dietert collected the photos of which there are 160. The hardcover book of 140 pages chronicles the history of the organization from its beginning to its present site in Landa Park. Rahe speaks of the unpleasant year that prompted the organization to make improvements. Wurstfest is called the “Giant Fundraiser of the Community” and he tells of the many organizations that benefit from selling food and other items. Wurstfest contributes most of its profit to worthy groups in New Braunfels. The book will be for sale at various booths.
When you’re at Wurstfest, polka over to the Sophienburg booth where there are lots of German items for sale plus our Sophienburg New Braunfels Christmas ornaments.
Left to right: Ed and Betty Grist clowning around; Herb Skoog Family — Cara, Claudia, Herb and Kathy — dressed for Wurstfest.
Tags: 1800s, 1870, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1989, accordion, Alpine, Alton Rahe, aristocracy, Austria, Bavaria, beer bucket, beer mugs, beer stein, Betty Grist, Cara Skoog, Christmas ornaments, Claudia Skoog, cookies, Darvin Dietert, deerskin, Dexter Gillespie, Dirndls, Douglas Lee Harris, Ed. Grist, embroidery, Emperor Franz Joseph, figurine, flood, food, fundraiser, Germany, Gold Rush, handmade, hat, Herb Skoog, Herb Skoog Family, history, Icons, J.C. Reagan, Kathy Skoog, lace, Landa Park, Lederhosen, Levi Strauss, linen, memorabilia, Munich Oktoberfest, national pride, Opas, paint can, pants, photos, playing cards, polka, potato pancakes, potato soup, pretzels, Prince Carl, San Francisco, sausage, sheepskin, silk, Sophienburg, strudel, suspenders, sweets, Tracht, wool, Wurstfest
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