New Braunfels newspaper influenced secession effort

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Fourth of July Parade When: 9:15 a.m. Monday Where: Main Plaza, New Braunfels Another Fourth of July celebration is coming up Monday. Flags will be waving, music will be saluting the United States of America and The Sophienburg’s annual parade downtown to the Main Plaza

Continue reading

Spielzeit at Sophienburg Saturday

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Picture this: Every day after school, a group of elementary school boys rushed home and met at a vacant lot behind Hollmig’s Drive-In at the intersection of Seguin and Zink streets. Their goal: to play baseball their way. (See the 1958 photo below for names.)

Continue reading

Stories of Lustige Strumpf intrigue, puzzle historians

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Have you ever heard of a place called “der Lustige Strumpf“? In English, it means “the lusty stocking”. Sounds a little suspicious, doesn’t it? Its background and location are a little shady and a little mysterious. Der Lustige Strumpf has been the subject of curiosity

Continue reading

New Braunfels newspaper has changed with the times

By Myra Lee Adams Goff When our town was only 7 years old, citizens saw a need for a newspaper. These citizens organized themselves into a company and through public subscription financed what became the second oldest continuous newspaper in Texas. It was in German because that was the mother

Continue reading

When the world was changing, but Camp Warnecke wasn’t

By Myra Lee Adams Goff NEW BRAUNFELS – Let’s take a trip to Camp Warnecke. Most of you know where it was, but if you don’t, think of the Schlitterbahn Waterparks property between the San Antonio Street Bridge and the Garden Street Bridge. Imagine the time being around 1944 during

Continue reading

Reflections program keeps history alive in the retelling

By Myra Lee Adams Goff The recording room at the Sophienburg has been out of order for almost three months. Badly in need of an upgrade, Carl Nowotny and Chris Hildebrand brought the equipment up-to-date and several volunteers replaced the deteriorating walls. Joel Erben, who originally donated the sound room

Continue reading

Adelsverein purchases Nassau Plantation

By Myra Lee Adams Goff In the northern corner of Fayette County near Round Top, Texas, lies an area of beautiful, peaceful, rolling hills. The serenity of the landscape hides its rather sordid past of greed, slavery, even a charge of murder. This piece of property, 4,428 acres, in the

Continue reading

Grotto behind Sts. Peter and Paul marks 1918 flu pandemic

By Myra Lee Adams Goff In 1980, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark was designated here in Comal County. This landmark is the grotto right behind the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. The story behind this particular designation is important to all of us because it reminds us of that

Continue reading

Add to schedule: Emigrate to Sophienburg

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Do you keep a schedule? Do you stick to it or once you write something down, your brain says, “OK. That’s done”? Lists, like grocery lists, are a little like schedules and come in handy. For example, when you get home from the grocery store,

Continue reading

Story of German Adelsverein told in new fictional trilogy

Meet the Author The “Adelsverein” trilogy can be purchased at Sophie’s Shop at the Sophienburg. Author Celia Hayes will be the guest speaker at the Scholarship Brunch of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Ferdinand Lindheimer Chapter, on Saturday, March 12. Brunch and book review are $20. Reservations may

Continue reading