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	<title>Christmas decorations Archives - Sophienburg Museum and Archives</title>
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		<title>Oak or cedar Christmas trees?</title>
		<link>https://sophienburg.com/oak-or-cedar-christmas-trees/</link>
					<comments>https://sophienburg.com/oak-or-cedar-christmas-trees/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alan King]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Around the Sophienburg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA["Assembled Writings"]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA["Roemer's Texas"]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1510]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[cedar christmas trees]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Christmas decorations]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[The Seven Timmermann Sisters of Geronimo]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophienburg.com/?p=11448</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By Keva Hoffmann Boardman — Christmas lights and decorations are going up all over town. I love all the green, the red, the shiny and the bright. Our German town founders did too. The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree goes back to 16th century Europe. Germanic-speaking Christians brought fresh-cut evergreens into their houses [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/oak-or-cedar-christmas-trees/">Oak or cedar Christmas trees?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_11446" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-11446" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-11446 size-large" src="https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014-1024x888.jpg" alt="Photo Caption: The Seven Timmermann Sisters of Geronimo continued the tradition of a cut cedar from their pasture as their Christmas tree their entire lives. The photo shows their tree in 1947 decorated with tinsel, paper and tinsel ornaments, cookies and a few shiny balls; many of the ornaments dated back to the late 19th century. (S481-014)" width="800" height="694" srcset="https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014-1024x888.jpg 1024w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014-600x521.jpg 600w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014-300x260.jpg 300w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014-768x666.jpg 768w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ats20251130_S481-014.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-11446" class="wp-caption-text">Photo Caption: The Seven Timmermann Sisters of Geronimo continued the tradition of a cut cedar from their pasture as their Christmas tree their entire lives. The photo shows their tree in 1947 decorated with tinsel, paper and tinsel ornaments, cookies and a few shiny balls; many of the ornaments dated back to the late 19th century. (S481-014)</figcaption></figure>
<p>By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —</p>
<p>Christmas lights and decorations are going up all over town. I love all the green, the red, the shiny and the bright. Our German town founders did too.</p>
<p>The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree goes back to 16th century Europe. Germanic-speaking Christians brought fresh-cut evergreens into their houses and decorated them. Not the first time that people celebrated with trees; older cultures like the Druids, Romans and Vikings used trees to celebrate during winter solstice festivals. The German Christian Christmas tree had evolved from the Medieval practice of the “Paradise Tree”. A fir tree was decorated with apples and communion wafers on Christmas Eve and used as the central prop in the “Paradise Play” which told the story of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin and the promise of the coming Savior, Jesus. A tree, the cross, figures in this story as well.</p>
<p>The 16th century Christmas trees were decorated with baked goods and fruit. The first recorded decorated tree was in Riga, Latvia, in 1510.</p>
<p>The first recorded Christmas tree with a New Braunfels connection was reported by our well-known teacher, mayor and lawyer Hermann Seele, in his book, <em>Assembled Writings</em>. It was on December 14, 1843, that Seele’s ship landed in Galveston. A stranger in the Republic of Texas, Seele was feeling a bit lonely and homesick on Christmas Eve. He attended the Episcopal church Christmas Eve service. It was decorated with fresh dark green cedar garlands and well-lit with lamps and candles. Seele delighted in the feeling of his home country and in the choir’s beautiful songs.</p>
<p>Nostalgia set in and Hermann Seele found himself strolling the streets of the East End to see if perchance there was a Christmas tree he could glimpse through the window of a home. He did find a candle-lit tree and after gazing at it for a while, he returned to his lodgings a happy and more settled young man.</p>
<p>Also in <em>Assembled Writings</em>, Seele records the story of December 24, 1844. Here, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels is the hero by providing Christmas spirit and cheer for the children encamped with their parents at Indianola. The immigrants of the Johann Dethardt were camped in a grove of live oak trees for protection from the foul weather and access to firewood. Prince Carl decorated a small live oak with candles and presents for the children on their first Christmas in Texas. To accomplish this wonderful gift, Prince Carl had to have bought small presents and Christmas candles in Galveston before he sailed down to meet the immigrants at Indianola. Surely, that Christmas on the beach in 1844 was a precious and delightful memory for all.</p>
<p>Ferdinand Roemer, in <em>Roemer’s Texas</em>, wrote about his Christmas experience in New Braunfels. It is the first recorded Christmas that was celebrated on the Sophienburg Hill. For those who do not know, the Sophienburg Museum stands on that hill and is where the Adelsverein (Association) built their log headquarters. Named the Sophienburg by Prince Carl in honor of his fiancé Sophie, this is where the officers of the “Verein” were quartered. In 1846, geologist Ferdinand Roemer was passing through New Braunfels and was told by John O. Meusebach to ask Lt. von Coll for a place to stay within the “Verein Building”. Roemer writes, “According to a custom at home, Christmas Eve was celebrated in the company of the jolly companionship of the Verein’s officers around a richly decorated and candle-lit Christmas tree, for which a young cedar (<em>Juniperus </em><em>v</em><em>irginiana L.</em>) was used.”</p>
<p>No mention is made of what was going on in the immigrant homes within the town, but I suspect that they, too, were gathering around their own freshly cut cedar trees. The tradition of cedar Christmas trees decorated with cookies, fruit, small gifts and candles was widespread in our founder families and carried on even after the addition of shiny glass ornaments. Funny thing, they used to sometimes use Spanish moss as icicle-like decoration.</p>
<p>Today our decorations go up around Thanksgiving. Back then building fronts were festooned with green cedar garlands the week of Christmas. The Christmas trees were put up that week as well, but no child ever saw the tree, or their gifts, until Christmas Eve. The big reveal of the decorated and candle-lit Christmas tree with presents was a magical and wonderful moment.</p>
<p>The Sophienburg Museum invites you to another precious, time-honored Christmas tradition in New Braunfels. On Friday, December 5, our German-speaking St. Nikolaus will visit on the eve of his feast day. It’s just $10 a family and a fun way to learn the story of St. Nikolaus, get a chance to take a photo and chat with him, make a kid’s craft and enjoy the Christmas decorations throughout the museum. Sophie’s Shop will also be open for purchasing German and other gifts.</p>
<p>Please RSVP at 830-629-1572 to reserve your family’s place at the 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. session.</p>
<p>My wish for you is that during the flurry of events and things we do during this holiday season, you stop and experience at least one moment of wonder and magic. Gloria in excelsis Deo!</p>
<hr />
<p>Sources: Sophienburg Museum: <em>Assembled Writings</em>, Herman Seele; <em>Roemer’s Texas</em>, Ferdinand Roemer; Oscar Haas Collection.</p>
<hr />
<p style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 5px; background-color: #efefef; border-radius: 6px; text-align: center;">&#8220;Around the Sophienburg&#8221; is published every other weekend in the <a href="https://herald-zeitung.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="white-space: nowrap;">New Braunfels</span> Herald-Zeitung</em></a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/oak-or-cedar-christmas-trees/">Oak or cedar Christmas trees?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">11448</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Let there be Christmas light</title>
		<link>https://sophienburg.com/let-there-be-christmas-light/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[director]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 2022 06:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Around the Sophienburg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sophienblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA["A Charlie Brown Christmas"]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1870s]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Alfred Schalausky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aluminum Christmas tree]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Bubble Light]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[candles]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Edward Johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fairy Light]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General Electric Co.]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Edison]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Twinkling Lamps]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[White House]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=8402</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By Keva Hoffmann Boardman — Decorations for Christmas are up at the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. This year we are highlighting 20th century Christmas décor of the 1920s–1960s. You will be wonderfully transported back to your childhood. We also discovered several large boxes with Christmas lights which led me to look into the history of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/let-there-be-christmas-light/">Let there be Christmas light</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_8409" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-8409" style="width: 680px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072.png"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-8409 size-large" src="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072-1024x740.png" alt="Photo: Alfred Schalausky Family with lighted Christmas tree, 1932. Note the lights are plugged into the overhead socket." width="680" height="491" srcset="https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072-1024x740.png 1024w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072-600x433.png 600w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072-300x217.png 300w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072-768x555.png 768w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072-1536x1109.png 1536w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ats20221120_S3212-072.png 1815w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8409" class="wp-caption-text">Photo: Alfred Schalausky Family with lighted Christmas tree, 1932. Note the lights are plugged into the overhead socket.</figcaption></figure>
<p>By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —</p>
<p>Decorations for Christmas are up at the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. This year we are highlighting 20th century Christmas décor of the 1920s–1960s. You will be wonderfully transported back to your childhood. We also discovered several large boxes with Christmas lights which led me to look into the history of Christmas tree lights.</p>
<p>Candles were the first lights used on Christmas trees. Using tiny Christmas lanterns in the 1870s, counterweighted holders in the 1890s and clip-on holders after 1900, people would light their trees with candles for a brief moment of wonder. Live flames and dry fir or cedar was a dangerous combination, so a bucket of sand or water was kept nearby for expected emergencies. A heavy rug was placed under the tree to catch dripping wax; the rug morphed into the modern-day Christmas tree skirt.</p>
<p>Thomas Edison invented the first practical light bulb in 1879. In 1882, his associate Edward Johnson used that technology to electrically light the Christmas tree in his home. It created quite a stir since the tree also used electricity to rotate and blink on and off.</p>
<p>An electrically lighted Christmas tree was displayed in the White House in 1895. This brilliant exhibit fueled the public’s growing fascination with electrically lighted trees. In response, the General Electric Co. (GE) offered, for the first time, sets of pre-wired carbon filament lights for Christmas trees in 1903. At a time when the average wage was 22 cents a day, a $12 box of 24 pre-wired lights was very pricey. In 1906, Germany and Austria introduced electric figural Christmas lights to the increasingly interested American consumer.</p>
<p>GE launched new Christmas light outfits using the Mazda bulb in 1916. The Mazda was a globe-shaped bulb with a tungsten filament. Other manufacturers of stringed lights paid to use GE’s new Mazda bulbs in their sets. GE replaced the globe-shaped bulb with a flame-shape or cone-shape light bulb in 1919 and it, then, became the industry standard up into the 1960s. By the 1920s, all American lighting manufacturers had converted to tungsten filament bulbs.</p>
<p>The Tri-Plug was invented in 1921 by Lester Haft and allowed several strings of lights to be connected; this was a game changer for the industry. The many companies jumping into the lighting game compelled the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) to publish quality standards in 1921, and by 1929, lighting sets carried the UL tag.</p>
<p>In 1924, GE and Westinghouse replaced the smooth cone-shaped lamps with smaller ribbed bulbs. The National Outfit Manufacturing Association (NOMA) was formed by 15 lighting companies; the trade association eventually merged into the NOMA Electric Corporation and became the largest Christmas lighting company in the world.</p>
<p>No Christmas lights were manufactured during 1941-1945 due to WWII although companies sold out their back stock. In 1946, NOMA introduced the Bubble Light, which became the world’s best-selling Christmas light set. Other companies followed with their own bubbling light designs. Cloth-covered lighting wires were also changed to vinyl, plastic and rubber coverings following the war.</p>
<p>Italy introduced Americans to the Fairy Light or miniature lights in 1950. First produced with the bulbs wired directly into the light string, these gradually became the familiar plastic base push-in lamps now in use. Twinkling Lamps, units built with a flasher bulb, first made their appearance in 1955, an innovation still widely popular today.</p>
<p>In 1959, the Aluminum Specialty Company first introduced the aluminum Christmas tree The Evergleam and marketed it as a permanent tree not an artificial tree. (I see what they did there.) Since aluminum is highly conductive, electric lights then on the market could not be used with these new trees and the only way to light them was with a spotlight or rotating color wheel. The aluminum tree craze lasted until 1965 when “A Charlie Brown Christmas” aired on CBS which likened the metal tree to out-and-out commercialism.</p>
<p>Massive importation of light sets from places like Japan and Hong Kong severely impacted and caused the collapse of many American lighting companies. By the 1970s, Americans were almost exclusively lighting their trees with imported miniature lights.</p>
<p>Thought you might enjoy this description of the mini lights most of us use.</p>
<blockquote><p>Mini lites truly have a mind of their own. As soon as they are removed from the box when new, they cling together in a “hive”, resisting any attempt to free them. Shaking them annoys the mini lites very much. It makes them cling even tighter, until the only method of untangling is a pair of scissors. Should you be lucky enough to actually free them, the strands fall to the floor, immediately running for cover under your feet. (This is witnessed by the sound similar to cracking a walnut.) Once the lights are untangled, the cat becomes VERY interested in them. I believe it is the tuna flavored wire that they use. No matter, because before they can get to the tree, the cat will have chewed through the cord in 6 places. Well! You made it this far! The lights somehow make it to the tree. You of course pre-tested them, so they will work. What you fail to realize, is that the mini lites are not going to fail until they are on the tree. — Chris Cuff</p></blockquote>
<p>You can visit the Sophienburg Museum Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4.p.m. (Please note that the Sophienburg will be closed for Thanksgiving November 24-26, 2022.) Or, you can bring your little ones to see St. Nicholas on Monday, December 5 for $5 per family. Reservations are required for this event; call 830.629.1572.</p>
<hr />
<p>Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives collections; <a href="http://www.oldchristmastreelights.com/">www.oldchristmastreelights.com</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/let-there-be-christmas-light/">Let there be Christmas light</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8402</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Christmas from Germany to New Braunfels</title>
		<link>https://sophienburg.com/christmas-from-germany-to-new-braunfels/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[director]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2022 05:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Around the Sophienburg]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[16th century]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1989]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=8370</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By Tara V. Kohlenberg — You might think it too early to speak of Christmas, but Halloween is over, Main Plaza is decked out in lights and we are now enjoying Wurstfest, the Ten-Day Salute to Sausage! Can Christmas be far behind? I think not. So, in keeping with the Sophienburg Museum &#38; Archives’ mission [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/christmas-from-germany-to-new-braunfels/">Christmas from Germany to New Braunfels</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_8403" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-8403" style="width: 680px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-8403 size-large" src="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery-885x1024.jpg" alt="Caption: Old World Bakery selling Stollen and other fresh baked goods at Weihnachtsmarkt." width="680" height="787" srcset="https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery-885x1024.jpg 885w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery-600x694.jpg 600w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery-259x300.jpg 259w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery-768x889.jpg 768w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery-1327x1536.jpg 1327w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ats20221106_old_world_bakery.jpg 1423w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8403" class="wp-caption-text">Caption: Old World Bakery selling Stollen and other fresh baked goods at Weihnachtsmarkt.</figcaption></figure>
<p>By Tara V. Kohlenberg —</p>
<p>You might think it too early to speak of Christmas, but Halloween is over, Main Plaza is decked out in lights and we are now enjoying Wurstfest, the Ten-Day Salute to Sausage! Can Christmas be far behind? I think not. So, in keeping with the Sophienburg Museum &amp; Archives’ mission to share our history, here is a look at some of the most popular German Christmas traditions and how they have carried over to current day New Braunfels.</p>
<p>Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is called Advent, which serves as a time of anticipation and preparation for the birth and coming of Christ. In Germany you will often see Advent wreaths (Adventskranz). The tradition of Advent wreaths was begun by German Lutherans in the 16th century. The wreath is made of four candles set down in a base of pine branches, dried flowers and Christmas ornaments. Here in New Braunfels, Advent has traditionally been celebrated by Lutheran, Catholic and Protestant denominations, but is being seen more in other denominations now as well. Each Sunday in Advent, which begins November 27 this year, a candle will be lit on the wreath, lighting one candle every Sunday until all are lit. Sometimes, a fifth candle will be lit on Christmas Eve.</p>
<p>The Advent calendar (Adventskalendar) is the countdown to Christmas for German children. Every day for the four weeks before Christmas, a window in the advent calendar is opened to reveal a poem, candy or a small gift. Advent calendars flood shops across Germany during this season. Here is New Braunfels, Advent calendars can be found at Sophie’s Shop at New Braunfels’ Weihnachtsmarkt.</p>
<p>St Nikolaus Day (Sankt Nikolaus Tag), also called the Feast of Saint Nikolaus, observed on 6 December, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra. It is a favorite holiday with German children. St. Nikolaus is not the jolly, old, bearded Santa that we know. He is a little gruffer, taking more interest in the children behaving and learning their prayers. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St Nikolaus. Here is New Braunfels, children hang stockings. St. Nikolaus visits the Sophienburg Museum on December 5, to find out if the children have been good. Call the Sophienburg to RSVP for your family now.</p>
<p>Some of the most wonderful things associated with Christmas in Germany are the Christmas markets. (Weihnachtsmarkt). The origins of outdoor Christmas markets can be traced back to the German-speaking part of Europe in the Middle Ages. The opening of most European Christmas markets coincides with the beginning of the celebration of Advent in late November or early December. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. The sights, sounds and smells are unforgettable.</p>
<p>Stollen, Lebkuchen and Glühwein, the foods &amp; drink that soothe the longing for German Christmas treats, can be found at the markets. Stollen is a traditional German Christmas pastry. More like a bread, it is made with dried fruits, nuts, and spices and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Lebkuchen, another special German Christmas treat, resembles gingerbread. It is made with honey, spices and nuts. The Christmas season is not complete without a steaming cup of Glühwein, a necessity for warding off the winter cold chill. In New Braunfels, Stollen and gingerbread are sold at the markets more than Lebkuchen. Likewise, Glühwein is not served as often as Wassail.</p>
<p>Here in Texas, our Christmas is rarely cold. Or snowy. And it has been known to rain. In fact, we can wear short sleeves and flip flops well into December, but that doesn’t stop us from having a Weihnachtsmarkt. In New Braunfels, our Weihnachtsmarkt was born of the need for a major fundraiser to benefit the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and the idea of sharing the history of the German village Christmas markets here in New Braunfels</p>
<p>The first New Braunfels’ Weihnachtsmarkt opened in December 1989. While desiring the market to resemble those in Germany, directors knew it was wise to stay within the realm of New Braunfels, Texas. Our market is similar in that visitors can do all their Christmas shopping in one location, choosing from a variety of artisans and vendors selling European and American Christmas ornaments and decorations, food, clothing, toys, antiques, jewelry, and more. The biggest difference is that our Weihnachtsmarkt is always held indoors in deference to security needs and possible winter storms with high winds. The bulk of the workload is carried by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Even though it is a busy time of the year, people willingly volunteer because the event benefits the Sophienburg Museum and Archives.</p>
<p>This year’s Weihnachtsmarkt takes place Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20 at the New Braunfels Convention and Civic Center. It really has become much more than a fundraiser. Following on the heels of Wurstfest, the event kicks off holiday shopping in New Braunfels. The glittering Star Party Gala on Thursday night offers VIP Early Weihnachtsmarkt Shopping while enjoying an evening of cocktails, delicious hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and entertainment. The first holiday party of the season, this is a night that you do not want to miss. On Saturday, children can enjoy a morning full of fun and festivities with Santa himself! Breakfast with Santa offers a classic Christmas experience, featuring a delicious breakfast, arts and crafts, and photos with Santa. He is also available for photos during Market hours on Saturday and Sunday. We hold tightly to our German traditions here in New Braunfels. Come experience Weihnachtsmarkt to see why. <a href="http://www.newbraunfelsweihnachtsmarkt.com/">www.newbraunfelsweihnachtsmarkt.com</a></p>
<hr />
<p>Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/christmas-from-germany-to-new-braunfels/">Christmas from Germany to New Braunfels</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8370</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Decorative history</title>
		<link>https://sophienburg.com/decorative-history/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[director]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Nov 2019 06:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Around the Sophienburg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sophienblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[175th anniversary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apostle to the Germans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas decorations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas ornaments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas stockings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[German immigrants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[German pyramid (candle carousel)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indianola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inge-Glas ornaments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lauscha (Germany)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martin Luther]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Braunfels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sophie’s Shop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Boniface]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Nicholas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Nicholas (Bishop of Myra)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas Panhandle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weihnachtsmarkt]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/?p=6104</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By Tara V. Kohlenberg – With Wurstfest in our rear-view mirror, the calendar and Hallmark Channels tell us that Christmas is but a short six weeks away. In the movies, it always looks cold and snowy with brightly lit decorations everywhere. I have only ever experienced a few white Christmases, and they weren’t here in [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/decorative-history/">Decorative history</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_6134" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6134" style="width: 680px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-6134 size-large" src="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ats20191110_ornament-1024x593.jpg" alt="New Braunfels 175th Anniversary Ornament" width="680" height="394" srcset="https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ats20191110_ornament-1024x593.jpg 1024w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ats20191110_ornament-600x348.jpg 600w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ats20191110_ornament-300x174.jpg 300w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ats20191110_ornament-768x445.jpg 768w, https://sophienburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ats20191110_ornament.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-6134" class="wp-caption-text">New Braunfels 175th Anniversary Ornament</figcaption></figure>
<p>By Tara V. Kohlenberg –</p>
<p>With Wurstfest in our rear-view mirror, the calendar and Hallmark Channels tell us that Christmas is but a short six weeks away. In the movies, it always looks cold and snowy with brightly lit decorations everywhere. I have only ever experienced a few white Christmases, and they weren’t here in New Braunfels. My Gran lived in the Texas Panhandle where it snowed. Christmas at her house meant traditional Thanksgiving-type pies and tall noble firs trimmed with opulent store-bought globes. Christmas at my Oma’s house in New Braunfels meant twelve different types of cookies locked in the dining room until Christmas Eve and a short cedar tree decorated with oranges and small glass ornaments. I wondered about how these decorating styles came to be so different.</p>
<p>Christmas trees have a long and varied history. Evidence suggests that adorning the home with evergreen branches during the winter solstice predates the ancient Egyptians, serving a similar purpose in the various pagan winter solstice rituals of the Druids, Romans, and Vikings. I have found that there are several theories about the origins of the Christmas tree. One such, is that the monk, St. Boniface, Apostle to the Germans, in the 7th or 8th century, incorporated the fir tree into his teachings by claiming that the triangular shape represented the Holy Trinity. Another legend has it that in the 16th century evergreen trees were used in plays depicting Adam &amp; Eve in Paradise, earning them the moniker “Paradise” tree. When trees were in short supply, they would simply hang green branches on a pyramid shaped frame and adorn them with wafers and paper ornaments. It is from that practice that the German Pyramid (candle carousel) and the Christmas tree originated. It is said that Martin Luther promoted the evergreens in celebration of bible stories. Lutherans took the practice into their homes, which evolved into the Christmas trees, which eventually spread across Germany. German immigrants carried their Christmas traditions to the New World in the 18th Century. By mid-19th century, German immigrants were bringing their traditions to Texas. Even Prince Carl decorated an oak tree with candles on the coast at Indianola when the first settlers arrived.</p>
<p>The popularity of Christmas trees grew after an illustration of Queen Victoria and her family around an elegantly decorated tree appeared in Godey’s Lady’s Book. By the 20th century, both Europeans and Americans embraced the tradition and celebrated with enthusiasm.</p>
<p>As for the ornament history, we have to go back a little further to the 3rd &amp; 4th Centuries where St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, made it his life’s work to help the poor and infirm. The legend tells of a poor man with three daughters and no dowries. As each girl came of age, a bag of gold (or, in some versions, a ball of gold) appeared in a sock or shoe near the hearth, with Nicholas presumed as the gift-giver. That story inspired the placement by the fireplace of stockings or shoes, to be filled with gifts and candy. It also inspired golden globes to be used for decoration signifying wealth long before they were hung on trees.</p>
<p>Much of the history of Christmas ornaments comes from the holiday traditions of Germany. It is said that in 1605, a tree was adorned with paper flowers, lighted candles, wafers, nuts and sweets in an indoor setting. Over time, decorations included painted eggshells, cookies, candies, fruits, and nuts. In 1610, tinsel, made of real silver strands, was invented. Tinsel was an instant hit as it helped to reflect the light of the tree out into the room.</p>
<p>Early ornaments were painstakingly hand made. Some were of folded paper, shaved wood or twisted wire. The works of art were often created by farmers during the months after harvest. It is also Germany that gives us the use of foods like gingerbread that were baked in varied shapes as fruits, stars, bells, hearts, angels. Artisans then created ornaments of German hand-cast lead and hand-blown glass decorations. Fish and bird ornaments of pressed paper were also found. As Christmas trees gained in popularity, other countries put their own spin on decorations. In England, ornaments were made of lace and paper. Americans wrapped their trees in long strands of popcorn and cranberries.</p>
<p>In the 1880s, German entrepreneurs in the city of Lauscha began to make glass ornaments skillfully blown from a long tube, molded and painted. The molds were shaped like children, saints and animals. Woolworth’s Five &amp; Dime knew a good thing when they saw it and by the 1890s, immediately began importing glass ornaments for sale in the U.S. In 1973, Hallmark began pushing the idea of ‘keepsake’ ornaments documenting important events in life, like births, weddings, etc.. Many ornaments today tell more about the life of the owners: soccer balls, skates, football teams, schools, and places visited.</p>
<p>New Braunfels has held tightly to her traditions, and it is our job here at the Sophienburg to maintain them. In our gift shop, at Wurstfest and Weihnachtsmarkt, you will find Inge-Glas ornaments directly from Lauscha, Germany. Some ornaments are still from the same molds used for 130 years. 2020 is the 175th anniversary of the founding of New Braunfels and we commissioned a special Kitty Keller 175th ornament that will make its debut at Weihnachtsmarkt 2019. In addition, the history of New Braunfels buildings and places in the form of a beautiful coffee table book will also be available.</p>
<p>What’s a Weihnachtsmarkt? (Vy-noks-markt) It is three full days of shopping at the Civic Center, fashioned after the open air markets of Germany. Sophie’s Shop is there along with approximately 60 other merchants with the finest offerings in Christmas decorations and gifts. This market will be open November 22-24 and is a fundraiser supporting the Sophienburg Museum &amp; Archives daily operations.</p>
<p>On December 5, bring your children to visit St. Nicholas. For more information on Weihnachtsmarkt or St. Nicholas family event check <a href="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/event/st-nikolaus/">https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/event/st-nikolaus/</a></p>
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<p>Sources: Sophienburg Museum &amp; Archives, <a href="https://www.inge-glas.de/kollektionen/">inge-glas.de/kollektionen</a>, <a href="https://christianindex.org/">christianindex.org</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/decorative-history/">Decorative history</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6104</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Braunfels Conservation Society gets windfall</title>
		<link>https://sophienburg.com/new-braunfels-conservation-society-gets-windfall/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[director]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2015 06:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Around the Sophienburg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sophienblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1800s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1846]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1848]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1854]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1860s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1940s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agnes Brandt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agnes Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agnes Rauch Brandt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Albert Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Almon Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ann Gimbernardi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arno Brandt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arnold-Rauch-Brandt Homestead]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artifacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artificial snow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asbestos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ax handles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bathroom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canning supplies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas decorations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cisterns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clothing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comal County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comal County Fair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deer heads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deer horns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Edna Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electricity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elvira Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feed sacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friedrich Arnold]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Galveston]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[George Holmans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gottlieb Arnold]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grand Prize Beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guadalupe County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hedwig Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hosiery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hulda Arnold Rauch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indoor plumbing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kitchen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land grant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land policies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lightbulbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[long-leaf pine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Luke Speckman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lye soap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magazines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maria Arnold]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maria Koch]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Marvin Gimbernardi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[milk separators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mission Valley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[molasses]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[New Braunfels Conservation Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pam Brandt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[porches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pottery jugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[powdered sugar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prevailing breezes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Producers Co-op]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raccoons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Randee Micklewright]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rattlesnakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refrigeration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rock fences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rubble]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sausage stuffers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seguin (Texas)]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Smokehouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spigot]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas Historic Landmark]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wells]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wilson Pottery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wood-burning stove]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/blog/?p=2587</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By Myra Lee Adams Goff A windfall of big proportions happened to the New Braunfels Conservation Society. They now own a piece of property that is known as the Arnold-Rauch-Brandt Homestead that goes back to the mid-1800s, located northwest from New Braunfels in an area known as Mission Valley. The house, barn and smokehouse are [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/new-braunfels-conservation-society-gets-windfall/">New Braunfels Conservation Society gets windfall</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Myra Lee Adams Goff</p>
<p>A windfall of big proportions happened to the New Braunfels Conservation Society. They now own a piece of property that is known as the Arnold-Rauch-Brandt Homestead that goes back to the mid-1800s, located northwest from New Braunfels in an area known as Mission Valley. The house, barn and smokehouse are on a ten acre tract that Conservation Director Martha Rehler says “literally stood still in time.”</p>
<p>This historic piece of property shows how Gottlieb and Maria Arnold and their descendants lived and utilized everything possible in the way of materials available to construct buildings and make use of the land.</p>
<p>The year was 1846 when the widower Gottlieb Arnold and his three children first arrived in Texas from Germany. They were lured by the generous land policies of the state of Texas. After arriving in Galveston, he moved to Guadalupe County where in 1848 he married Maria Koch. In 1854, Gottlieb received a 160 acre Comal County land grant from the State of Texas. On this land, Gottlieb and Maria farmed and ranched and raised nine boys and one daughter. Land in the hill country was not suitable for large scale farming but small plots were cleared for gardens. Notice the photograph of Hulda Arnold Rauch, granddaughter of the Arnolds sitting next to a large pile of rocks that she cleared from her garden. There is still evidence of the rock piles presently.</p>
<p>The last child born to Gottlieb and his wife was Friedrich Arnold and he became the only occupant of the family after the death of his parents. His niece, Hulda Arnold married Albert Rauch and they had five children. Albert died and he left Hulda and the children without a place to live. Friedrich took in his niece and five children, Edna, Elvira, Hedwig, Almon and Agnes, and they lived on the ranch.</p>
<p>Time went on and eventually Agnes Rauch married Arno Brandt. They continued to live on the ranch in order to help Agnes’ mother and uncle. Agnes Brandt was the last descendant of Gottlieb and Maria Arnold to live in the home. Agnes died in 2010 and her family was able to furnish much information about how the family lived. The family said that the Producers Co-op was one of Agnes’ favorite places where she bought supplies for her productive garden. She set up the garden wherever the cows had last been. The gardens were restricted by rock fences many of which are still on the property. The rock fences held in the livestock. Wells and cisterns provided water and there was no indoor plumbing. Electricity was added much later.</p>
<p>The New Braunfels Conservation Society received the property in March of 2015 after five years of negotiations. Members of the Conservation Society, along with their director Martha Rehler, spent countless hours cleaning, identifying and deciphering, hundreds of objects in the house. Those members who are responsible for the clean-up are Randee Micklewright, Luke Speckman, Marvin and Ann Gimbernardi, Pam Brandt, and George Holmans. The inside and outside of the house reflected what it was like to live in the 1800s.</p>
<p>Very little modernization had taken place. Electricity in the form of hanging lightbulbs was added recently. The full and intact limestone barn and smokehouse are in perfect condition. Rattlesnakes had inhabited the barn but soon felt unwelcome when cleaning began. A smokehouse was an absolute necessity in the 1800s due to the lack of refrigeration. Artifacts like old tools have been left there for years. There were molasses tubs and a hand-dug well.</p>
<p>The limestone home began as a one-room structure and eventually evolved from one room to six rooms. The front doors and porches face southeast to take advantage of prevailing breezes. Doors and windows appear to be original. The walls are from 10 inches to 2 feet deep and many are double walls filled with rubble acting as insulation. Window openings are larger on the inside than the outside, making a large window sill and allowing light to filter in. Many windows are original glass. Stenciling at the top of the walls is still visible and the floors are likely long-leaf pine.</p>
<p>There was no bathroom inside the home. With no toilet, one just took a toilet seat outside anywhere. For a shower, there is a spigot in the kitchen with a hose attached to it over a pan to catch water. The house is warmed with free-standing wood-burning stoves.</p>
<p>Inside the house there are dozens of deer horns and cases full of canning supplies. A light bulb hangs over the sewing machine. Christmas decorations, including artificial snow made from shaved asbestos, fill one wardrobe. There is a large collection of vintage clothing, material, feed sacks and hosiery from the mills in NB. Antique toys and trophies from the Comal County Fair are there.</p>
<p>Winding from the bottom floor to the attic are steps that lead you to massive amounts of artifacts and personal items that show the home life of the families. It became obvious that even if the items were no longer used, they were saved. The family kept everything in case it would be needed at a later time. Collections evolve from that philosophy. Books, magazines, material for sewing, old clothes, and a curious item that workers were contemplating: a football unassembled and wrapped up to reassemble at a later time? There are milk separators, sausage stuffers, ax handles, lye soap, deer heads and large 1860s pottery jugs made by the famous Wilson Pottery in Seguin.</p>
<p>As you might expect, canning jars and 14 boxes of powdered sugar waiting for the next canning season. Numerous Pabst Blue Ribbon and Grand Prize beer bottles and a powder puff box full of rattlesnake rattles were real finds. Mice and raccoons for several years have lived in the attic, leaving piles of evidence of their presence.</p>
<p>The Arnold-Rauch-Brandt Homestead is one of the few remaining properties showing German immigrant farm life in the Texas hill country. A mile off the main road, the Conservation Society hopes to make it a living example of early farm life open to the public. The property shows the resourcefulness of this family and the love of family, plants and animals. Conservation is applying for the homestead to be a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and hopes to share it with the public soon.</p>
<figure id="attachment_2588" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2588" style="width: 520px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ats_20151129_arnold-rauch-brandt_homestead_1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-2588" src="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ats_20151129_arnold-rauch-brandt_homestead_1.jpg" alt="940s photo of Agnes Rauch Brandt and Hulda Arnold Rauch in front of the house." width="520" height="344" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2588" class="wp-caption-text">1940s photo of Agnes Rauch Brandt and Hulda Arnold Rauch in front of the house.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_2589" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2589" style="width: 520px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ats_20151129_arnold-rauch-brandt_homestead_2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-2589 size-full" src="https://sophienburg.wpenginepowered.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ats_20151129_arnold-rauch-brandt_homestead_2.jpg" alt="Hulda clears her garden of rocks. Several of these piles of rocks are in the garden area." width="520" height="455" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2589" class="wp-caption-text">Hulda clears her garden of rocks. Several of these piles of rocks are in the garden area.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The post <a href="https://sophienburg.com/new-braunfels-conservation-society-gets-windfall/">New Braunfels Conservation Society gets windfall</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sophienburg.com">Sophienburg Museum and Archives</a>.</p>
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