Sophienburg Museum and Archives

The good old days?

March 20, 2016

By Myra Lee Adams Goff How easy we ladies have life today compared to the old days in the 1850s. “You’ve come a long way, baby” is the understatement of our time. A woman’s role in society has changed dramatically due to not only modern technology but changes that occurred

Controversial letters to Germany

July 13, 2014

Around the Sophienburg, Sophienblog

By Myra Lee Adams Goff A letter written on May 2, 1845, two months after the first settlers arrived in New Braunfels, gives us details of those first two months in NB. The letter was written by Lt. Oscar von Claren to his sister in Germany. The end of von

From distillery to woolen mill to laundry

May 4, 2014

Around the Sophienburg, Sophienblog

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Two sisters, Debbie Elliott and Lynn Norvell, have built homes on the property that has been in their family over 100 years. The property is on the corner of Garden and Comal Sts. on the Comal River, next to the Garden Street Bridge. They are

Emigrants unprepared for conditions in ships

March 10, 2013

Around the Sophienburg, Sophienblog

By Myra Lee Adams Goff In your imagination, go back to 1845. The German immigrants will be crossing the Guadalupe River into what would become the settlement of New Braunfels. The date is March 21st and in 1845, it was Good Friday. As we know, Good Friday is not often