Research for this year’s July 4th article led me on an unexpected journey into the past. My aim was to inform you, the reader, of the history of a certain piece of property at the Main Plaza, observable when you watch the Sophienburg’s annual parade and Independence celebration. That property is the present UPS store that looks amazingly like a filling station. That’s because it was. Before that, it was a mercantile store, a tavern, a residence,   and a fruit stand.

Here’s the history of that piece of property: In 1847 a small wooden building was leased to John Torrey in the exact location of that UPS building. The provision was that he would not open a saloon or a boarding house, and it became a mercantile store. John Torrey, along with his brothers owned a trading post near Houston on the Brazos River and he was the one that provided the provisions for the emigrants to New Braunfels from the coast. Guns and swords were sold to Prince Carl for his Mounted Company. Consequently, John Torrey accompanied the settlers to New Braunfels. He stayed here, engaged in many merchandise and industrial businesses and after industries on the Comal were destroyed by flood and once by fire, he left the town forever.

Now here’s where I got off the track. Seeking information about the Torrey Brothers’ Trading Co.  near Houston, I ran across Dr. Ferdinand Roemer’s story in 1846 about his trip to the trading co. He describes the topography of that particular area of Texas as much like the region between Austin and New Braunfels. Instead of dense forests, there were prairies covered with mesquite trees and occasional oak groves. One evening, he and his companion observed a prairie fire which they thought the Indians had started in order to drive the game in a certain direction for hunting and to burn off dry grass.

The next morning the trading post appeared before them with seven rough unhewn log houses. The largest house contained pelts received in trade from the Indians, most of which were buffalo robes, buffalo rugs, and deer hides. Some of the buffalo hides were painted artistically, which determined their value. Some were sold in Houston and most shipped to the Northern States and Canada. Indians also brought in skins of raccoon, cougar, beaver, antelope, bobcats and gray wolves.

Mules were another article of trade by Comanches which they captured on their annual raids to the northern provinces of Mexico. These mules were tamed and sold as pack animals.
In another house were the goods that the Indians received in trade, mainly woolen blankets, woolen cloth colored scarlet and blue and used to make breech cloths. There was also printed calico for shirts and thick copper wiring used in making ornaments for arms, legs, and knives. Then there were glass beads, powder, lead, and tobacco.

The rest of the houses were dwelling places for those who worked at the post. There was even a gunsmith appointed by the government who repaired guns for the Indians.
The trading post was also where captives (particularly children) were brought by the Indians for sale. Roemer observed three boys for sale. Delicacies such as dried buffalo meat, and smoked buffalo tongue were for sale as well.

Now fast forward to our Main Plaza. Following Torrey’s store, around 1898, the small building became Ferdinand Simon’s Tavern and then Mrs. Yettie Wiedermann’s Plaza Fruit Store. Then in 1925 A.C. Moeller built a two-story brick building for the Wiedermanns right next to the fruit stand (now Comal Flower Shop). The Wiedermanns moved their business to the bottom floor of their new building and lived upstairs.

By 1932 the wooden building had been torn down and Al Leissner assumed the Texaco dealership that same year. Leissner ran the Texaco station until 1945 when he sold it to Al Schnabel.
NB is fortunate to have such an obvious center of town like Main Plaza, one that is recognizable and incidentally hard to navigate. That indeed makes it memorable. Remember, July 4th celebration  at the Plaza at 9:15 a.m.

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Now everybody sing:

“You better watch out, you better not pout,

Join us at Weihnachtsmarkt Nov. 18-20 and help the Sophienburg Museum and Archives keep alive the history of the settlement of New Braunfels.

More about Weihnachtsmarkt…

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There is something really magical about the Christmas season and especially in New Braunfels, with its rich history and traditions. The stage is set when the Main Plaza lights are turned on. There are several Christmas events sponsored by the Sophienburg, so you know they are going to have something to do with history.

Weihnachtsmarkt

Sophienburg’s money-making event that allows the doors to stay open, is Weihnachtsmarkt. That long word means “Christmas Market”. The Sophienburg brings exciting shopping for Christmas gifts to Comal Countians. Every year that event at the Civic Center is more than a shopping experience, it really is a place to meet friends, to eat German food, to shop for unusual gifts and to really get into the Christmas spirit.

As I listened to the plans for this year’s market, I realized that Weihnachtsmarkt is also a great art experience. Yes, just like last year, the artists in the group that volunteer to decorate have created an artistic experience not to be forgotten. In other words, when you go to Weihnachtsmarkt, you experience interesting shopping plus a side effect of an artistic experience or if you go to see the art, you have a side effect of shopping. The decoration committee, headed by Beverley Wigley and Donna Debner, plus about 75 helpers, have chosen the theme this year to be “The Nativity”. Talk about an appropriate theme for Christmas, they have it! The Nativity is the traditional iconic Christmas symbol. About 300 volunteers put on the event. Besides the decorating, there’s the Sophienburg’s prime shopping booth, Sophie’s Shop that so many volunteers are involved in.

Nativity

The origin of the Nativity has many different interpretations but many historians claim that the birth date of Jesus Christ was adopted as December 25^th in the fourth century. For two centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ, His birth was considered unimportant, for at that time, only death dates were recognized. Also because Christ was considered divine, a natural birth was played down. Supposedly sometime along the way, the church legitimized Dec. 25 as the date of Christ’s birth to compete with the Roman holiday, “Natalis Solis Invicti”, a popular Roman celebration that honored the birth of their sun god of agriculture on that date.

The Church officially recognized Dec. 25 as the Nativity of Christ and it became a day of holy prayer by celebrating a “Christ Mass”. The name stuck as “Christmas”. When the Roman emperor, Constantine, united his emperorship with the Church, he declared Christianity to be the state religion in the year 354 A.D. Not only Christ’s death was emphasized, but also his birth. December 25th became the Nativity, a holy day, or holiday.

At the Weihnachtsmarkt, different interpretations of the Nativity theme will be carried out throughout the building. The stage is the main focus of the Nativity decorations. Two giant arches with scenes depicting the Nativity are surrounded by fir trees. Between the two arches are life-sized mannequins of Joseph, Mary and the Christ Child. Sophie’s Café is located in front of the stage where shoppers may sit and enjoy German food. Each of these tables are decorated with a different Nativity and these centerpieces are for sale.

Scherenschnitte and strudel

Several other features this year are Santa’s Workshop for children where a child can take a “selfie” of him or herself with Santa. A new activity called “Schnitt & Strudel” is being offered. Enjoy eating strudel and coffee and learn the art of paper cutting, Scherenschnitte, taught by Betty Spain. She has created a whole Christmas tree of Scherenschnitte ornaments. There is a $15 fee and everything is furnished. Call the Sophienburg 830-629-1572 for times and reservations. Strudel will be enjoyed during the class. Strudel recipes actually go back to early Austria, but strudel is a descendant of the Turkish Baklava pastry, introduced into Austria in 1453. New Braunfelsers know about strudel.

Lindheimer decorates for Christmas

Up on the hill, in keeping with the Lindheimer exhibit, decorations are “au natural”. Would Lindheimer have decorated with glitz and glitter? No way. For months the volunteers, mostly the collection ladies, under the direction of Keva Boardman, have been collecting nature’s fine decorations – acorns, berries, wood, leaves, bird’s nests, butterfly wings, honeycomb and Spanish moss. Decorations throughout the museum with garland and wreaths take you back in time. They are doing their best to make Ferdinand Lindheimer, the naturalist, feel at home. I found this rather interesting: Keva Boardman accepts these natural materials and then puts them in the freezer. It is not wise to introduce bugs and spiders into a museum.

St. Nikolaus

St. Nikolaus will be at the Sophienburg again on Dec. 5. St. Nikolaus is thought to be the forerunner of our modern Santa Claus. Like other old legends, there are many variations of the St. Nikolaus story. He was from Turkey and in the 4^th century entered the seminary. He soon became the Bishop of Myra, Asia Minor, and won many converts. Because of his popularity, the Romans imprisoned him. Finally, the new emperor, Constantine, released him from prison and even made him a church council member. Because of his generosity, he became the patron saint of children in several countries. During the Protestant Reformation, St. Nikolaus was banished from most European countries. The Dutch made him the protector of sailors and began the tradition of children filling wooden shoes with treats. Americans went from wooden shoes to leather shoes to long socks, even stretchable panty hose. In American New England, where the Dutch settled, they spelled St. Nicholas “Sint Nikolass” which, with time, became “Sinterklass” and finally Santa Claus.

Clement Moore wrote the poem, “The Night Before Christmas” and he described St. Nicholas as a little man in a red robe with a belly that “shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.” This description contradicted the vision of a tall stately man in a red Bishop’s robe trimmed in fur with a long white beard as described before.

Then cartoonist Thomas Nast drew a picture of what he thought Santa looked like for Harper’s Weekly in 1881. Nast’s picture definitely put on weight. He looked like the Santa of today. Our St. Nick at the Sophienburg is a combination of several versions, although he does wear a hooded red robe trimmed with animal fur and has a long beard. Our Nikolaus speaks only German and hollers out to the children, “Kannst du beden?” or “Can you pray”? and without even understanding what he said, the wide-eyed children say, “Yes, I can pray”. Early St. Nick stories were brought to New Braunfels with the immigrants. Come to think of it, so did Lindheimer and so did the idea of the Christmas Market, Weihnachtsmarkt. See you there.

Time: Market – Nov. 20 th, 10 to 5, Nov. 21^st, 10 to 6, Nov. 22^nd, 10 to 5

Place: New Braunfels Convention Center, 380 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, Texas

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You have to admit that in South Texas it’s sometimes hard to get in the Christmas spirit. Where is the snow and the one-horse open sleigh, ho, ho, ho? The Sophienburg Museum and Archives tries its best to create the Christmas atmosphere in the Civic Center during its fund-raising Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market).

Every year for the last 25 years, the decorating committee would strive to decorate with something a little bit different and this year they hit the jackpot. Both of the halls will be decorated as usual, but look at the small ballroom stage! Donna and Cody Debner and Beverly and Clark Wigley came up with the idea for decorating the stage behind Sophie’s Café with something that they knew a great deal about. They would create a miniature Neuremburg Christkindlesmarkt.

The Debners and the Wigleys met in Germany in 1977 when both husbands were in the Air Force. The two couples traveled together in the early 2000s and Christmas markets were their favorite destination, particularly in Neuremburg. Christmas markets go way back in Germany and the Neuremburg Market started in 1628. All kinds of craftsmen brought their goods to the market to sell and over the years the market moved to various places. In 1933 it moved to the Main Market Square in the town.

During WWII there was no market held in Neuremburg. It was one of the most bombed- out areas in Germany, but after the war in 1948, the custom was revived and held in the destroyed Old Town among the ruins. Even today, each vendor creates a small area with a red and white striped awning over it. The red and white awnings are actually the colors of the flag of the city of Neuremburg.

The stage at the Civic Center will be adorned with large examples of German Folk Art called Schwibbögen. Perhaps you have seen these arches and didn’t know what they were. Here’s the explanation:

In the Erzgebirge Mountains (Ore Mountains), on the border with Czechoslovakia, is an area of silver and iron mines. A long-standing tradition of that area is construction of small arches to put in windows of the homes. These arches were made of iron and contained seven candles across the arch. The tradition of these objects in the windows was to welcome home the miners at Christmas. The light of the candles represented the only time that work stopped for the miners and so it was a happy time.

As the miners made their way through the snow, they were welcomed home by these candle-lit arches. During Christmas, large Schwibbögen are set up in churches and public buildings. They are decorated with many scenes such as the Nativity, family, hunters, houses and German scenery. For many years the Schwibbögen were hand carved of a very soft wood. Some of them are painted, but most are left to the natural beauty of the wood.

There will be two Schwibbögen five feet tall and nine feet wide on the stage with a traditional Christmas tree between the two. This tree will be decorated with candles (electric) and German straw ornaments. The Germans are not the only people who claim that they originated the Christmas tree, although Martin Luther is the person who has gotten the most credit. The story is that he looked at the night star-filled sky and decided to decorate his indoor tree with candles representing the stars. It seems that the only prerequisite for a Christmas tree is that it has to still be green in December. When the immigrants came to New Braunfels and were looking around for a green tree, preferably a fir tree, they found the cedar. What do we find now? An artificial tree, mostly green, but sometimes even pink. In the late 1800s Sears and Roebuck offered artificial Christmas trees sold by the number of limbs, 33 limbs for $.50 and 55 limbs for $1.00.

Are you familiar with the Weihnachtspyramiden (Christmas pyramid)? It is a reasonable facsimile of a Christmas tree made of finely carved wood with candles at the base that make the top spin. These were quite popular when trees were brought inside. They are beautiful works of art and most are very expensive.

The Schwibbögen on the stage will be left in their original wood and decorated with a wintry mountain scene in Germany. Quaint miniature houses will overlook a festively decorated Christmas market complete with red and white awnings. The arches were designed and drawn by Wilfred Schlather and constructed and decorated by the Wigleys and Debners. Schlather is a devoted volunteer at the Sophienburg besides writing a book about the Civil War in Comal County. It can be purchased at Sophie’s Shop.

The tables in Sophie’s Café in front of the stage allows one to sit and rest, eat German food, and then get up and shop again. The lantern centerpieces decorated by Donna Debner can be purchased at Sophie’s Shop.

Weihnachtsmarkt is organized by the staff at the Sophienburg with Linda Dietert as Executive Director. Hundreds of volunteers give of their time and hundreds contribute, but the Museum and Archives needs you to help their large mission of keeping history alive in New Braunfels.

Weihnachtsmarkt is the largest money-making event that the Sophienburg has. Other fundraisers are the Sophie’s Shop at Wurstfest and a brand new upcoming event on Februray 28, 2015. It is called “Braunfest” on the grounds of the Sophienburg. Watch for details of this new event.

Weihnachtsmark will open its doors at 10 a.m. this Friday and will run through Sunday. Even if it’s 90 degrees outside, you will immediately get that cold winter feeling.

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