Beginning this Thursday through Saturday, we will be celebrating all kinds of events in historic New Braunfels.

To begin with, at the Sophienburg, the annual St. Nicholas Abend will once again be a winner for young children and their parents. This is an old custom brought over from Germany. Here’s how it works: The children are brought to the Sophienburg by a parent or two and there they will be told the story of St. Nicholas. Suddenly St. Nick arrives and he tells them to be good (which is not a bad idea). St. Nick doesn’t look like Santa Claus in his burlap outfit. This has always been confusing to children because even the children’s songs mix Santa and St. Nick customs. Those who have practiced this tradition at home hang up a stocking on Dec. 5 and miraculously candy, fruit and nuts arrive by morning. The child then knows that they have been good. If the child has a lump of coal or a switch in the stocking, they have a short time to mend their ways before Christmas. There is a lesson of hope and forgiveness in the St. Nick story (maybe a little bribery).

Please RSVP to the Sophienburg. The cost is $5.00 a family.

The visit from St. Nick starts at 6:00 p.m. and so does another event downtown. It is Wassailfest. Although it has not been a historical event here in NB, the annual event is on its way to becoming one. The downtown is closed off to traffic, the stores are open and the wassail drink is free and everywhere people vote for their favorite wassail.

There is something fun about walking down the middle of San Antonio St. and Seguin Ave. Our wonderful downtown Christmas lights are on and music is everywhere adding to the festive atmosphere. By the way, parents, it’s a short walk from the Sophienburg to downtown.

Supposedly the first time “wassail” appearing in literature was in the 8^th century poem, “Beowulf”. The word wassail was a greeting and came from Old English “waes hael” meaning “be well”. Whoever was Lord of the English manor shouted “wael hael” and the crowd shouted “drinc hael”, meaning “drink well”.

Over time, the wassail tradition changed to door to door visitation. The visitors would receive hot spiced ale in return for Christmas money.

Two wassail customs that don’t have anything to do with our Wassailfest are “Lambs Wool” and “Apple Tree” celebrations. The Lambs wool has to do with what is put in the wassail – sugar, spices, eggs, cream and pieces of toast. Supposedly the floating toast looked like the wool of lambs. At the Apple Tree celebration, the crowd would throw wassail at the tree to ensure that it would produce apples.

And then, “Let’s Remember Pearl Harbor” on Saturday, Dec. 7. St. Paul Lutheran Church and the New Braunfels Conservation Society are presenting a program to the public entitled “Life in New Braunfels During World War II”. Conservation Executive Director Martha Rehler says to meet at 5:00 p.m. at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Martin on Loop 337. Grounds will be open at 4:30 for a tour of the church and cemetery, and listen to a string ensemble by the 36^th Infantry Division Band, Texas Army National Guard.

Then move on to Conservation Plaza where a flag raising ceremony will take place and the 36^th Infantry Division Band will play a tribute to veterans. At 7:00 p.m. the NB Gemischte Chor Harmony will sing favorite German music.

A display of items from WWII will be featured in Forke Store. A special program will feature recorded memories of the late Lorenz Bading as he was recently interviewed about the war and the 36^th Division Band. He talks about his personal experiences during the war. The whole program is free of charge.

Here in New Braunfels, as in all of America, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a wake-up call to a war that had been going on in the rest of the world for at least two years. I’m speculating that German communities like NB were even more affected by WWII because most citizens were less than 100 years from that homeland. They were horrified and surprised at what was happening in Germany. In 1942, I was in the fifth grade at Lamar School. I remember asking my mother, “Am I a German?” to which she answered, “No, you are an American.” That was that.

New Braunfels went all out showing patriotism in many ways. The buying of defense bonds was one of the ways. Even school children bought 10 cent stamps and collected them in a book. We had a Service Center in New Braunfels that provided entertainment for servicemen on week-ends. It was located on the Plaza in the old Eisenberg Furniture Store that actually belonged to Harry Landa. Dances were held on the week-ends, and servicemen were welcome at all times. Upstairs were cots that the servicemen could sleep on. NB was so close to the bases in San Antonio that this center and Landa Park became favorite hang-outs.

Both adults and children helped the war effort by collecting scrap iron. Schools in Texas became part of the Junior Texas Rangers, a group responsible for the collecting. Locally the New Braunfels schools collected 322,873 pounds of scrap metal and the rural schools collected 186,711 pounds. Over 9,000 pounds alone were collected from the four farms and ranches of Albert Pfeuffer, Ernst Karbach, Millie Karbach and John Karbach. Post 179 of the American Legion gave up its cannons, machine guns, German helmets, shell cases, all of which were relics of WWI. In Comal County there were 1,491 men and women who served in the armed services. Thirty eight of them never returned.

The post Not to miss holiday events appeared first on Sophienburg Museum and Archives.

[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Video_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget]

By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

When New Braunfels turned one hundred years old in 1945, the U.S. was entering into its fourth year of World War II. Everything went to support the war effort, resulting in rationing of goods to the general consumer. Sales of new cars were restricted, and the speed limit was reduced to 35 mph to save gasoline (and you thought 55 mph was bad). People were required to present ration stamps for the purchase of things we use every day, including sugar, meat, butter, cheese, canned foods, and shoes. Even more difficult to come by, penicillin. Needless to say, there was no birthday party that year.

Come 1946, it was a different story! New Braunfels celebrated everything — the end of the war, the boys being home, and the belated centennial of the founding, all in a three-day extravaganza May 10-12. There was even a bonus celebration, the centennial of the city charter. Texas was a republic when New Braunfels was founded in 1845. Once Texas became a state, New Braunfels received her charter of incorporation as a precinct of Bexar County in May 1846. In August, Comal County was carved out.

In the weeks before the celebrations began, New Braunfels was transformed. Buildings and homes all along the parade route were decorated with red, white and blue bunting and freshly cut cedar garland. Patriotic banners were strung across the streets of downtown welcoming the more than 50,000 paradegoers. On the west end of the Main Plaza, the Centennial Committee had constructed a log cabin resembling the original government building named “Sophienburg” by Prince Carl. It was quite an attraction and made a dandy information and registration booth. Bleachers were set up in front of the courthouse for the honored pioneers and descendants with a reviewing stand just across the way.

The grand events began Friday on Main Plaza. Honored guests were marched from the Faust Hotel behind the Texas A&M College Band. It was estimated that more than 10,000 people gathered for a Welcome Home Party, where the public was invited to meet and greet the returned veterans, the pioneers (yes, there were some still around) and descendants of pioneers. Cases of bottled soda water were iced down for the crowd in front of the courthouse. The official opening of the Centennial Celebration was signaled by seven cannon salutes. The Honorable Coke Stevenson, governor of Texas, delivered a speech praising the spirit of the pioneers. Guests were then treated to an hour-long concert by the one hundred-piece Texas A&M College Band. The music of the garden party continued into the night, with dancing beginning at 10 p.m.

On Saturday morning, in what could be called a great Chamber-of-Commerce move, the businesses and industries of New Braunfels opened their doors for a public open house. There were also sightseeing tours to all points of interest in and around the city. At the same time, the Sophienburg Museum Garden was the site of a special program honoring early settlers and descendants of early settlers. As the day moved on, a late season norther blew in with dark clouds threatening the day’s list of activities. The fall-like weather did not seem to bother the visitors, the kids dressed as cowboys, Indians, clowns, Mexican vaqueros or their parents that lined up for the Kindermasken Parade. Area papers claimed that at least 500 children were expected to be in the parade to carry on the tradition of their parents and grandparents. At 2:30 that afternoon, the Centennial Children’s Parade stepped off behind the Texas A&M College Band. I wonder how many of those boys eventually became a member of that band. As it had for years, the parade began at the Academy Street Gym, winding its way through town, around the plaza and all the way into Landa Park for barbecue and band concerts. The biggest hit of the three-day celebration seemed to be the Comanche Indians. Special guests of the Centennial Committee, Chief Baldwin Parker, son of Quanah Parker and Cynthia Ann Parker, and members of the Comanche tribe traveled from Oklahoma. They camped in Landa Park the whole time, staying in teepees and performing authentic tribal dances at events each of the three days. My dad, who was about 12 at the time, told me about Indians being in Landa Park, but he could not remember why. This explains it. The second day ended with the Grand Centennial Fireworks, a band concert by the American Legion Band and dancing in the park.

Sunday’s festivities began in churches throughout town, with special memorial services honoring pioneer mothers and those who made the supreme sacrifice in service to our country. After church, everybody headed out to Landa Park for a huge centennial barbecue before the parade. The Grand Centennial Historical parade, began promptly at 3 p.m., and depicted the history and progress of the city over the past 100 years. Led by Grand Marshall R. R. Coreth on a milk-white steed, the parade contained 37 floats and 20 other entries, including gray-bearded Spanish-American War veterans and early pioneers, followed by the young ex-servicemen of WorldWar II. The floats were beautifully decorated, depicting early schools, churches, pioneer life and local industries The Dittlinger float had a cage of live chickens. There were ox-drawn wagons and beautiful palomino horses. There was marching music from one end to the other with the 36th Division National Guard Band, the Austin American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps, New Braunfels High School Band, and the Southwest Texas State Teachers College Band (now Texas State University). The brisk wind and light sprinkles failed to dampen the spirit of the participants or the estimated 50,000 spectators. The evening closed out with a concert at Seele Parish House followed by Centennial Dances in Landa Park as well as various halls around town. It was quite a celebration, unrivaled by any held before. And as the old society columns used to say, “A good time was had by all.”

Bring your pioneering spirit to the Kindermasken Parade followed by the 175th Anniversary Founders’ Day Parade. See you there!

Coronavirus Update: In the interest of health, safety and an abundance of caution all 175th-hosted events scheduled for March 14-22, 2020, celebrating the 175th Founding of New Braunfels have been postponed to September/early fall 2020. The rescheduled events are highlighted in the Since 1845 Calendar.

---

Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives

The post One hundred years and one to grow on appeared first on Sophienburg Museum and Archives.

At 11:00am on November 11, 1918, the fighting ended. Bells tolled around the world to mark the end of the Great War.  Over 4.7 million Americans stepped up to serve in uniform between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918. Two million of them were deployed overseas and 116,516 of them never made it home. Over 5,100 of these casualties were Texans. Today, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Bells of Peace will toll 21 times to commemorate the truce between the Allies of WWI and Germany, honoring those who died in service. Conceived and designed in collaboration with the nation’s veterans of service with the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the bell tolling provides a solemn reminder of the sacrifice and service of veterans of World War I, and all veterans.  Bells will be tolled in communities across the nation, in places of worship, schools, town halls, public carillons, and cemeteries, to mark the centennial of the Armistice that brought an end to hostilities, in what Americans fervently hoped had been “The War to End All Wars.”   This nationwide program is designed to honor those American men and women who served one hundred years ago, during WWI.

The Sophienburg Museum & Archives, in collaboration with the Texas WWI Centennial Commission presented “War Stories: New Braunfels in World War I” an exhibit depicting how New Braunfels’ uniquely German character compelled its citizens to respond with fervor once America was at war with Germany. On view in the exhibit are artifacts from the Sophienburg’s rich collections  — posters, photographs, uniforms and other historical objects to showcase events, individuals and ideology during 1914 – 1919, as well as touch on the lasting impact of The Great War. Although today marks the end of the Centennial Commemoration, the War Stories: New Braunfels in WWI exhibit will continue until January 1.

This column, Around the Sophienburg, is so named because we try to share the little details of history offering a glimpse of people’s lives in early New Braunfels. Not just about the Prince or the first founders, but of the real everyday people who fished or taught children or joined the military or ran a business… well, you get the picture. We follow the threads and solve the mysteries that beg to be solved – lying in wait on the shelves of the collection. It is not often I use this space to toot our own horn, but just for today, that changes. For the benefit of all those new to New Braunfels and those who have “lived here all their lives but never knew the Sophienburg Museum was here”, this column is for you.

On October 8, 2018, the Sophienburg Museum & Archives celebrated 85 years of preserving the history of our founders and all that has come after. In 1928, a group of civic minded citizens began the community fundraising drive to build a history museum. They were able to obtain the hilltop portion of the property originally owned by the Adelsverein. They built a rock museum in the image of a fortress on the very site where Prince Carl had built the first log government building naming it Sophienburg (Fort Sophie) in honor of his bride back in Germany. The community grew and prospered due to the determination of the settlers. That determination is deeply embedded in who we are as a community. Imagine where Boston would be if they hadn’t embraced the tea party in the hArtwork by arbor or Boston son Paul Revere? That’s why we protect our history so fiercely.

Everyone should know these basic tenets about New Braunfels:

1. it is the only known city in the USA to be founded by (as in stepped foot on the property, not just named for) a Prince.
2. as the first German colony on the way to West Texas, it is basically the Gateway to the Hillcountry
3. it was once the 4th largest city in Texas!

But there is so much more…um, I digress.

The Sophienburg Museum & Archives, a non-profit benefitting from memberships, donatons, grants and fundraisers. Following our Mission, our fundraisers focus on preserving and sharing the traditions of our heritage: Sophie’s Shop booth at Wurstfest and Weihnachtsmarkt. Just like Wurstfest, Sophie’s Shop is synonymous with German tradition, selling German ornaments and little pieces of German culture to tie people to the heritage and ancestry of our fair city. Today marks the last day of the best “Ten Day Salute to Sausage” ever, but tomorrow we pack up our Prince Carl and move our Christmas wares over to New Braunfels Convention & Civic Center , where in three days time the huge space is converted by a hundred volunteers into a magical market place — Weihnachtsmarkt! Pronounced Vy-noks-markt, this New Braunfels tradition offers the charm of open-air Christmas markets of Germany, with a Texas twist. Enjoy Gemütlichkeit and fun at this three-day market supporting history education and preservation through the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. Shop over sixty merchants and artisans with unique German collectibles and ornaments, holiday decorations, apparel, jewelry & gifts. Spend time with friends – make it a date. Parking is free. New Braunfels Civic Center. Market hours: 10 -5 Friday, 10-6 Saturday & 11-5 Sunday. For more information call the museum at (830) 629-1572 or check our website at www.sophienburg.com

This is the 30th Weihnachtsmarkt supporting the museums operations, preservation of historic artifacts and documents and educational programming. It’s a great shopping experience to benefit the preservation of our wonderful city’s 173 years of history.

Oh – and continuing the German Christmas traditions in December, St. Nick stops by the museum on December 5th to make sure the children are on their best behavior. Bring your children and grandchildren to learn the Legend of St. Nickolaus.

Sources:

• Texas Centennial Commemoration Committee
• Sophienburg Museum & Archives

The post World War I Centennial and Weihnachtsmarkt appeared first on Sophienburg Museum and Archives.

What’s going on at the Hill? The Sophienburg Hill, that is. Busy, busy. There is constant change by collecting, restoring, repurposing, categorizing, identifying, and just about all of those “ing” words.

Probably the biggest change in the museum itself is the closing of the year-long Lindheimer exhibit and preparation for a new exhibit. The Ferdinand Lindheimer exhibit had a great response from garden clubs, school children, and other botanists. You know of course, that Lindheimer was called the “Father of Texas Botany.” Now over 1,000 third graders in the NBISD and CISD have been exposed to that fact.

The whole exhibit was under the direction of Keva Boardman, program director at the Sophienburg. All of those third graders not only came to visit the exhibit but they were given a deck of cards with Lindheimer’s picture on the pack and cards on the inside that had some pictures and stories that related to him or botany. This memorial souvenir was a gift from volunteers that believe in the project and I’m sure these cards will be shared with the child’s family. Records show that people visited the exhibit from all over Texas and several universities.

We’re sort of sorry to get rid of Lindheimer but we’ll just put him to sleep for a while. The next exhibit will definitely not put you to sleep. It’s called “Jump In” like the advertisement for the New Braunfels tourist trade so often used. Jump In is an exhibit of early bathing suits, particularly from around the 1920s, a time when bathing suits became a little more fashionable and less functional.

The exhibit is from the Sophienburg collection and many, many photographs of New Braunfels residents will be on display. You will know many of these bathing beauties. The purpose of the exhibit is to show changes in styles and really show how important swimming was and is in New Braunfels on the Comal and the Guadalupe. Watch for a June opening of the exhibit.

Another change in the museum is the merchandise in Sophie’s Shop which is a very popular stop for visitors. Sophie’s Shop has the largest collection of books about New Braunfels, Comal County, and its people anywhere in town. After moving out the Christmas merchandise, springtime predominates. There are many gift items for very young children and babies. Don’t forget the shirts proclaiming that “In Neu Braunfels ist das Leben Schon.”

Another year has passed and the Sophienburg is proud to announce the winner of the Myra Lee Adams Goff History Scholarship writing contest. This year’s talented writer is Marissa Young, a senior at New Braunfels High School. Her essay was chosen from about 40 entries. The rule for winning the $500 scholarship is to write a 500-word essay relating to anything about New Braunfels or Comal County history.

Marissa chose to write about her great-uncle, Nayo Zamora. She tells about his life and about his political involvement in the 1960s-80s dealing with the imbalance of racial composition in the New Braunfels schools. Marissa is very proud of the accomplishments of her great-uncle and I’m sure he would be proud of her. She is a real scholar and will begin her education in the field of medicine this fall.

You all know about the involvement of Prince Carl with Sophienburg Hill. It was his site of choice to build a fort to protect the settlers with his cannons. And it was in his mind to be the site of a castle for his fiancé still in Germany. On the Sophienburg Hill are historic buildings, some remodeled, and some repurposed. Because of this historic Sophienburg Hill significance to New Braunfels, the Sophienburg Museum and Archives Association has made the decision to pursue a Texas Historical Marker for this site. John and Cindy Coers with the Comal County Historical Commission are researching the history of all of the buildings on the property.

Originally on the hill property there was a log house and several small buildings used for Prince Carl’s headquarters. This building actually bit the dust in 1886 with the big hurricane that also destroyed Indianola. Pictures show that it was well on its way to falling down long before the hurricane.

In the late 1920s, the H. Dittlinger family made a trip to Germany and received a gift of a portrait of Prince Carl. The purpose of the gift was that it be hung in a museum in New Braunfels. Back in NB there was no museum so Mrs. Dittlinger volunteered to keep the portrait until a museum on Sophienburg Hill could become a reality.

A committee was formed to organize the Sophienburg Memorial Museum. Over the years, the hill property had been divided and sold several times and finally Mrs. Johanna Runge, the last owner, sold the property to the association for $5,025 to build a museum.

A rock building on the corner of Academy and Coll Sts. was built and completed in 1933. Eventually the Sophienburg Museum and Archives outgrew this building and then purchased the New Braunfels City Hall on Seguin St. The archives moved in the old city hall but the museum part remained in the rock building on the hill.

Another building that is on the hill property is the Emmie Seele Faust Library at the corner of Coll and Magazine Sts. This building is being nominated for historic designation by the Comal County Historic Commission and being researched by Wilfred and Marlena Schlather and Rosa Linda delaCerda.

In 1928 the New Braunfels Public Library Association was formed. Books were collected in the “small” Landa house on the plaza. The next move was to the Eiband property at 174 E. San Antonio St. In 1938, the Sophienburg Association donated land on Sophienburg Hill for the site of a public library. The library contents were moved into a small area of the 1933 Sophienburg Museum until the new library could be built.

Emmie Seele Faust donated over $7,000 to build the library on Sophienburg Hill that became the Emmie Seele Faust Memorial Library. It was the primary library in town until 1967, when the city built the Dittlinger Memorial Library on adjacent property. The library remained there until the city built the library on Common St. in 1999. The city then donated the Dittlinger Library building to the Sophienburg. It was remodeled and became the new home of the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. The original 1933 museum still stands on the Sophienburg Hill property and is now the home of the collections.

The old Emmie Seele Faust Library building was remodeled in 2001 to serve as a public meeting room.

Groups of people working together on projects are very important to the Sophienburg. For example, the collection ladies are always busy working on some project. A new group headed by Estella and Robert Farias are rounding up friends and researching Hispanic history in NB. Robert Morales uses the Microfiche to find information on old Hispanic history; John Serda is a Vietnam veteran obtaining military veteran’s information using the Sophienburg database; Elvira Villarreal is working on the Herald obituaries for Hispanic genealogy; and David Rutherford is researching the West End baseball teams.

The Sophienburg welcomes and could not exist without its volunteers. There’s always some collecting, restoring, repurposing, categorizing, and identifying to do.

The post Collecting, restoring, repurposing, categorizing, and identifying at the Sophienburg appeared first on Sophienburg Museum and Archives.