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By SUSAN FLYNT ENGLANDStaff WriterIt would make a great mini-series. Or a sweeping historical novel. “Sesquicen-tennial.”One hundred fifty years ago a wealthy, eccentric German, Prince Carl Solms, left his opulent castle in Braunfels, Germany to start a new life in the promised land — the Texas Hill Country.Prince Carl brought 439 “ansiedlers” (settlers) with him in wooden brigs. From their portage in Indianola they traveled overland to the GuadalupeApril 14. Most of New Braunfels, Texas, and a good portion of Braunfels, Germany came to cheer their arrival.“The citizens of New Braunfels and if fels are related to each other by er fecial bonds, namely family. 01 said Dieter Schmidt, burger-tne of Braunfels, Germany. He and . j'i others flew from Braunfels, Germany, to New Braunfels, Texas, to add old world pomp and circumstance to Sesquicentennial Week thati’m just pleased that we’ve made a real mark that might be remembered for a few years.’River. The Guadalupe and nearby Comal Springs had drawn people to the area for at least 11,000 years.Frontier life proved too rough for the prince, but the ansiedlers settled.Today, German is still one of three languages spoken in New Braunfels. Names like “Henne,” “Doeppen-schmidt” and “Vollbrecht” fill the phone book and identify local businesses. Up to 100,000 tourists visit each fall to eat sausage, drink beer and dance the German “chicken dance” at Wurstfest.Throughout 1995 the 27,000 NewBraunfelsers found themselves caught up in Sesquicentennial celebrations — both “griinder” (founder) descendants and recent Yankee transplants.Modem New Braunfelsers can now drive to where the firgt German set-ttiers landed in an afternoon. Some of them chose to celebrate the Sesquicentennial by making the trip from Indianola to New Braunfels the same way their ancestors did — via hay-fueled transport. Eighty-two-year-old Monroe Henk drove the lead wagon, restored by Dr. Werner Kiesling. “Some of those people after nding a day want to give you their horse,” he said.The trail riders swung into town— Herb Skoog, Sesquicentennial Chairmanbegan as the trail riders pulled up to the Civic Center April 14.Among Prince Carl’s ansiedlers were two church congregations — one Catholic and one Protestant. They arrived at the site of the future New Braunfels on Good Friday.Those two small congregations became today’s Sts. Peter Paul Catholic Church and First Protestant United Church of Christ. “I think it’ssignificant that the first thing that happened on that day March 21, 1845, is that they observed Good Friday,” said Richard Carse, First Protestant co-pastor.Seventeen clergy and hundreds of worshippers from churches throughout New Braunfels joined for the 1995 Sesquicentennial Good Friday service. The Rev. Klaus Renfordt of Braunfels, Germany, read the invocation — first in German, then in English.A massed choir sang Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus “The choir came about because of interest on the part of the singers in the community,” said organizer Karon Haas.New Braunfels “kinder” (children) jumped into the sesqui-spmt. The Children’s Museum in New Braunfels took them to ansiedler days with hands-on exhibits. “They can play with a woodThe Sesquicentennial Trail Ride crosses the Guadalupe River April 14,1995.stove, butter chum, wash board, and ‘gather eggs’,” said Susan Williams, CMNB director.The kids molded chalk from river clay to take home. “When it dries it really wntes on the chalk board,” said Julie Swift, education/exhibits coordinator.New Braunfels gained a new landmark — a maibaum — made by members of the German Amencan Society for the Sesquicentennial. “Many villages and towns in Germany have these symbols,” society member Wilma Heberling said.Children don’t dance around a maibaum — it’s a permanent metal pole with metal figures illustrating aspects of the town’s history and culture, Heberling said.German American Society members designed and painted the 20 metal shapes highlighting 150 years of NewBraunfels history. “It was a huge undertaking,” Heberling said. “For a bunch of amateurs we’ve done all right,” member Mary Ann Seidel said.The Sesquicentennial bash Saturday, April 22, may have been visible from outer space. A three-hour parade started the day at 9 a.m. Landa Park seethed into the night with bands, games and celebrations. Lunch in Landa Park amounted to a barbecue of truly Texas proportions — more than3,400 people bought tickets.The night-time Sesquicentennial party stretched into the next day in Wursthalle, where hundreds danced to counhy music.Many yearly events were dubbed “Sesquicentennial” in 1995 —Saengerfest, Maskenball, Tanzfest, Hummelfest, Wurstfest.New Braunfels closed the lid on the Sesquicentennial year Jan. 26, 1996,1CJ4The German-American Society float at the parade April 22 included local children dressed in traditional German outfits.Herb Skoog, who was in charge of organizing the Sesquicentennial celebration, puts a medallion around tne neck of Guenter Jakob, an official from Braunfels, Germany, at a ceremony outside the Civic Center.when the Sesquicentennial Time Capsule was buried. The Sesqiucentennial Committee collected artifacts, letters, school rosters, photos, and more to store in the capsule. “Whatever can be stuffed in an envelope will work, even if the envelope has to be taped shut,” said Jim Scheelc, Convention Visitors Bureau director.The high-tech steel capsule was built to withstand more than the 50 years before it is opened. “The material expands to reinforce joints and protect from external pressures,” said Greg Perkins of Senior Flexonics.The capsule was marked with a plaque and buried in front of the CivicCenter.“The end is in sight — I’m glad we made it this far,” said Herb Skoog, Sesquicentennial Chairman, who orchestrated the year-long celebration. Skoog said he couldn’t pick a favorite Sesquicentennial event.“It’s like your children — all these things take place, and you don’t love any one more than the other,” he said. “I’m just pleased that we’ve made a real mark that might be remembered for a few years.”
Newspaper Details
New Braunfels Herald Zeitung
New Braunfels, Texas, US
Sun, Mar 24, 1996
Page 30
Full Page
Clipped by
Judy Y.
TX, USA 11 Feb 2019
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