Der Stadt Friedhof
Encyclopedia
Der Stadt Friedhof is a pioneer cemetery established in 1846 along Barons Creek on the corner of East Schubert Street and Lee Street, in Fredericksburg, Texas
. It is the oldest known cemetery within Fredericksburg and is the final resting place for many of the original German colonists who arrived when John O. Meusebach
opened up the area to settlement.
epidemics many people were buried in mass graves. Rather than being grouped in family plots, the deceased have been buried in chronological order according to when they died. The oldest readable grave marker is dated 1849. Many of the tombstones are written in German.
The graves in Der Stadt Friedhof are noted for their artistic carvings and sculptures. What is possibly the last known work of sculptress Elisabet Ney
, that of a tousled haired cherub
resting over a grave and known as the 1906 Schnerr Memorial, can be found at Der Stadt Friedhof .
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
. It is the oldest known cemetery within Fredericksburg and is the final resting place for many of the original German colonists who arrived when John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas Senate, District 22.-Early years:John O...
opened up the area to settlement.
Background
When Herman Wilke laid out the town, a plot of land was set aside for the cemetery. The various denominations who worshiped in the Vereins Kirche were responsible for cemetery maintenance. In 1850, the Catholics broke away and started their own church, establishing their own cemetery, now known as the Old Pioneer Cemetery. There are upwards of 5,000 graves in Der Stadt Friedhof, not all of them currently marked, many unidentifiable due to the passage of time. Some of the graves had only wooden markers which rotted in time, and some graves were obliterated whenever Barons Creek overflowed its banks. During choleraCholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemics many people were buried in mass graves. Rather than being grouped in family plots, the deceased have been buried in chronological order according to when they died. The oldest readable grave marker is dated 1849. Many of the tombstones are written in German.
The graves in Der Stadt Friedhof are noted for their artistic carvings and sculptures. What is possibly the last known work of sculptress Elisabet Ney
Elisabet Ney
Franzisca Bernadina Wilhelmina Elisabeth Ney was a celebrated German-born sculptor who spent the first half of her life and career in Europe, producing sculpted works of famous leaders such as Otto von Bismarck, Giuseppe Garibaldi and King George V of Hanover...
, that of a tousled haired cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
resting over a grave and known as the 1906 Schnerr Memorial, can be found at Der Stadt Friedhof .
Notable burials in Der Stadt Friedhof
- Joseph Wilson Baines (1846–1906) Grandfather of Lyndon Baines Johnson
- Ruth Ament Huffman Baines (1854–1936) Grandmother of Lyndon Baines Johnson
- Thomas C Doss (1822–1873), co-founder of Doss, TexasDoss, TexasDoss is an unincorporated farming and ranching community at the crossroads juncture of FM 783 and FM 648 in northwestern Gillespie County, Texas, United States. It is 19 miles NW of Fredericksburg and 14 miles NW of Harper. Postal zip code is 78618. Elevation is 1729 feet.*The U.S...
- Amanda Julia Estill (1882–1965) Educator, writer, and folklorist
- Lieutenant Louis J. JordanLouis Jordan (American football)Louis John Jordan was an American football player. He played for the University of Texas from 1911 to 1914 and was the first Texas Longhorns player to be selected as an All-American. Jordan was killed by German artillery while serving in France during World War I...
(1890–1918) First Texan killed in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Football player for the Texas LonghornsTexas Longhorns footballThe Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
. The Louis Jordan Post of the American LegionAmerican LegionThe American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
in Fredericksburg is named in his honor. - Hugo Emil Klaerner (1908–1982) Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
pitcher - John Peter Tatsch (1822–1907) Master cabinet maker. Tatsch's work is prized by collectors of Texas primitive furniture. His home is listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey of the United States Department of the Interior and its plans placed in the Library of Congress
Signers of petition to create Gillespie County buried in Der Stadt Friedhof
- Daniel Arhelger (1821–1909)
- Jacob Arhelger (1817–1894)
- Henry S.W. Basse (1804–1865) (School examiner)
- Johann Wolfgang Brautigam (1829–1884) (Murdered at Fort Martin Scott)
- Johann H. Dietz (1800–1891)
- Wilhelm Feller (1826–1864)
- Johann Heinrich Rudolph Habenicht (1826–1903)
- Hermann Fritz Hitzfeld (1803–1857)
- John M. Hunter (1821–1870) (Gillespie County Clerk)
- Heinrich Jordan (1812–1879) (County Commissioner)
- Ludwig Jung (1828–1908)
- Friedrich Kiehne Sr. (1811–1898)
- Friedrich Lochte (1809–1867)
- Louis (Ludwig) MartinLouis (Ludwig) MartinLouis Martin was with the first settlers to Fredericksburg, Texas. He was the first sheriff of Gillespie County, and also served as District Clerk of the county...
(1820–1864) (First sheriff of Gillespie County) - Johann Nicholas Mosel (1828–1904)
- Heinrich Mueller Sr. (1826–1915)
- Jacob Neffendorf (1821–1910)
- Charles Henry NimitzCharles Henry NimitzCharles Henry Nimitz was a German merchant seaman, as was his father before him. He was the grandfather of, and role model for, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. In 1852, he built the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas, United States. The hotel he built now houses the National Museum of the...
(1826–1911) (Grandfather of Fleet Admiral Chester NimitzChester NimitzFleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
) - Peter Schandua (1816–1896)
- Emil Heinrich Wahrmund Sr. (1828–1901)
- William Daniel Ferdinand Wahrmund (1824–1890) (Gillespie County Chief Justice)
- Johnann Jacob "John" Weber (1831–1913)
See also
- History of Fredericksburg, TexasHistory of Fredericksburg, TexasThe History of Fredericksburg, Texas dates back to its founding in 1846. It was named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Fredericksburg is also notable as the home of Texas German, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English...
- Petitioners to Create Gillespie County, Texas