DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Anhalt Halle and the Germania Farmer Verein, out there in Comal County. Now, back in the 1850s, a small stretch of Texas Hill Country was home to a tight-knit settlement — mostly German families, farming and ranching the land, trying to carve out a life. They called it the Krause settlement, after the family whose store stood at the heart of it.
And that store would eventually hold something else: a post office. When the Anhalt Post Office opened inside the Krause store, the settlement got a new name to go with it — Anhalt. Which, in German, means stopping place.
A place where you pause. Where you rest. Where, as it turns out, some things have been going on ever since.
But let's not get too comfortable too fast, because the early years of Anhalt had a serious problem. Cattle rustling. In 1875, the German farmers and ranchers of Anhalt had had enough of watching their livestock disappear into the Texas night.
So they did what determined people do — they organized. The Germania Farmer Verein. The Germania Farmer Club.
Founded right there in Anhalt, 1875, with two clear purposes: to fight back against rustling, and to look after the widows and children of their own members if the worst should come to pass. Now, they were clever about the rustling problem. The Verein registered a club brand — a "G" on an animal's left shoulder — and any member's livestock would carry that "G" right alongside their own personal brand.
You steal one of those animals, you've got two brands to explain instead of one. That brand wasn't just registered in Comal County either. They went to Kendall, Bexar, Blanco, and Gillespie Counties.
Five counties. These folks were not playing around. In time, the rustling threat faded.
And here's where the story takes a pleasant turn. With the danger behind them, the Verein turned its attention to improving livestock, improving crops, and — maybe most importantly — planning festivals. Because what's the point of a good harvest if you can't celebrate it?
In 1879, they built Anhalt Halle. A meeting place for the Verein, and a gathering place for the whole community. And once those doors were open, the good times started rolling in a regular fashion.
The Maifest, held after spring planting. The Oktoberfest, held after the fall harvest. Work hard, then celebrate accordingly — that was the rhythm of Anhalt.
The Halle has grown over the years, additions built in stages, until it became one of the oldest and largest dance halls in all of Texas. Many notable local and national performers have played that floor. The music has changed decade to decade, but the hall keeps standing and the people keep coming.
And all of it traces back to that stopping place in the mid-1800s. The Krause settlement. The post office in the store.
The club formed out of necessity in 1875. The Halle raised in 1879. The Germania Farmer Verein has carried the German language, the music, the food, and something they call Gemütlichkeit — good times and good feelings — from one generation to the next, right on through to today.
Anhalt began as a place to stop. Turns out, once you stop there, you might just stay a while.
What the marker says
Anhalt began in the 1850s as a small, predominantly German, farming and ranching settlement. Originally known as Krause settlement, its name changed to Anhalt, meaning “stopping place,” with the opening of the Anhalt Post Office in the Krause store. The Germania Farmer Verein (Club) was organized in 1875 in Anhalt in response to cattle rustling and to provide benefits for members’ widows and children. The club brand, a “G” on an animal’s left shoulder, was placed with a member’s own brand to prevent rustling. The brand was registered in Comal, Kendall, Bexar, Blanco and Gillespie Counties. With the eventual elimination of the threat of rustling, the Verein could spend time on improving livestock and crops as well as planning social festivals. Anhalt Halle was built in 1879 as the Verein meeting place and a social gathering place. Annual festivals were held such as the Maifest (following spring planting) and Oktoberfest (following fall harvest). The dance hall, one of the oldest and largest in Texas, has increased in size with additions built in stages. Over the years, many notable local and national performers have played here. What began as a stopping place in the mid-1800s remains a popular attraction for many. Visitors to anhalt can experience the culture that was prevalent in the German Texas Hill Country. The Germania Farmer Verein has preserved many of the characteristics of the rich German heritage that has been passed from one generation to the next, from German language, music, and food to Gemütlichkeit (good times and good feelings).