DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker on Sophienburg Hill has to say — and friend, it's a story worth the stop. During the Republic of Texas period, Europeans had their eyes on this part of the world. In the 1840s, a group of German noblemen put their heads together and formed what they called the Adelsverein — the Society for the Protection of German Immigration in Texas.
Big name, big ambitions. They tapped Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels to be their first Commissioner General, and on March 21, 1845, he founded the city of New Braunfels. Now, Prince Carl had vision.
He looked up at this hill overlooking the new city and decided right then and there — that's where the fortress goes. He named it the Sophienburg, in honor of his fiancée, Princess Sophia. A fortress.
On a hill. Named for a princess. You can't make that up, and I don't have to.
Here's where it gets interesting though. A log structure did go up, serving as headquarters for the Adelsverein. But that grand fortress?
It was never built. A well was dug, storehouses went up, lodging was arranged — but the castle on the hill remained a dream. And then, just one month after founding New Braunfels, Prince Carl turned around and went back to Germany.
John O. Meusebach stepped in to succeed him as Commissioner General. The Adelsverein ran into financial trouble, and the Sophienburg hill property was sold off and divided.
The years were not kind to what remained. The buildings deteriorated, one by one, until 1886, when a storm came through and destroyed the very last of the original log structures. Gone.
Just the hill and the memory. But here's the turn. In 1933, a portion of that original Sophienburg property was purchased, and the first museum building went up — still standing today at the corner of Academy and Coll.
In 1938, the first city library was built right next to it. A second library followed in 1968. Together, those structures now house the Sophienburg Museum and its archives.
The Sophienburg Museum Association has made sure that campus keeps telling the story — German immigration, the founding of New Braunfels, and the town's growth right up to today. Prince Carl's fortress never rose from this hill. But something else did — a place that holds the memory of everyone who came and stayed and built a life here.
Turns out that matters more than any fortress ever could.
What the marker says
During the Republic of Texas period, Europeans became interested in colonizing Texas. In the 1840s, a group of German noblemen formed the Adelsverein or the Society for the Protection of German Immigration in Texas. Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels became the Adelsverein’s first Commissioner General and founded New Braunfels on March 21, 1845. Prince Carl chose this hill property overlooking the city as the site for a fortress to protect the city. He named it the Sophienburg in honor of his fiancée, Princess Sophia. Although a log structure was built to serve as the Adelsverein headquarters, a large fortress was never built. A well was dug and other structures were built on the property that served as Adelsverein storehouses and lodging. Prince Carl returned to Germany a month after the founding of New Braunfels and John O. Meusebach succeeded him as Commissioner General. The Adelsverein had financial trouble and the Sophienburg hill property was sold and divided. Eventually, the buildings deteriorated and in 1886, a storm destroyed the last remaining log structure. In 1933, a portion of the original Sophienburg property was purchased to build the first museum building that still stands at the corner of Academy and Coll. In 1938, the first city library was built adjacent to the museum with a second library built nearby in 1968. These structures house the Sophienburg Museum and archives collections. The Sophienburg Museum Association has ensured that the campus reflects the history of German immigration, the town’s founding and its ongoing growth. (2017)