It All Began Here

It All Began Here. . The sounds of music and singing have played an important role in the rich German heritage of early New Braunfels. Settlers sang the music they brought from German speaking areas in Europe. The music ranged from folk to religious, to compositions by the Masters, such as Beethoven, Schubert, Bach and others., New Braunfels, founded in 1845, was the first community in the State to form its own singing society. At one time, as the State and the area grew in population, over thirty active singing groups existed in and around the area., On October 16, 1853, New Braunfels was host to the first Sängerfest or "Singing Festival" in the State. The following year, the Deutsch-Texanischer Sängerbund or "German-Texan Singers Federation" was formed. This incorporated singing groups from all over Texas. New Braunfels continued to serve as host to these groups for many years., The Civil War, world war one, and world war two caused periods of choir inactivity. However, soon thereafter, annual Sängerfests were resumed with enthusiasm. Texas singers participate in regional, state, national and international Sängerfests., This monument stands as a tribute to those thousands of voices which have filled the hills with music in and around New Braunfels., Sponsered by Members of Säengerhalle, Incorporated , Gesangverein Echo , New Braunfels Männerchor , Gemischter Chor Frohsinn , Gemischter Chor Harmonie.