Der Stadt Friedhof Begins Master Plan

Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post

By Lauren Elizabeth Shults, Standard-Radio Post reporter

Don Hazelett poured curbs in preparation of upcoming paving work, which will begin the week of Oct. 16, and is estimated to take about three weeks. – Submitted photo

Der Stadt Friedhof, established in 1846, has restoration efforts underway as part of its Master Plan. The board has planned for construction of a columbarium and open-air chapel, in addition to road paving to divert rainwater.

“Our goal is to preserve yesterday for tomorrow,” Susan Stroeher of the Der Stadt Friedhof board said.

Der Stadt Friedhof (Der Stadt Friedhof in German means The City Cemetery) became a Historic Texas Cemetery in 2000 and a recent designation emphasizes Section C’s history, specific to the early African American community in Fredericksburg. It is a tax exempt 501(c)(13) nonprofit, owned by Bethany Lutheran Church, Holy Ghost Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church.

About 6,200 people are buried at Der Stadt Friedhof. It is still used today.

Some of the plan measures are to save deterioration and some are to beautify the area, Stroeher said.

Mark Cornett of Cornett Engineering created the Master Plan for roads and drainage and Carey Bonn, Alan Saenger and Waymaker Surveying surveyed and remarked boundaries.

The Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery board, including Paul Hannemann, Glenn Koennecke, Ralph Rode and Alan Saenger, signed a contract with Allen Keller Company to pave the roads and Berman Lawn and Landscaping to keep the cemetery mowed.

Phase I of the plan will include creating a website, updating record-keeping software, updating signage and moving and lighting the flagpole flying over the nearly 600 veterans.

Although there are no records of the early 19th century mass grave located in the easternmost grassy area and wooden markers have deteriorated, making the names and dates illegible, volunteers are recording legible histories on Find a Grave and Billion Graves — sites for individual memorial and gravesite information that helps in ancestry.

Paving the roads is an essential first step in the restoration process, Stroeher said. The cemetery roadwork will begin the week of Oct. 16 and could last up to three weeks to complete.

“The roads have been nearly impossible to maintain,” Stroeher said. “Every time it rains, they wash in certain sections and cause potholes and issues.”

Don Hazelett, whose family has a long history of working at the cemetery, will add roadway curbing along the back rows of sections M and N (the farthest sections from the left entrance of the cemetery from North Lee and East Schubert streets) to divert water into both Barons Creek and the ditch off Schubert Street.

Phase II will include building an open-air chapel, restrooms, adding a columbarium area for cremains and locations for reflection, with the help of Architect Stan Klein.

“We are blessed that Klein is working with us on these designs. One of our goals is to integrate anything we add to look natural in the setting,” Stroeher said about new additions to the cemetery.

The board would like to eradicate weeds, bring back healthy wildflowers and natural grasses and plant trees.

“Hopefully in the future we can afford treatments to feed and restore the soil,” Stroeher said.

In an effort to bring the business local, the cemetery board has begun using Gillespie Waste Services.

Contact 830-456-3143 or derstadtfriedhof@gmail.com to learn more.