Current Featured Content

47th Annual Texas Folklife Festival

The 47th Texas Folklife Festival will be held this year during June 8-10 on the grounds of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures. TWHS will have a booth at the festival thanks to Ron Knippa with his family and many friends who do...

Serbin Homecoming Picnic

The 2018 Serbin Homecoming Picnic will be Sunday, May 27 on the picnic grounds of St. Paul Lutheran Church. It will be a fun day of worship, fellowship, and the best barbecue in town.  Come early – before the barbecue is gone! The Museum will open at 10:00...

Family History Workshop

  The next Family History Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 5 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the museum. Weldon Mersiovsky will be on hand to assist with your research and answer all your questions. The registration fee is $15 per person or $25 per couple,...

The Wendish Wedding Blessing of 1866 from Serbin

A Wendish Wedding Blessing of 1866 from Serbin, Texas

The following article was written by Trudla Malinkowa for an issue of the Sorbian cultural magazine Rozhlad. Her original article was written in Wendish; however, she graciously translated the original to German, and David Goeke translated the German to English. We express our sincere gratitude to Trudla for sharing her...

In and Around the Museum

As we continue to observe the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I, we are also sharing with you a few stories about Texas Wends who were called to serve in the “Great War.” Previously, you read about Herman Hobratsch (Hermann Hobratschk) and his war...

Bettie Bendewald & Sadie Claxton

Executive Director’s Corner

What a blessing to have so many volunteers in this past quarter who helped with our garden and the many, many important chores for Wendish Fest! We send a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who assisted in any way! In addition, there are folks who were...

President’s Message

Witaj! (Hello!) from the Wendish Museum! As we slide headlong into the cooler fall weather, and with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays just around the corner, I give thanks for each and every one of our members and supporters. The Texas Wendish Heritage Society and Museum would not...

L-R Florence Krause Wright and Magdalene Krause Harris

In and Around the Museum

We recently announced plans for a special display honoring the Texas Wends who served in World War I. It was no small feat, but the display was completed in time for Wendish Fest. Included with the items on display are a uniform, helmet and gas mask that belonged...

Update on the Jan Kilian Room Project

We recently posted a letter from Pastor Benjamin Rehr and the congregation at Weigersdorf, Germany describing a project they were undertaking. With help from the congregation at Klitten, a room of the Weigersdorf parsonage was being transformed into the Jan Kilian Room – a climate-controlled space to house...

Dr. Ernst Kiesling – Father of the Safe Room

In 1854, 67-year-old Johann Kiesling decided to leave his home and head for Texas on the Ben Nevis with about 600 others to make a new home and start a new life. Johann brought with him his wife Hanna, age 57, and their three children: Johann, age 22;...