The Sophienburg Museum & Archives, established 1933, sits on the historic site claimed by founder Prince Carl of Braunfels, naming a fortress for his bride Sophie. Today, the collection continues to expand as we document the many diverse cultures that embody New Braunfels and Comal County, as well as throughout Central Texas. The Sophienburg serves as a repository of one of the nation's greatest
collections of German cultural heritage and history, which chronicles life and settlement in America. The extensive collection includes cultural artifacts, newspapers, photographs, manuscripts, letters, maps, monographs, audiotapes, municipal records, and periodicals. Through its museum division, the Sophienburg seeks to fulfill the role of celebrating public history through exhibits, community outreach, traveling trunk programs, public lectures, and other events. The archives division preserves, processes and makes available for research the collection of documents, historic papers, photographs, and the oral history program Reflections. With hundreds of donors, both collections provide an incomparable resource for any student, scholar, writer, or historian of Central Texas settlement, culture, language, and history.
