German military sponsors V Corps castle tour

By Wendy Brown (USAG Wiesbaden)October 23, 2012

German military sponsors V Corps castle tour
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WIESBADEN, Germany - While giving a tour of the Castle Braunfels, Gerhard Adam paused for a moment amidst the antiques and portraits and became nostalgic.

 

Adam was not pining for the days of knights and royalty, however. Instead, surrounded by a group of V Corps service members and volunteers, the Braunfels native was missing Texas.

 

"If I did not return once a year to New Braunfels (Texas) and see my friends there, I think I would feel as though something was not right," Adam said, punctuating his statement with his hands. "I would miss it."

 

Adam's statement was an expression not only of how deep and far back German and American friendships go, but how they continue today. In fact, it was one main reason behind the tour.

 

Lt. Col. Helmut Scharfenberg, commander of the Landeskommando Hessen, said his organization sponsored the tour because he wanted to improve on already excellent German and American relations and recognize V Corps family readiness volunteers.

 

New Braunfels, Texas, is a sister city to Braunfels, Germany, which is near Giessen and about an hour's drive north of Wiesbaden. New Braunfels is located near San Antonio, Texas. In fact, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels founded New Braunfels in 1845, and he was a member of the family that still owns the castle today.

 

Scharfenberg said he knew of Braunfels because he grew up in the area and went to school there when he was younger. When he was thinking of places Americans might want to visit, Braunfels came to mind because of the castle and its historic town center. Some of the homes date back to the 1500s. The town itself is 800 years old.

 

By all accounts, Scharfenberg was correct. Not only that, but he succeeded in his mission of taking German and American relations to the next level.

 

Ruth Tobin, a V Corps family readiness group adviser, said she really enjoyed the company and the camaraderie of the day. Several German Soldiers, V Corps Soldiers and volunteers participated in the tour - about 20 in all.

 

"I liked discovering a little village that most Americans didn't even know was here," Tobin said. "Not only that, but it has a sister city in Texas."

 

Melissa Spiszer, a V Corps family readiness leader, said she also enjoyed the company, as well as Adam's charming personality.

 

Throughout the tour, Adam, a former English teacher, made jokes and explained not only the history of Braunfels, but some cultural items that are found throughout Gemrany. For example, Adam said that the "X" marks on the country's timber-framed homes are a symbol that the builder wanted to bless the home with many children.

 

After walking through the historic town, and explaining the town's stocks with Capt. William Noyes standing in them, Adam gave his visitors a private tour of the castle. Only half of it is open to visitors because members of the family that have owned it for 21 generations live in the other half.

 

The first room contained several suits of armor, swords and horns from successfully hunted animals. One set was a moose rack from Alaska.

 

Adam had Capt. Darrand Williams try on a suit of chain mail and knighted him with a sword. Adams also passed around the chain mail so people could feel its heavy weight.

 

From there, the tour began to walk through several other rooms in the castle, all of which were full of portraits of family members who had lived in the castle. The rooms also included a chapel.

 

After the tour, the Germany military members hosted a barbecue for the Americans at a nearby lodge. The meal featured bratwurst, salads and German cakes and breads.

 

Lt. Col Theresa Straus, acting commander of the V Corps rear detachment, thanked Scharfenberg heartily for the tour and the lunch. "It was very educational," she said, adding that this was the first time Williams and rear detatchment Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Hobbs had visited a German castle.

 

The tour and lunch were a great sign of German and American camaraderie, Straus said, and everyone mixed and had a number of great discussions during lunch.

 

Hobbs said he also appreciated the fact that the German-American friendship was not extended only to Soldiers, but to their family members as well.

 

He also thoroughly enjoyed the castle tour, Hobbs said. "This is my third tour in Germany, and I hadn't been to a castle yet," he said, shaking his head in dismay.

 

"We could have done this on our own, but to have another military do this for us shows a lot of goodwill," Hobbs said. "It shows how far German and American relations have come."

 

Scharfenberg expressly thanked the V Corps family readiness volunteers for their hard work and said he hoped everyone's friends and relatives who were deployed would get home safely.

 

Germans and Americans should hold more events together, Scharfenberg said.

 

Tours of the castle are available to the public in October everyday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the hour, and from November to March on weekends and public holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On weekdays during these months, tours are still available, but people should call in advance. See www.schlossbraunfels.de for more information about the castle.

Related Links:

Braunfels Castle home page

Herald Union Online