GOD and TEXAS: Kaffeemühle

The locals called it the Kaffeemühle, and it was built in the middle of Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg. No matter where you went in town, you had to pass the Kaffeemühle. It was meant to be in the center of life.

The proper name for the Kaffeemühle was the Vereins-Kirch, or the Society Church. The facility was built in 1847 by the Adelsverein, a group of 21 German noblemen leading the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. This multi-purpose building was mainly utilized by newly established churches until they were able to build their own facilities. It was also used for educational purposes as well as civic meetings and social gatherings.

The Vereins-Kirch had an octagonal shape, each side measuring 18 feet in length and height. Its octagonal roof extended 10 feet above the walls and converged at the center with an octagonal cupola that had square sides measuring 10 feet each. On top of the cupola was a weathervane. Because the Vereins-Kirch resembled a coffee-mill, the community lovingly called it the Kaffeemühle.

While the exterior walls were constructed of fachwerk (heavy timber), the interior walls of the Vereins-Kirch were covered with unadorned natural wood panels. To maintain the intended simplicity, the floor was composed of sand and a small bell was used as a call to worship. In 1862, lightning destroyed the roof-top weathervane and it was replaced with a cross to better signify the primary purpose of the building. The church was considered common property for all settlers in Gillespie County.

By 1897, most of the churches had built their own buildings, and the Vereins-Kirch fell into disrepair. Also, there were complaints that the Kaffeemühle was obstructing traffic and had become an eyesore. The community reluctantly agreed to tear it down and to use the property for other purposes. That generation was ready to move on.

In the early 1930s, the Gillespie County Historical Society, along with other interested individuals, initiated the project to build a replica of the original Kaffeemühle near its former site. Completed in 1935, the current Vereins-Kirch reproduction is situated in the center of the Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg, highlighting the church's central role in community life.

The late evangelist Billy Graham said: "Today, the church is more important than ever. The Bible tells us that — in some ways we do not completely understand — the church represents all that Christ is. And I see the church, with its 2,000 years of history, as a mighty force in our society."

The Kaffeemühle reminds us that in this troubled world, the worship and fellowship of the local church remains greatly needed today. As we read in Hebrews 10:25 NKJV, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Be faithful to your local church.

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