В Нью-Браунфелсе утверждена стратегия по сохранению культурного наследия и традиций города

I have lived in New Braunfels — and in District 5 — for all 61 years of my life. I have watched our city grow from a small Texas town where it seemed everyone knew everyone into a thriving community that people from across the country now dream of calling home.  A lot has changed. But through all that change, one thing has remained: the heart of New Braunfels — our culture, our traditions, our music, our gathering places, and the stories passed from one generation to the next.  That is the New Braunfels I love, and it is the New Braunfels I want to help preserve for generations to come.  In New Braunfels, La Vida Está Buena. In New Braunfels, Ist das Leben schön. In New Braunfels, Life is good and Life is beautiful.  That is why I want to share something that means a great deal to me: our newly adopted Arts & Culture Master Plan.  Our Heritage Is Our Foundation  When I think about the New Braunfels that raised me, I don’t first think about buildings or plans. I think about people and places.  I remember the music of quinceañeras in church halls, dances at the West End Dance Hall, Tejano music at the Black Cat, country nights at the Crystal Chandelier, and polka evenings at Bavarian Village. These places are gone now, but the memories are not.  They remind us that culture isn’t something we simply put in a museum or read about in a history book. Culture is something we live. It is in our music, food, faith, art, celebrations, neighborhoods, businesses, and families.  And the story of this beautiful place we call New Braunfels began long before 1845.  For thousands of years, Native peoples lived, traveled, hunted, gathered, and made their way along the waters of the Comal and Guadalupe. The springs we know today as Comal Springs and Landa Park were important to Native peoples long before New Braunfels had a name. The Tonkawa, Waco, Lipan Apache, Karankawa, Comanche, and other Native peoples are part of the earliest history of this land too.  Our story continued through the Spanish and Mexican periods and generations of Tejano families. Then, in 1845, German immigrants arrived and established the community that became New Braunfels. And our story continued to grow.  African American families are also an important part of New Braunfels history. Generations of Black residents raised families here, worked, worshiped, owned businesses, educated their children, served their neighbors, and helped build this community.  That history can still be found in places such as Allen Chapel AME Church, whose congregation dates to 1890, and Live Oak Baptist Church, organized in 1900. These churches are more than historic buildings. They represent generations of Black families whose faith, perseverance, businesses, work, and community service helped shape New Braunfels.  Each chapter matters. Each family matters. Each is part of our story.  As a lifelong resident, I am deeply proud of my Hispanic heritage. But I also believe that loving our own heritage means respecting and preserving the heritage of our neighbors.  To me, preserving New Braunfels means telling the whole story — recognizing all the people who contributed to the community we have inherited.  Every generation added something. Every culture left something. And every story deserves a place in the history we pass on.  Protecting What Makes New Braunfels Special  New Braunfels is growing quickly. We cannot stop change, nor should we fear it. But we can be thoughtful about what we carry forward.  That is what I appreciate about the Arts & Culture Master Plan.  Adopted by the City Council this spring, the plan provides a long-term roadmap for supporting local artists and musicians, preserving historic places, strengthening cultural programs, creating public art, and making sure our heritage remains part of our future.  The plan focuses on four areas: Programming & Community Experiences, Places & Spaces, Visibility & Tourism, and Operations & Capacity Building.  But what means the most to me is something much simpler: Making sure all of New Braunfels sees itself in the story we tell.  Our German heritage is an important and beloved part of who we are. So are our Indigenous roots, our Spanish and Mexican history, our Tejano and Hispanic heritage, our African American and Black history, and the many cultures and families who have made New Braunfels home.  It is also why preserving and telling the history of our Westside is so important to me. Generations of families lived, worked, worshiped, owned businesses, raised children, made music, celebrated milestones, and built community there.  Their stories should not disappear simply because our city is changing around them.  For me, it comes down to something very simple: Growth is inevitable. Losing our identity is not.  We can welcome new families while remembering the families who came before us. We can proudly celebrate our German heritage while also honoring our Indigenous, Hispanic, Tejano, and Black histories. We can create new art, music, and gathering places while protecting the historic places and traditions generations before us left in our care.  There should always be room for both the old and the new.  Culture Is Something We Pass On  One of the things I love most about New Braunfels is that our culture isn’t confined to one building, one neighborhood, one heritage, or one time of year.  You can hear it in a polka and/or conjunto accordion, a mariachi trumpet, Americana music from a dance hall, or hymns coming from a church.  You can see it in our historic buildings, murals, museums, galleries, neighborhoods, churches, and Main Plaza. And you can experience it when our community comes together.  At the MLK Walk, honoring Dr. King’s legacy and his message of unity, service, and equality. At Juneteenth, celebrating freedom while honoring the history, strength, perseverance, and contributions of our  Black community.  At the Día de Los Muertos Festival, remembering and Celebrating Life’s of those who came before us and share the beauty and traditions of Hispanic culture.  And through the Comal County Fair, Wurstfest, Wassailfest, and so many other traditions, generations continue to come together and celebrate what makes New Braunfels home.  Each has a different history and a different tradition, but they have something important in common: They bring people together. And that is what culture should do.  It Belongs to All of Us   Preserving our culture isn’t just the City’s responsibility. It belongs to all of us.  Take your children and grandchildren to a festival. Walk with your neighbors at the MLK Walk. Celebrate and learn about the history behind Juneteenth. Experience the Día de Los Muertos Festival and Wurstfest. Visit a museum. Walk through a historic neighborhood. Listen to a local musician. Support an artist or a small business.  And occasionally, attend a cultural celebration that may not be your own. Listen. Learn. Ask questions. You may discover another piece of the New Braunfels story.  Most importantly, talk to your parents and grandparents about the New Braunfels they remember.  Ask them. Where did they dance? Where they worshiped? Where did they go shopping? Where did they work? Who owned the neighborhood businesses? What music did they listen to? What traditions did their parents and grandparents teach them?  Then tell those stories again. Because if we don’t pass them along, someday they can disappear.  The New Braunfels We Leave Behind   After 61 years in New Braunfels, I have seen tremendous change, and I know more change is coming. But I also know the heart of this community is still here.  You can hear it in our music. You can see it in our historic neighborhoods and buildings. You can taste it in the food at our festivals. You can feel it when generations of families come together.  And most importantly, you can find it in the people who still care deeply about this place we call home.  My hope is that 61 years from now, another generation will be able to say the same thing.  That is why this plan matters to me. Preserving New Braunfels isn’t about keeping our city exactly as it was.  It is about remembering who we are, honoring all those who came before us, and making sure the stories entrusted to us are still here for the generations who come after us.  Every generation added something. Every culture left something. Every story matters. And together, they tell the story of New Braunfels.  In New Braunfels, La Vida Está Buena. In New Braunfels, Ist das Leben schön. In New Braunfels, Life is good and Life is beautiful.  I invite you to read the New Braunfels Arts & Culture Master Plan and learn more at newbraunfels.gov/artsandculture.