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German-Canadian Cultural Association of Lunenburg County Veranstaltungskalender |
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September 6, 2009 Get-together Cottage of Kay and Doug
The way: HWY 103 to exit 8
turn towards Windsor, turn
right at Canaan Road to red
Schoolhouse, turn left at
Mill Lake Lane to # 103
September 17, 2009 6:00 p.m. Meet- and Greet-Meeting St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Phoenix Street, Bridgewater
Ursula and Dieter will show
Pictures from their Europe-
Trip, guests welcome
September 26, 2009 2:30 p.m. Kaffeeklatsch at DougWhynot’s House Buckfield
October 31, 2009 2:30 p.m. Kaffeeklatsch at Kienzle’s House in Auburndale
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| If you have any questions, please call Dieter at 766-0113 |
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The Past Foreign Protestant Immigration to Nova Scotia Lunenburg was founded in 1753 by a group of predominantly German-speaking settlers known as the Foreign Protestants. The Foreign Protestants were brought to Nova Scotia in 1750-1752 by the British, in an attempt to colonize the area with people loyal to the British Crown. Recruiting of Foreign Protestants began in Europe in 1749, with Public Notices offering land and materials for farming and housing. The settlers came primarily from the Palatinate, Württemberg, Montbéliard and Switzerland. Almost 2000 Foreign Protestants arrived in Halifax. In the spring of 1753, under the auspices of the British military, the settlers left Halifax for Lunenburg, aboard 14 transport ships. Settlement of Lunenburg and Surrounding Communities The harbour had previously been known as Merligash, but was renamed Lunenburg after King George II of Britain, the Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Colonel Charles Lawrence was in charge of the settlement. The first priority of the military was the construction of blockhouses and palisades to secure the settlement from Indian raids. Each family received a town lot, laid out in a grid pattern that is still maintained today. The lots had been awarded when the settlers were in Halifax, through the "luck of the draw" of decks of playing cards. The area in the centre of town was reserved for the Government and the Church of England. The Commons outside the town were used as pasture. Garden lots were allocated to the east of the town, where the community of Garden Lots is found today. By 1754 the settlers had been given 30 and 300-acre lots in ranges inland and along the shore to Mahone Bay and LaHave. Houses were constructed, the first crops harvested and breeding livestock distributed. These farmers and craftsmen built a strong community with churches and language. The traditions are still in evidence today. The Present The town of Lunenburg is the focal point for any search of evidence for German heritage. Look for the Altestes Haus and the names on the Heritage Properties, often the original owners of the property. The Lunenburg pages of the Telephone Book are full of names of German origin, though spelling variations have crept in over the years. In our local restaurants Lunenburg sausage and Sauerkraut are traditional fare and old recipe books offer Kartoffelsuppe, Kohl Cannon and Dutch Mess (Dutch from Deutsch). Visit the local churches and note the existence of Lutheran churches in many of the surrounding communities. Many settlers were Lutheran and Dutch Reformed and services were conducted in German. This tradition is remembered each Christmas, with a German carol service in Lunenburg. Pioneer cemeteries give tangible evidence of the hardships of early life in the County, with many of the old German names. Museums in Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Bridgewater, Parkdale-Maplewood and New Ross tell their own fascinating stories of life in the early days of settlement. Come and visit Lunenburg online ! For further information please contact Dieter Hintze |
