Marktplatz

The Vereins Kirche, widely recognized as the symbol of Fredericksburg, stands in the center of the square and is a replica of the first house of worship, meeting place and fortress built soon after the city was founded in 1846.

Today, the building is filled with mementos and information on the city’s history.

Marktplatz was originally known as Market Square until the area was redeveloped to its present state in time for the city’s 150th anniversary in 1996.

This area was originally designated by the city’s founder, John O. Meusebach, as a place for people to gather and enjoy themselves.

Today, the area is a showplace, far from the days when the area had filling stations, used car lots and a variety of other structures, plus a youth baseball field.

The “Marktplatz Service Building” is located at the corner of Main and Adams streets and houses a substation for the Fredericksburg Police Department, where downtown bicycle patrolmen and the citizens’ police volunteer organization also operate out of.

Public restrooms are located on the Adams Street side of the building. Additional restroom facilities are located in an adjacent building.

One of the most active areas of the square is a shaded playground that is a favorite spot for parents to bring their children.

Children can keep entertained at the playground while their parents participate in events being held on the grounds at one of t

he three covered pavilions — the Adelsverein Halle, the Oktoberfest Halle and the Kinder Halle.

Also included on Marktplatz are brick walkways, numerous arbors and a History Walk that honors the pioneers of the community, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and the men and women who have served in the armed forces, along with Jacob Brodbeck, a pioneer resident of here who was an early aviator.

A statue of Fredericksburg-born composer Frank Valentin van der Stucken is located in the Pioneer Garden on the square.

Also located in the Pioneer Garden near the water wheel is a near-life-size bronze statue of Meusebach’s yet-unbroken peace treaty with the Comanche Indians. Dedicated in 1997, the memorial was placed by the city’s 150th Anniversary committee.

Brick walkways in the area include engraved bricks recognizing donors who have purchased them to help finance the redevelopment and help perpetuate their names in the history of the community.

At other places, there are benches, lamps and other fixtures. A Maibaum graphically depicting early history, individuals, festivals and customs of the community, is located near the Adelsverein Halle and attracts wide attention and is a touch of the type of installations found in major town squares in Germany.

A bust of the city’s founder, John O. Meusebach, stands in front of the Vereins Kirche. A historical marker, facing Main Street near one of the pathways to the Vereins Kirche, tells of the historical significance of Marktplatz and invites residents and visitors to make use of the facilities.