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 Freidenker
N 29° 58.027 W 098° 54.802
14R E 508358 N 3315144
This historical marker is next to the large white gazebo in Comfort Park that is within sight from TX-27 within the city of Comfort, TX.
Waymark Code: WM16HBE
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/03/2022
Views: 8
Freidenker is the German term for freethinkers. The text within the plaque explains that: "... freethinkers were German intellectuals who advocated reason and democracy over religious and political authoritarianism." They also valued freedom of speech, supported education, advocated equal rights, and the abolition of slavery. These appear to be many of the same issues that are at the root of the present political points of contention today.
This historical marker is in Comfort Park at 403 TX-27, Comfort, TX 78013. Entrance to the free parking lot is found at the literal corner of Broadway and Fifth Streets! Park in the open spots and walk to the large gazebo. The marker is at the steps of the entrance into the gazebo on its east side.
Marker Number: 11673
Marker Text:
Nineteenth Century Freethinkers
From 1845 to 1861, a number of German Freidenker ("Freethinkers") immigrated to the Texas Hill Country. Freethinkers were German intellectuals who advocated reason and democracy over religious and political authoritarianism. Many had participated in the 1848 German revolution and sought freedom in America. The Freidenker helped establish Bettina, Castell, Cypress Mill, Luckenbach, Sisterdale ,Tusculum (Boerne) and Comfort. Laid out in 1854, Comfort soon was home to about half the population of Hill Country Freethinkers.
Freethinkers valued their newfound freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. Their settlements, where a knowledge of Latin was considered essential for a cultured intellectual society, became known as "Latin Colonies." They strongly supported secular education and generally did not adhere to any formal religious doctrines. They applied themselves to the crafts of physical labor and divided their time between farming and intellectual pursuits.
Freethinkers advocated universal equal rights, and their moral values were dominated by their respect for life. They actively supported such social issues as the abolition of slavery and the rejection of secession. Their loyalty to the Union during the Civil War cost many their freedoms and their lives. Following the war, many Freethinkers relocated to nearby urban areas, while others returned to Germany.
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