New Braunfels, Comal County
(SEPTEMBER 9, 1821 – APRIL 8, 1870) BORN IN PRUSSIA, CARL (KARL) HEINRICH GUENTHER IMMIGRATED TO TEXAS IN 1845. HE WAS A COMMUNITY LEADER, ONE OF NEW BRAUNFELS’ FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND A DIRECTOR OF THE GERMANIA, AN EARLY SINGING SOCIETY. IN 1854, HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF STAATS SAENGERFEST (STATE SINGERS FESTIVAL), A STATEWIDE MEETING OF GERMAN POLITICAL GROUPS. THEY ADOPTED AN ANTI-SLAVERY PLATFORM, WHICH REPRESENTED AN UNPOPULAR POSITION IN TEXAS. GUENTHER WAS AMONG GERMAN-TEXAN LEADERS WHO ALLAYED FEARS OF DISLOYALTY, AND DESPITE HIS LEANINGS, HE JOINED THE CONFEDERACY, BECOMING A CAPTAIN. AFTER HIS DEATH, HIS WIFE, MARGARETHE (SCHERTZ), WITH WHOM HE HAD SIX CHILDREN, CONTINUED THEIR BREWING BUSINESS. (2010)