German Historian Visits St. Lucas

On May 14, Carl and Rosemary (Kuennen) Most, founding members of the German American Museum, gave Robert Mueller-Stahl, a resident of Berlin, Germany, a brief tour of the beautiful St. Luke Church and Cemetery, the German American Museum and Library and the Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel located near the Turkey River. Mueller-Stahl found St. Luke’s Cemetery with all the German names of particular interest.

Mueller-Stahl was most impressed with the beautiful stained-glass windows in St. Luke’s Church. These windows came from Munich, Germany, immediately after World War I and were made by craftsmen whose skills have largely been lost through the latter half of the 20th century.

Robert stated, “In some German cathedrals, which were damaged by Allied bombing during World War II, large sections of windows have been enclosed with regular glass, not stained glass, as for example in Munich. This gives us a vivid reminder of how catastrophic war is and how few skilled persons remain with the knowledge to make real stained-glass art.”

Read more in the May 29 edition of the Calmar Courier.