Farewell Finest Frankenmuth

Frankenmuthers, do you know the German saying, “Im Abschied ist die Geburt der Erinnerung.” I would translate this as, “With every farewell, a memory is born”. This saying came to my mind a few days ago when I realized my time in Frankenmuth was already drawing to an end! 
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But then I thought, “Wait, with Frankenmuth it’s different!” I won’t be leaving Frankenmuth with a memory, but with so many wonderful memories that, If you were to ask me to pick my top three Frankenmuth experiences, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Well, let me try anyway!

My most eye-opening experience in Frankenmuth was the process of getting to know this town more and more and the change of perspective that this entailed. When I first arrived, I was a visitor to Frankenmuth and experienced it like a tourist. I browsed through Frankenmuth’s unique stores, explored all the good restaurants and just really enjoyed the atmosphere that felt a little like a “Volksfest” from back home. 

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But then I started work at the Frankenmuth Historical Museum and through the museum I was able to meet so many people from Frankenmuth and the surrounding area who were able to tell me about the community and its history. This really shaped my impression of Frankenmuth and I felt like I was getting a little bit more of an inside perspective. I learned about traditions and customs, heard a lot of Frankenmuth stories and felt like my image of Frankenmuth was getting more and more nuanced, detailed and colored. This was very interesting and eye-opening and a lot of fun! It also made me realize how unique  Frankenmuth is: The community is so well connected and involved and really knows and celebrates its history and heritage! This was amazing for me to see and experience and I felt very privileged to be welcomed into this amazing community the way I was.

My most educational experience during my time in Frankenmuth was definitely my internship at the museum and all the things I learned during it. It was my first internship in a museum and again just getting that inside perspective was so educational. I learned about the different fields of work that are in a museum and was able to gain some experience in collections management, exhibit development and design, as well as education. My highlights during the internship were definitely learning how to handle, catalog and photograph historical artifacts and working on a new temporary exhibit on music in Frankenmuth! 

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Especially when it comes to that last task, I had a lot of freedom to come up with my own ideas and ways to tell the story about music in Frankenmuth. I really enjoyed being able to explore and use my creativity and I always got amazing help and advice, if I needed it. 

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In my opinion, the Frankenmuth Historical Museum definitely does an amazing job at training and hosting interns! I always felt included and taken seriously and this internship was a very valuable opportunity to learn the ropes of a museum! 

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My most memorable Frankenmuth experience was Easter at the St. Lorenz church. As part of the mixed choir at St. Lorenz, I was able to experience the Easter service as a singer. I was overwhelmed by how elaborately the church was decorated with flowers and two life size angels from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.

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I also found it very special how much music there was and the feeling of singing together with three choirs and the brass orchestra in the very church where the first 15 settlers already celebrated Easter was definitely an experience I will never forget.

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These are only three of many more wonderful Frankenmuth experiences I have had during my time here! Thank you for a wonderful time, Frankenmuth! I will be back!

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