Dessau Cemetery - Austin, TX - Churchyard Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

Per the Austin Explorer site: (visit link)

"[...] Like [other] cemeteries along Decker Lane, this small resting place features deceased from a fairly homogenous group of European settlers and their more recent descendants. Whereas Decker saw a concentration of Swedes, Dessau saw a gathering of Germans. Many of the headstones bear all German script, an indication that though they had set out to start a new life for themselves in a new land they continued to find comfort in the familiarity of the Old World.

A plaque near the small church in back of the cemetery indicates that it was built in 1876, though there is no indication exactly when the cemetery was first used. At least one tombstone appears to indicate a burial in 1874, so the cemetery appears to predate the church by at least a couple of years. This is consistent with the plaque that states that local families worshipped in their private homes until the church was constructed.

The [old Evangelical Lutheran Church of Dessau, now home of the Cornerstone Baptist Church] held mass in German up until the mid-1900's. Coinciding with the change in language at mass changes are also evident in the headstones. All deceased within the last few decades bear English on their markers, a signal of trans-generational assimilation into the melting pot of America. The family names remain. Several family names predominate including Grosskopf, Nehring, Nauert, Krueger and Prinz. Some of these families are mentioned on the historical marker as being founders of the Dessau Community, which was first established in 1854.

German phrases on tombstones are similar to those found on English-language headstones. A few common ones found here include:
* Vater - Father
* Geb. (short for Geborenes) - Born
* Gest. (short for Gestorben) - Died
* Mutter - Mother
* Hier Ruhl - Here Lies
* Hier Ruht In Gott - Here Lies In God
* Ruhe Sanft - Rest Gently"

Name of church or churchyard: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Dessau Approximate Size: Large (100+)

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