Perry County is about an hour's ride south of St. Louis...and the home of German Lutherans in America. Lutherans from Saxony, determined to keep their worship practices and doctrine in the face of state-sponsored church mergers, left Germany in the 1830's and made their way to the US.
These first settlers bought farmland in Perry County, and built a number of churches and small villages. The current day Altenburg, Wittenburg, and Frohna were all originally settled by these German immigrant families, who traveled up the Mississippi, camping on the deck of steamboats.
I made this trip to Perry County in December 1998. Still much to see and do. Many of the heritage sites are now being maintained by the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod (see Faith pages).
From the Altenburg historical marker:
"Some 700 Saxon Lutherans settled, 1839, in Perry County and formed the parishes of Altenburg, Wittenberg, Dresden, Seelitz, Frohna, and one settlement, Johannesburg in Cape Giradeau County. The community of Paitzdorf (Uniontown) was organized in 1840.
The Saxons came to Missouri mainly for the purpose of freeing themselves from the Saxon State Church. Under their pastor, Martin Stephan, they formed an emigration society with a $55,000 communal fund. 605 members sailed from Bremen in 1835 in five chartered ships for St. Louis by way of New Orleans. One of the ships was lost at sea. Other members joined the group in Missouri and a number of them remained in St. Louis and founded a parish there.
The immigrants bought 4,475 acres of Perry County land with $8,234 from the communal fund..."
"Saxon Lutheran Memorial", just southeast of Frohna.
Typical cabin of early
German settlers...at the heritage site
One of several active
Lutheran churches in Altenburg
Signage for Stadt Altenburg
State historical marker
for Altenburg
Original college for
pastors in Altenburg. Open only a few years, was closed due to the
opening of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis