Krafft Family Heritage
Through the website Myheritage.com I was able to track down the Krafft family history and even got in touch with distant cousins in Australia (many Templers were sent there after the war). We found that we had many family photos in common, and the research continues about their story. The Templers in Germany settled in parts of Palestine (parts of which are now Israel) .
With different beliefs than that of the Protestant church, the Templer followers started their missionary task in Palestine as early as 1858, which still belonged to the Ottoman Empire.
"The settling was done with careful planning to prevent any failures in a hostile surrounding. Only those people who had skills that were needed for the establishment of the settlements were requested by the center in Kirschenhardthof. Kurt Hutten wrote: “The settlers overcame all difficulties and needs through great diligence and brought trade and agriculture to a high standard, they built a road from Jaffa to Jerusalem and developed excellent cultural and social facilities. A medical service was established in each settlement, and schools, kindergartens and evening classes for further education were started. Later many of the Jewish settlements were based on these examples.”
(Source: "The Templers and other Awakening Movements in the Northern Black Forest and beyond" by Fritz Barth - 2004)
The photos of the settlements show real skill in city planning and organization. I've added some photos and drawings below to show the beauty of the colony at the time. The architecture and organization of the houses in the surrounding natural environment makes me feel nostalgic for a time I never actually lived in.
The German Colony in the 1920's-30's
The German Colony in the present day (a little sad to see how it has changed, isn't it?)