Church of the Holy Family

Chicago’s Church of the Holy Family received special attention on June 18, 2023 during the tenth anniversary of the Buscher Museum in Gamburg, Germany. The museum, located in an old home dating to 1781, celebrates the artistic achievements of four Bushers: Clemens and Thomas, who remained in Germany and settled in Dusseldorf and Munich, and Anton and Sebastian, who settled in Chicago. Although separated by thousands of miles, the sculptors and woodcarvers never lost touch with each other. Their descendants have kept alive these transatlantic connections, introducing new generations to their legacy. 

Visitors to the museum saw up close the 1923 Church of the Holy Family commemorative history with pages opened to the work of Anton Buscher and his nephew, Sebastian.  And nearby they encountered text panels describing the 1865 main altar, confessionals, and statues created by the Buschers.

The “Continental Sunday” festival featured music, sweets, lectures, and tours. Distinguished guests of honor included Mayor Roland Johannes who provided initial support for the museum; Werbach’s outgoing mayor, Otmar Durr; his successor, Georg Wyrwoll, who was elected July 1^st; and Charlotte Baumann-Hendriks who continues her international research on the Buscher family. 

The anniversary event concluded with a talk by Professor Dr. Michael Maass about the monument Clemens Buscher created to honor industrialist Herman Wupperman. Herman’s family had emigrated to Texas but he returned to Pinneberg to establish and run a successful metal company.