Kallstadt: The Ancestral Village of the Trumps

Kallstadt in a wine village along the German Wine Road in Palatine, one among many pretty places along the route, though not too spectacular. It is located in the northern part between Bad Dürkheim and Grünstadt.

The main street is winding in gentle curves through the length of the village. It is officially named „Weinstraße“ and part of the Wine Route. Several half-timbered houses have been carefully restored. An old wine press has been set up on a terrace under a wooden roof to create a place for meetings, events, wine tastings in the centre of the village. Vines on the facades add that certain flair of a wine-growing village.

A hotel in the centre of Kallstadt was our base for a long weekend related to wine and culture in Palatine together with my parents and relatives from Thuringia. Anything wine-related is best organized by my dad, so my influence was limited to a few suggestions concerning the cultural part, although they were not really needed either. The building in the background behind the lion fountain was our hotel. The protestant parish church, not visible in this photo, is its neighbour across the street.

We went to Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim and Rhodt from there, had one wine tasting at a top-class winery in Kallstadt and another ditto in Hainfeld, visited Hambacher Schloss and Villa Ludwigshöhe, went for walks in the vineyards. Busy and enjoyable days! These destinations deserve separate entries, though. By coincidence we stumbled onto a winery’s private wine festival.
Wine-related tourism is an important part of the entire region’s economy and Kallstadt makes no exception. There are various restaurants, inns, hotels, guest rooms in the village, some even run by working wineries.

In the hills outside the village an ancient Roman villa has been found and excavated. Parts of it underwent a bit of reconstruction, kitchen and facilities were installed, and the result is now used for festivities and wine tastings. It can also be rented for private celebrations. A very pleasant spot among the vineyards with a wide view. Some boards provide information about the history of the place. There is a long tradition of wine-growing in this area. In fact the ancient Romans were the ones who brought and planted the first vines. We owe them a a big thanks!

The Roman villa

Kallstadt is famous for:

Wine

Of course. Needless to mention. As usual, quality differs and one has to know where to go. There are several very good wineries in the village, some even qualify as first class.

(Since I am still waiting for an offer to provide me with a year’s supply of their produce in return for some PR *twinkle* I will not mention any particular names, though.)

Kallstadt cherishes its reputation as „Edelweinort“, a place that grows noble wines. Among their neighbours the Kallstadters are often acccused of a little big-mouthedness and superiority because of that... No comment from my side, I have not noticed any behaviour of that kind.

Saumagen

Saumagen is a popular speciality all over Palatine. This dish gained fame as the favourite food of our former chancellor Helmut Kohl. He used to treat his state guests to Saumagen dinners – not to everyone’s liking…

Saumagen is, basically speaking, a pig’s stomach filled with small cubes of pork, minced meat and potatoes, then cooked and cut in slices. The slices can then be fried in a pan. It is usually served with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes. Saumagen is a lot tastier than it sounds!

In Kallstadt they have even named one of the main vineyards after this dish: Kallstadter Saumagen. The symbol marks a hiking trail through the vineyards. On a winery in the village I spotted a cute relief with a little man sitting on a Saumagen.

Certain Inhabitants Who Emigrated to America

Proud of their relations

Many people from Palatine have emigrated to the „New World“ already in the 17th and 18th century because they saw no future for themselves in a land that had been destroyed over and over again in the various wars. More followed in the 19th century, be it for economical reasons or because of politics (for example after the 1848 revolution). The reasons for emigration in the 20th century are well known and need no further explanation.
Many Palatinate families have emigrants in their relationship, and being visited by „our rich relatives from America“ was always a big thing that caused lots of envy and staring among the neighbours.

Well, Kallstadt has two particularly big success stories on offer.

The first is related to that famous tomato sauce brand. In the 1840s a young man named Johann Heinrich Heinz left Kallstadt for good and crossed „the big pond“ and settled in Pennsylvania. His son Henry John started a business with horseraddish and pickled cucumbers and invented a recipe for tomato ketchup which became is best-selling product. The business is thriving to this very day. The family never lost contact and did a lot for the village of their ancestors, for example a big donation that enabled the local church to repair their organ. The ketchup magnates have a good reputation in Kallstadt. Relatives of the same name still live there. They have a winery on the edge of the village. By coincidence we stumbled onto their annual wine festival that they held on their premises. The display in the showcase indicates how proud they are of their relationship.

The other has brought Kallstadt even more into the focus of international media just recently. However, concerning that relationship, not everyone is too happy about it and pilgrimages from „fans“ are not necessarily wanted.

A second-grade cousin of the Heinz’s followed their example in the 1880s at the age of 16. His name was Friedrich Trump. He first worked as a barber, a trade he had learned already in Palatine, in Seattle. Then he moved further north with the gold rush and started a growing business with restaurants and boarding houses, then real estate. Well, the rest is history.

In 1901 Friedrich, or rather Frederick as he named himself in America, returned home to Kallstadt as a wealthy man. He met a pretty young lady, Elisabeth Christ, fell in love and married her, despite objections from his parents because Elisabeth was poor and came form a lower-class family. „The happy couple“ settled in New York but, due to Elizabeth’s extreme homesickness, decided to move back to Germany. However, German authorities would not allow them to stay: By his emigration Friedrich had avoided his duty in military service. This resulted in the loss of his German citizenship. The Trumps had to leave the country and return to New York, where they and later their sons continued their thriving business.

These were the grandparents of that blonde guy who was elected the 45th President of the USA in November 2016. I am sparing you my personal opinion about him and his politics…