Paul Dobberstein

Paul Matthias Dobberstein (September 21, 1872 – July 24, 1954) was a German American priest and architect.

Paul Dobberstein statue at the Grotto of the Redemption

Dobberstein was born in Rosenfeld, Germany to Francis "Frank" Dobberstein and Julia Froehlich.

Father Dobberstein was educated at the university of Deutsch-Krone in Germany and at the St. Francis Seminary, in St. Francis, Wisconsin. He was ordained on June 30, 1897.[1]

Grottoes
The Liberty Fountain in John Brown Park, Humboldt

Father Dobberstein is most known for designing and building The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption, in West Bend, Iowa,[2] in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. This is actually a series of several connected grottoes.[3] At the neighboring church of Saints Peter and Paul, he also created a fountain and, inside, a majestic nativity scene.

Other religious grottoes designed and built by Dobberstein include:

Father Dobberstein's works inspired Mathias Wernerus (who also attended St. Francis Seminary) to build the Dickeyville Grotto in Dickeyville, Wisconsin in 1930,[4][5] thus starting the grotto building movement in America.[6]

Pastoral career

In addition to his prolific works of art and stone, he led a busy life as the pastor of Saints Peter and Paul in West Bend for more than 57 years. His signature appears on over a thousand baptism records from his time in the parish.

References
  • An Explanation of the Grotto of the Redemption
  1. Grotto of the Redemption, rff.org Archived November 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Grotto of the Redemption, West Bend, Iowa, roadsideamerica.com
  3. West Bend - Sts. Peter and Paul Archived 2008-10-14 at the Wayback Machine, catholicglobe.org
  4. History of Providence Home Health Care Center of Jasper, providencehome.org
  5. Grotto of the Redemption Archived 2013-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, agilitynut.com
  6. Grotto of the Redemption Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, ww2.lafayette.edu/~niless
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