Paul Dobberstein

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

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

He is known for designing and building a series of religious grottoes:

• Sacred Heart Church: Sioux City, Iowa
• Immaculate Conception Grotto: Carroll, Iowa (now gone)
• Franciscan Convent: Dubuque, Iowa
• Shrine in the St. Rose of Viterbo Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration: La Crosse, Wisconsin (now gone)
• Catholic Cemetery: Wesley, Iowa
• John Brown Park: Humboldt, Iowa

His most famous work, however, is 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.

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 there 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^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Grotto of the Redemption, West Bend, Iowa, roadsideamerica.com
3. ^ West Bend - Sts. Peter and Paul, catholicglobe.org
4. ^ History of Providence Home Health Care Center of Jasper, providencehome.org
5. ^ Grotto of the Redemption, agilitynut.com
6. ^ Grotto of the Redemption, ww2.lafayette.edu/~niless

External links

• West Bend Grotto

Persondata
Name	Dobberstein, Paul
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 21, 1872
Place of birth
Date of death	July 24, 1954
Place of death