A descendant of the original German settlers who followed Colonel John G. Cullmann to North Alabama, Veigl has made preserving that heritage a lifelong pursuit.
" I ' ve spent most of my life trying to hold onto what the settlers built here, whether that meant a house worth saving or a friendship with Frankweiler( Cullman’ s German, sister city and home of Col. Cullmann) worth keeping," he said.
Veigl pointed to the origins of the festival, which began in 1977 when Sacred Heart School ' s PTA created a German Festival as a fundraiser.
" Realizing the heritage we have here, the PTA decided, ' Let ' s celebrate with a festival,'" Veigl said.“ The German Festival has continued every year since. That is the little acorn this massive tree came from which is now the Cullman Oktoberfest. That ' s pretty special."
The city ' s Oktoberfest event began in 1982 with Carl Stiefelmeyer installed as the first Bürgermeister. There was one significant catch, however- Cullman was a dry county.
PHOTO COURTESY EDGAR VEIGL
Edgar Veigl’ s family dates back to the original German settlers who followed Col. John Cullmann to North Alabama.
PHOTO COURTESY EDGAR VEIGL
Edgar Veigl’ s great-uncle, Karl( Fr. Martin Schaefers, OSB), who was born in Germany in 1878 and came to Cullman in the 1890s, was ordained a Benedictine monk at St. Bernard Abbey in 1912. He is buried in the abbey ' s cemetery.‘ So, our daughter Lily Beth, who is a student at St. Bernard Prep, is one of very few students who can say she had an ancestor who was one of the original monks at St. Bernard,’ says Veigl.
“ So, it wasn ' t the most popular thing, and it was not well-funded at that point," said Veigl. " Also, during the last 15 years or so, the original organizers who founded the event kind of faded away because its members were growing older."
Eventually, Cullman Parks, Recreation, & Sports Tourism assumed responsibility for the event. In 2010, the city was voted wet, allowing the festival to serve alcohol.
“ Prior to that, major news organizations had reported on Cullman Oktoberfest as ' The Driest Oktoberfest in the World,'" said Veigl. " With CP & R management, it ' s grown into one of the largest and most genuine Oktoberfest celebrations in this part of the country."
Several of the older local German institutions and churches have historically held their own events during Oktoberfest. Moving forward, Cullman Oktoberfest is looking for ways to give more recognition to these historic churches and organizations such as Sacred Heart Church and School, St. Paul’ s Church and School, St. John’ s Church and St. Bernard Abbey and Prep School.
" Those churches and schools are a big part of the heritage of Cullman,” Veigl said.
For the upcoming Oktoberfest, Veigl will don an authentic Bavarian hat that features several pins he picked up from the various German and Austrian towns he has visited.
“ It ' s a special hat that creates its own conversations,” he said with a laugh.
Cullman magazine | HOLIDAY 2026
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