History buffs can now learn more about the "fascinating" past of the Village of Rosenfeld at their own pace.

Lois Braun and Art Wiebe are two of those buffs, and they have created a self-guided tour map that takes people through various historical sites around the community. The pair was inspired after the release of an earlier project, a history book about the village back in 2018.

"While we were getting ready for the book to be published, Lois commented that it would be nice for people to actually know where these different buildings were located," explained Wiebe. So, he hitched a trailer to small tractor and began giving guided tours. With the arrival of COVID-19 those tours stopped, but he says this new map allows people the luxury of doing the tour in their own time.

Braun says she became "totally fascinated" with the history of the community after reviewing the various archives that Wiebe posted to social media as well as the corresponding comments. Despite having grown up just outside of Rosenfeld, Braun noted there were so many things she didn't know about the community until digging further into its past.

Featuring images of the north and south portions of the village, the map is speckled with black and gold dots indicating a former business or other landmark of the past and the era they came up in. Gold represents the early 1900s, with the later years (mid 20th Century) highlighted with a black dot. Each dot has a corresponding number that takes the user to a black and white photograph of the landmark along with a short description.

Braun suggests tourists begin at the local cemetery.

"I recommend this about any older cemetery," she said, "if you walk through it you start to see patterns and interesting stories unfold in even the smallest bit of text that's etched into a headstone."

In fact, Wiebe points out there is a headstone at the Rosenfeld cemetery that has a birth date of February 31, 1892. "That in itself generates all sorts of questions and intrigue."

Another item that might captivate people doing the tour, according to Braun, would be to learn that Rosenfeld was once home to many businesses.

The maps are available by donation at the Municipality of Rhineland office in Altona and Marv's on Main in Rosenfeld with proceeds to benefit the Rosenfeld Good Neighbour Centre.