Do You Believe in Ghosts?
Anton and Hannelor Osfolk never expected to provide home and haven to a ghost when they left Germany to make a better life for their growing family in America.
Hannelor said she loved to cook and people would always compliment her concoctions, so recipes and talented husband in tow, they took a chance and opened the Bier Garden in Olde Town Portsmouth, VA in 1997. She said her husband was skilled in all the brick and mortar aspects of the restaurant so they ultimately added a charming outside garden which butted up against an old courthouse and jail. To add to the intrigue of their endeavor, they learned that the historic jails lawn had been the areas execution grounds for prisoners. Executed prisoners ranged from sailors in the wrong place at the wrong time to turncoats, murderers, and everything in between during this historic prisons heyday.
Along with all the challenges one encounters when starting a new business, the one neither anticipated was one or two ghosts that came to take up residence in their restaurant. In her kitchen, to be exact. Oma, as she's affectionately called by her grandkids deduced that since part of her new restaurant appeared to also have been a part of the courthouse property next door, the ghost may have simply moved on or moved over to an area that held a special place for him while he was alive. Since prisoners there were from all over the world having been transported in through the busy Portsmouth harbor, he could even have had a link to her own homeland.
There are many reasons why he may have chosen her particular kitchen, and we may never know his - or her true incentive. The writer in me's imagination is full of possibilities, as you can imagine. It may have even been the cell for her ghost before he met his unfortunate demise, most likely by hanging as that was the norm in VA until 1908. She said she wasn't sure why, but he seemed to have either an affectionate loyalty to her or an unsatiable appetite (choose your meaning), for spending his eternity in the kitchen of her Bavarian restaurant.
She says the ghost was quiet mannered at first and started appearing after a difficult situation or confrontation with one of her employees. He quickly became more involved with her staff however. “He’s been known to tilt a tray of recently washed silverware causing the errant waiter to have to pick up each one and wash them again. Not to mention the loud clanging of each utensil hitting the hard floor was clearly unnerving to the living, she said with a laugh. Occasionally water pitchers have suddenly flown across the room after hours in the direction of a couple of sassy waiters who are no longer here," she says with a wink.
When I asked if she were ever afraid, she smiled and emphatically said “NO!” "Especially when I realized his actions were merely to defend me." We both agreed he had a mischievous streak and she said she rather enjoyed the jokester side of him. "It was a nice pick-me-up after working the long days in the restaurant. He
continued to watch over me year after year, and became even more protective as time went on, but always in a fun way" she quipped, obviously enjoying the memory.
She said he only hung out in the kitchen area, but would occasionally venture across the threshold after hours into the dining room to spill a tray of freshly washed silverware or jostle wait staff, so perhaps the ghost had been charged with supervising kitchen staff or feeding the prisoners and could never give up his love of his former life. Or perhaps he just felt the need to watch over her. "Either way," she says with a smile, "he was definitely a good ghost, my favorite, and the most fun to 'work with."' The Osfolks children are mostly running the restaurant for her now and have carried on the delicious traditions locals and tourists have enjoyed for decades but Oma says she hasn't seen her ghost lately.
I first met Oma when I began researching for a hauntingly delicious story for an October article assignment in Virginia. The Bier Garden was a favorite restaurant of mine for friend and family get togethers, so it was honestly by accident that I met her and learned of her ghost, after touring Portsmouth and researching her former prison neighbor. We immediately hit it off and she shared this fun history and stories of her ghost(s) that had never been published before. That was years ago, but when I visited recently, it was as if I'd never left and we simply picked up where we left off. I ended up in her kitchen with a couple of her other friends and they were as shocked and delighted to hear the story as I was the first time. We all shared our mutual admiration for this amazing trail blazer and enjoyed some laughs together all the while glancing around, hoping her playful ghost would pop in for a minute or two. I always look forward to catching up with her whenever I get to visit Virginia, and highly recommend her hospitality in this German jewel and all the waterfront there has to offer.
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