Skip to main content

The German Texans

The German Texans

Interesting History of the Immigration of Germans in Texas. Althtough Texas as a whole has strong German undercurrents, the strong outward culture was hidden and lost after the USA's war with Germany in WWI and II.



"Emphasis always lay on the preservation of German identity. In schools, students learned both English and German. German settlements usually offered free schools. New Braunfels eventually offered all of its young students a completely free primary education. In 1853, the singing society Sangerbund held its first German music festival. It has grown in popularity among not only German Texans, but also out-of-state participants of different ethnicities. While many German activities dissipated during World War I and II due to discrimination, the Boerne Village Band maintained an important presence. It has been applauded by Germany and the Texas Legislature for its preservation of German music. Ludwig von Roemer and Louis and Robert Kleberg, who settled the town of Cat Spring in 1832, are known for introducing Texas to its first piano, which they shipped from Germany. Kleberg’s son eventually became the owner of Texas’ famous King Ranch. Newspapers like the Galveston Zeitung and Der Bettelsades also helped perpetuate German heritage. August Siemering, who became a lieutenant in the Confederate Army, published the newspaper Freie Presse für Texas. Texas continues to celebrate the Texas-German heritage with events such as Octoberfest, Wurstfest, Schützenfeste, and German Culture Month.

The German immigrants’ mark on Texas is found in place names, like Schulenburg and Shiner; it’s heard in the popular cultural influences of Adolf Hofner, and the accordion in Tejano and Zydeco music; and it’s experienced in the easy-going temperament in the face of tremendous obstacles that gave Texas its motto, “the friendly state."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Secret to Increased Productivity – Single Tasking

There is a myth of multitasking, which many have bought into, but which reduces their effectiveness and productivity. I still remember when I was struggling with this in my job and an article in   Time magazine  from 2006 struck a cord with me as I read it: There’s substantial literature on how the brain handles multitasking. And basically, it doesn’t. The Time magazine article focuses on what a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation study dubbed "Generation M," a group of young people (ages 8 to 18) who were increasingly engaging in "media multitasking." The article found that while the total time spent with electronic media hadn't increased significantly, the amount of media consumed within that time had, thanks to activities like instant messaging while watching TV or doing homework. The key scientific finding highlighted in the article is that the human brain does not truly multitask. Instead, it performs a rapid toggling between tasks . When an individual attempts ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FP Explainer: Who Are the Knights of Malta -- and What Do They Want? - By Joshua E. Keating | Foreign Policy

FP Explainer: Who Are the Knights of Malta -- and What Do They Want? - By Joshua E. Keating | Foreign Policy : "Despite having no fixed territory besides its headquarters building in Rome, the order is considered a sovereign entity under international law. It prints its own postage stamps and coins -- though these are mostly for novelty value -- and enjoys observer status at the United Nations, which classifies it as a nonstate entity like the Red Cross. The Knights maintain diplomatic relations with 104 countries. The order does not have official relations with the United States, though it has offices in New York, for the United Nations delegation, and Washington, for its representation at the Inter-American Development Bank."
Post a Comment
Read more