In 1990, about 17.5% of Texas’ population was of partial or full German descent, placing it as the third-largest population of a national origin in the state.
But how did German influence in Texas grow to be so large? And why did immigrants choose Texas as their final destination across the Atlantic?
There’s no way we can cover all the intricacies of an entire subculture in just one article, but here’s a quick glimpse into the forces and stories behind the German population in Texas.
Why does Texas have a German population?
A brief history of German influence in Texas
When we talk about a population’s migration to the United States through its history, there are a few terms that pop up fairly regularly: America letters, which refer to letters written from recent settlers to family back home; chain migration, which refers to a steady stream of immigrants from and to any one place; and dominant personality, otherwise known as a “true pioneer” or a popular figurehead in the migration movement.
Johann Friedrich Ernst is our dominant personality in this story, as he pioneered the mass migration of Germans to Texas in the early 1800s.
German-born Ernst moved to the United States in 1831, intent on settling in Missouri and making a new life for himself. When he was in New Orleans, however, he heard about Stephen Austin’s colony in Texas, which was still a part of Mexico’s territory at the time. Mexico’s laws included a colonization law that allowed immigrants to claim a league of land (around 4,438 acres) to settle and irrigate, and so Johann Ernst made the decision to head to Texas instead.
After Ernst settled in what is now northwestern Austin county, he began sending letters back home. In these letters, Ernst spoke of vast amounts of fertile land where hunting and fishing were abundant. He wrote about the practically nonexistent taxes and the land grants available to immigrants, and how the dry, warm climate mirrored that of the breezy Mediterranean.
These “America letters” glossed over much of the hardship associated with immigration, as did most of these kinds of letters in U.S. history. Nevertheless, Germans back home were intrigued by the opportunities presented in Texas, and thus began the steady stream of immigrants from Germany to Texas in the 1830s.
This chain migration saw clusters of families move to Texas and settle together, creating little communities of people who had previously lived together in Germany. These clusters meant that there were pre-established communities in which the immigrants could maintain their connection to their home culture.
By the late 1830s, Texas was a popular destination for citizens all over Germany. Ernst’s letters became popular enough that they were published in newspapers all over the country, attracting the attention of wealthy German nobles. These nobles envisioned their own colonies in Texas where they could establish towns, industries and communities fueled by hard-working German farmers and artisans. This colonization movement transported thousands of German peasants and lower-class workers to Texas throughout the 1840s, and by 1850 there were at least 10,000 new German immigrants in the region.
The 1850s saw a massive increase in Texas’ German-born population, doubling to nearly 20,000 people by the end of the decade. After the Civil War ended and the Union blockade of Confederate ports was lifted, even more Germans arrived in Texas to settle down alongside their fellow countrymen.
It was in 1890 that the peak of German influence in Texas was reached. Around 40,000 more Germans moved to Texas post-war, including Germans who had previously moved to other areas in the United States. Most of them lived in towns and cities, rather than in rural communities, and the towns like Fredericksburg and New Braunfels grew directly from German settlements. Even the population of San Antonio was one-third German by 1880!
By 1890, the steady stream of German immigrants had tapered off. As the 20th century progressed and more and more people moved to the suburbs, German influence in city centers diminished, and the concentration of Germans in Texas became more spread out.
German towns in Texas
Fredericksburg
This Central Texas town was one of the first towns established by the colonization organizations in the 1840s.
Fredericksburg is known for its wineries and distinct German heritage that is still standing today. Historical German architecture and local museums tell the tales of the colonists that made the trek from Europe to Texas, and there are plenty of wineries to visit while you’re there, too!
New Braunfels
Arguably one of the more famous German towns in Texas, New Braunfels was established in 1846 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, hence the name!
The historic downtown district still holds preserved buildings erected by the early German colonists, and the local museums, restaurants and boutiques pay homage to the culture and community for which they were designed.
Boerne
Boerne was settled in 1848 by a group of settlers from Germany, although the natural scenery is what draws in most visitors today. The local cave system, rivers and parks offer plenty of outdoor recreation to locals around, as it has for nearly two centuries.
Schulenburg
Schulenburg has German influence behind the settlement, but it’s also heavily steeped in Austrian and Czechian heritage. Be sure to stop by the Painted Churches, the old vineyards and the Texas Polka Museum for a real taste of the town’s culture and history!
Muenster
Named after the German town of the same name, many residents of Muenster spoke German up until as late as World War I!
Nowadays, visitors can visit the popular Fischer’s Meat Market, where a wide selection of cheeses, wines and cured meats are available for the perfect German picnic! It’s super close to our Dallas apartments, too, so make a point to head out there some time!
Luckenbach
You may recognize this town’s name from the popular Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings song “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love).” Country music, it happens, is the only thing keeping this little town alive nowadays.
Luckenbach was established in the mid 1800s as a small country town, and since then the town itself hasn’t grown all that much. Only two buildings still stand in the town today, and it has a booming population of about three people at most, but the town is well-known for its legendary country music history.
Large concerts and events are held in the town regularly, but since it’s so close to Fredericksburg, most visitors don’t end up staying in the tiny town after the music ends.
So, there you go! This is a very brief overview of German influence in Texas, plus some places you can visit to see that heritage in person. Hopefully you’ll be able to check these cool towns out for yourself!
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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/motorintermedia
Colleen Ford is a South African who now lives on Oahu in Hawai'i. She loves to travel, camp, spearfish and hike. She's also part of a super cool canoe club and is pretty decent at it. Colleen enjoys Star Wars and also not being cold ever.
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