Conclusion

Taking a deeper look at the early history of New Braunfels it is clear that this town is surrounded in rich themes of German Culture, immigration, and many more subsets of such topics. German culture contributes to some of New Braunfels most rich history, architecture, and songs. It is also a large factor in how things are run in new braunfels such as the self segregation that was very prevalent during that time or even the type of houses they built. German Immigration themes also allow for a closer look at many historical factors influenced by the immigration, expectations of the New World, context, and the reasons that brought them there. It is obvious that such themes were imperative in the transfer of german culture and knowledge to the New World and more specifically New Braunfels.

Self Segregation of German Immigrants

German immigrants who first settled in Texas and founded cities like Fredericksburg and New Braunfels did not settle on their first choice of land. These immigrants chose their second choice of land because of an idea called self segregation. The German immigrants did not want to settle too close to any preexisting American settlements which resulted them settling farthing out than any previous group had before. This proves that the cultural importance was put far before the success of the settlements. The Goal of this was to preserve the german cultural identity and make sure no cultural blending took place. Other motivators were also the goal of making a utopian like society for them and others. These aspirations led to a preservation of of the german culture in Texas. This had many effects the most impactful is that since they were so separated from they had to solve their own problems that normally were solved by slaves in american societies. These German towns including New Braunfels would go on to use newer technology like mechanical reapers and threshers before their american counterparts. Other effects were the slowed expansion and the german language being the only language taught for some time in the societies. The most long term effect of their self segregation would be their role in texas government made impossible in early stages and delayed for many years.

Sources:

Sikes, William Henry. “The Malcontents of the Old World: German Revolutionaries in Early Texas (1842-1865).” WesScholar, Apr. 2015, wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/etd_hon_theses/1408/.

Who Is Prince Carl of Solms Braunfels?

Prince Carl is the founder of New Braunfels. He is an aristocrat that was . tasked with finding suitable land for Adelsverein company to give to the settlers that had paid either the $120 fee or the $240 fee. Upon Arrival at the land that would become the city we know today he reported that the land was Fertile with grass as tall as Stirrups. What he did not know was that that grass masked a thin layer of soil which at first could seem fertile but upon closer inspection a layer of limestone lay beneath. This layer of limestone would be the only thing left after the settlers cleared the grass in order to start farming which left the thin layer of soil exposed. This layer of soil was quickly washed away by rain which made farming impossible. Prince Carl’s lack of awareness would result in the first years of the New Braunfels Settlers being some of their worst. Upon the Founding and establishment of New Braunfels he would serve as commissioner general all the way up until he got tired of it because of his incompetence and resigned. That is the best thing he did for New Braunfels it turns out. This is because his replacement John O. Meusebach would not only later bail the Prince out from debtors prison after he tried to flee back to germany instead of pay off american debts but he also straighten out the finances of the colony and also redirected some settlers to more suitable swaths of land.

Sources:

Sikes, William Henry. “The Malcontents of the Old World: German Revolutionaries in Early Texas (1842-1865).” WesScholar, Apr. 2015, wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/etd_hon_theses/1408/.

19th Century Historical Context For immigration

There were many events that occured in germany and europe to push towards a large migration of germany’s population. As with any event in history they have a larger context that surrounds them. As for the large amount of germans coming to america, one of the main events happening in that time period is the german revolution that was put down. This in a way created a different type of immigrant. This immigrant would use the new world as an alternative to the revolution. There were also . large amounts of people being oppressed for their political views and views just in general. This created another type of immigrant that saw his immigration as unavoidable or another that protested with their act of immigration. It seems that many of the immigrants would be the losers of the revolution and decided that germany was no place for them. America Also fostered the Idea of a self made man that added to the image of the American Paradise. The Idea of the land of Unlimited opportunity would plant the seeds for immigration in a germany that was poised for it.

Source:

Gish, Theodore G., et al. Eagle in the New World: German Immigration to Texas and America. Texas A & M University Press, 1986.

German Expectations

German expectations of immigrating to america and texas were for the most part hopeful. this is especially evident in one of the most popular german immigrant songs “the Time Has Come.” This song illustrates the pure optimism of german immigrants going to the new world with lines like “we know no fear of water” and “in the forest green, where flowers abound.” However these songs only reflected what they thought of the new world and their expectations, not what their actual experiences were. Their experiences were pretty typical of immigrants being overcrowded transport and long journey. sometimes as usual disease would break out and heavy loss of life would ensue because of the lack of medical care aboard these ships. No doubt this would weaken there hopefulness of the new world before even arriving. These expectations were further shaped by the type of people who wanted to immigrate. The demographics that wanted to come were mostly made up of people who’s opportunity was waning. Farmers who had little land or artisans who’s market was already oversaturated with people who were more established. America as a whole and Texas to a further extent provided the opportunity they needed to succeed.

Source:

Gish, Theodore G., et al. Eagle in the New World: German Immigration to Texas and America. Texas A & M University Press, 1986.

German Cultural Draws

When many germans decided to embark on the next major step of their lives they didn’t just bring their families, they brought many aspects of their culture too. Things like their architecture and language would have a lasting impact on the regions they settled in. Although their architecture at first would’ve looked very similar to any other american settler in New Braunfels it would take a turn to reflect more traditional german housing. This mainly came out of a necessity to have a proper foundation for civilization to build upon. what you would see over time is the german settler making a home using the same techniques that he would’ve used in Germany, but it should be said that the german settler never completely copied the german design for their houses as the terrain didn’t permit it. What resulted was a house comprised of both timber and rock which had German architectural features. This differed from American housing which were usually just the classic log cabin. The most notable feature of german housing was their addition of fachwerk or half-timbering to their houses. Another Large influence is the german language which was kept alive in the area for quite sometime pretty much until World War 1. Their language was taught in schools alongside all the way up until WW1. No doubt the german influence of language would’ve been stronger in the beginning years of New Braunfels and other settlements alike. This is mainly because of the homogenous relationship that the germans had in their communities. The german community at first was not too willing to let outsiders in and would rather stay with other german speakers, but this would change over time.

Sources:

Wilhelm, Hubert. “Organized German Settlement and Its Effects on the Frontier of South-Central Texas.” Find in a Library with WorldCat, 8 Nov. 2018, http://www.worldcat.org/title/organized-german-settlement-and-its-effects-on-the-frontier-of-south-central-texas/oclc/6486581.

Gish, Theodore G., et al. Eagle in the New World: German Immigration to Texas and America. Texas A & M University Press, 1986.

Influential Cultural Factors

When the first german immigrants arrived in Texas to settler their first city they were not dealing with an untouched environment. The land they settled was considered the frontier of the time however much of the land had already traveled for people like the natives, spanish and anglo settlers. these three major groups contributed the most to the emergence and blending of the culture in new braunfels. The spanish at a first glance left little impact on a region that they only saw strategic value in keeping because of the threat other nearby powers posed to their hegemony. however it would be their policies that would pave the way for anglo settlers to come settle the area as well. This was accomplished with the idea that the anglo settlers would act as a shield against any native american attacks which would be proposed by the spanish and carried out with mexicans whenever their rise to power came. the Natives Also influenced the culture in the area with the use of constant raids that targeted horses and livestock. these raids were so frequent because they really were on the frontier right next to the natives border. Although for a while the relations between the natives and germans in the new braunfels area were not ideal at first, the natives would spare them for whatever their reason may have been. Anglo settlers were also a major influence. this is mostly due to their large commitment towards slavery and keeping alive. because of spain’s and later mexico’s loose policies on who could come and settle many anglos traveled to texas for cheap land and a place to keep slavery alive which no doubt had an impact on the local region.

Sources:

Wilhelm, Hubert. “Organized German Settlement and Its Effects on the Frontier of South-Central Texas.” Find in a Library with WorldCat, 8 Nov. 2018, http://www.worldcat.org/title/organized-german-settlement-and-its-effects-on-the-frontier-of-south-central-texas/oclc/6486581.

Gish, Theodore G., et al. Eagle in the New World: German Immigration to Texas and America. Texas A & M University Press, 1986.

The Introduction

German immigration to Texas is not just as simple as Germans saw an opportunity and took it. The story of German immigration has a much bigger scope than one might think at first glance. Encompassing subjects such as German culture both in Germany and in Texas, the geographical effect on their culture, and different points of view from that time period i will aim to analyze the different themes that are important to the topic of New Braunfels. The Subject of german immigration is an integral part of New Braunfels story because it provides one larger topic, of which, you can dissect to expose different subsets of subjects that lie within. So In order to effectively explain the different aspects of what makes New Braunfels what it is, it is important to take a deeper look into what circumstances in history allowed New Braunfels to be manifested in reality by looking at the different themes that influenced the city such as Immigration and Culture.