Similarities Between Mexican And German Mosaic

Mutual Mosaics: Deutschland and the Lone Star State

Mosaics:

There are cultural mosaics on display. New England, Britain, Midwest, they all look similar. Except the last two: Germany and Texas. These mosaics are different from the others, yet share various overlaps with each other. The Texan’s cultural mosaic has many German cultural elements, and the German cultural mosaic has many Texan cultural elements. Coincidence? No. Then How? Both Germans and Texans have influenced each other, and this contributes to the uniqueness to their mosaics.

How it All Started:

The lack of land, economic opportunities, religious freedom, and political oppression pushed Germans out of Europe in the 1670s. Hoping for a better life, a large number of German

immigrants came to the British colonies, mostly settling in New York and Pennsylvania. Many of these immigrants were farmers, so they used the most fertile land, where their farming skills would pay off. These events would cause many other Germans to migrate to this new land filled with possibilities.

Finding the Pieces: Early Settlers
Texas was one of the best destinations for German immigration. Texas had liberty, opportunities, and more land than other states. These factors attracted many Germans. Frederick Ernst obtained land in Austin County in 1831. More families joined him, and by 1930, Germans were 36% of "foreign white stock" in Texas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Germans typically resided and clustered in south-central Texas. Because of the vast amount of land, most farmed and some owned companies. Later, in 1842, the Adelsverein was formed. The Adelsverein worked to establish a new Germany inside Texas, since they saw that Texas had much potential. The Adelsverein helped thousands of Germans come to Texas, and the 1840s were the time of largest immigration. As a result, settlements including New Braunfels and Fredericksburg were established.

This was the first step in forming the unique mosaics: finding the pieces.

A Piece for the German Mosaic: German-Texan Dialect
The German language was widely spoken throughout Texas, particularly Central Texas. However, due to isolation from Germany, the language developed differently in Texas than in Germany and other places in the United States. According to Gilbert J. Jordan, a professor of German at Southern Methodist University, a kind of German-Texan dialect developed in the state. Dr. Hans Boas at the University of Texas, also studying the dialect, says, “It's an odd mixture of English and 19th-century German." "Hardly any of the Texas Germans speak alike. There's a lot of variation in the dialect. Texas German borrows about 5 to 6 percent of its vocabulary from English, creating words like 'der cowboy.”

English Word
German-Texan Word
German Word
Skunk
die Stinkkatze
das Stinktier
Airplane
das Luftschiff
das Flugzeug
Squirrel
die Eichkatz
das Eichhörnchen
Fence/Fencepost
die Fence and die Fencepost
der Zaun, der Zaunpfahl

Rope
das Rope
das Seil
Car
die Car
das Auto
Creek
die Creek
der Bach
Judge
der Judge
der Richter

This dialect impacted the German mosaic greatly.

The German language was influenced by Texan words, becoming a distinct society.

A Piece for the Texan Mosaic: Music and Early Festivals

The German Texans had singing societies: the San Antonio Männergesang-Verein (1847), New Braunfels Germania (1850), Austin Männerchor (1852), and Houston Männer-Gesangverein. Early German Texan festivals comprised of a large gathering of singing societies for “Saengerfest” and “Volkfest” in 1853. Settlers came from throughout the state to New Braunfels, the “German center for Texas,” to see the celebrations. Germans also formed the Texas State Sängerbund (singers' league). In Texas, German singers were ”prime promoters of serious music” before World War

I.

This was a crucial piece for the Texan mosaic.

The German music increased the Texans’ awareness and appreciation for German music and culture, resulting in Texans engaging in the activities.

A Piece for the German Mosaic: Civil War

During the Civil War time, German Texan culture faced its first challenge: many Germans sided with the Union, which was unpopular in the South. After the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Germans lived in relative inconspicuousness as teachers, doctors, civil servants, politicians, musicians, farmers, and ranchers.[5] They founded the towns of Bulverde, Boerne, Walburg, and Comfort in Texas Hill Country, and Schulenburg and Weimar to the east.

In the Northern U.S, Germans also supported the union, but there, many other people supported the union too. Those Germans did not have to try to blend into their environment, so the German culture expanded more in the North than in Texas.

This contributed to the German mosaic being more mixed with Texas.

A Piece for German and Texan Mosaics: World

Wars
When the U.S and Germany “faced off in the hostilities of World War I,” anti-German feelings spread more through the country and state. German Texans hoped to blend more into the English culture. For example, the German farmers of Brandenburg in West Texas changed their community’s name to Old Glory. Schmidts became Smiths, and the German Cemetery became Washington Cemetery. The feeling continued after the first world war. In 1919, the University of Texas at Austin German department’s appropriations were vetoed by Governor Hobby.

This made the German mosaic become even more Texan.

War heroes such as Chester Nimitz and Dwight Eisenhower also made up the mosaic. Nimitz was a fleet admiral of the United States Navy. He was crucial in World War II, being a Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet. Dwight Eisenhower also served in the world war. Eisenhower was a general of the United States Army and was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe. He was also the 34th President of the United States.

These heroes impacted the Texan and German Mosaics by contributing to the Allied forces winning World War II and decreasing tensions between German-Texans and Texans.

By the late 1950s and early 1960s, the the anti-German feelings gradually melted away. German Texans were eager to celebrate their culture again with festivals throughout the state.

A Piece for the Texan Mosaic: German Festivals in Texas
The current German festivals include Wurstfest and other Oktoberfests. Wurstfest (started in 1961), is one of the most popular German festivals. It occurs annually in New Braunfels. In Fredericksburg, Oktoberfest has been observed for the past 15 years. Visitors come to indulge in the delectable German food, entertainment, and arts and crafts. The Winedale Historical Association also puts on a smaller Oktoberfest, which has more of a Texan feeling to it. The German music is mixed with bluegrass and folk, which makes it more of a German-Texan festival. Other cities and towns also celebrate Oktoberfest.

These festivals influenced the Texan Mosaic by helping to spread the German vibe to people in Texas.

A Piece for the Texan Mosaic: German-Texan Organizations
Some German-Texan cultural organizations include the Sophienburg Museum in New Braunfels, the Pioneer Museum in Fredericksburg, the Witte-Schmid Haus Museum in Austin County, the German-Texan Heritage Society, and the Texas German Society.

These organizations contribute to the Texan Mosaic by increasing awareness of the German culture in Texas and providing information and history about the German culture.

Preserving the Mosaics: Keeping the Spark Lit
Both Texans and Germans influenced each other, turning each other into original cultures. Therefore, German and Texan Mosaics are special, and their spark should be kept lit. German Texans, festivals, and organizations help achieve this. With this fondness and appreciation for German culture, the spark for German and Texan Mosaics will be twinkling for eternity.

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