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50@50 – German Colonies, TX

I am fascinated by the decisions our ancestors made to leave their homeland and come here without a clue. At this point, it’s hard for me to imagine going anywhere without researching it on the internet, or at least using a map and ordering a color brochure.  In these blogs, I’m trying to get the back story. In some cases, the old world is so perfectly replicated, it makes me wonder why they left, if the point was to only recreate what they left.

As immigration to Texas increased after Mexican independence in 1836 and statehood in 1845, a proportionately large concentration of immigrants came from the German states – fled is more like it. The country could no longer feed itself adequately, and cholera epidemics broke out in the cities. Books published in the 1830s and early 1840s romantically “depicted in glowing terms the great personal liberty and the plentiful and productive land to be found in Texas.” [1] Thus, the Republic of Texas seemed an ideal place to go. The emigration was a concerted effort of 21 noblemen to enable German citizens to flee economic and political persecution and establish a German colony within the state of Texas.

Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels purchased land at the confluence of the Comal Springs and Guadelupe River. Only one in four survived the journey – most died of fever and starvation here – from the Texas coast.  After much hardship, hundreds, then hundreds more immigrants settled in New Braunfels.[2] Fredericksburg, the society’s second colony, was established by Baron Ottfried von Meusebach (later John Meusebach) in 1846.  In 1847 five more settlements-Bettina, Castell, Leiningen, Meerholz, and Schoenburg-were established in the vicinity of the Llano River. Ultimately, over 7,000 Germans settled in the Texas Hill Country in the 1840s.[3]

So if old world German culture is so entrenched here, how did the land impact the culture? The most visible is the fusion of architecture. There are plenty of classic German looking buildings, but also an abundance of buildings constructed of local limestone. The noblemen were not completely altruistic – they had commercial plans to export the bounty of Texas back to Germany.  Cotton was the cash crop near New Braunfels in the 19^th century, but today, it is the Comal and Guadalupe – the rivers upon which the city was founded.  While not much thrives in the rocky craggy landscape of Fredericksburg, wine grows very well here; the surrounding region has become the heart of Texas wine country. The land enticed thousands to come here, and its enduring landscape and culture continue to beckon.

The most iconic hike in the hill country is the climb up, or the hike around Enchanted Rock, a national Natural landmark. About 20 miles north of Fredericksburg, this 325-foot pink granite dome is the second largest monolith in North America. The Rock began as a bubble of liquid magma beneath the surface, and as it cooled became a column of granite. As the surrounding rock erodes, the surface continues to emerge. Over time, the dome’s heating and cooling have created granite sheets that look like they could just flake off. A Rock Fissure developed under stone blocks along a “sheeting joint”. It is one of the largest known granite caves. Other smaller caves called A-tent caves formed by sections of exfoliated sheets of rock. Human history here is 12,000 years old. More than 114 archaeological sites, some up to an acre in size, have been unearthed. When the wind blows, and when the air temperature changes at night, noises seem to emanate from inside the rock.[4]  Native Americans considered the rock sacred, the home of spirts.[5]

The hike UP the mountain is not nearly as intimidating as it looks. If you go in the summer, hike the peak in the morning. Having hiked around the rock a couple of times, I remembered it as a pretty easy four mile walk. I must have gotten lost going through Echo Canyon, a rocky stream on the far side. I found myself halfway up the dome, and scrambled over boulders to get down. Not sure what went wrong, but the trails diverge and converge, so sometimes it’s tough to know which one you’re on.

The caves are cool, but the park recommends an experienced guide if going in beyond a few feet.  As with all of the hill country, the wildlife is diverse.  Interesting species include the collared lizard, a green, yellow and red iguana cousin with a black-and-white collar and, of course, deer.  Keep an eye out for a variety of birds such as mockingbirds, hawks, doves as well as quail.

So while the German aristocracy and colonists came to central Texas for the apparent reasons of political and economic freedom, it was the landscape and its promise of economic potential, for some, and a bountiful life for others that brought them here.