Somewhere in Texas: The “Vereinskirche” is on the “Marktplatz”, the “Biergarten” is opposite the “Lindenbaum” restaurant. Probably nowhere else in the USA is it as German as in this city.
In no other American city is the German heritage as visible as in Fredericksburg – which is why it is popularly known as “Fritztown”. People come from all over the world to see the place. According to the leitmotif “Texan hospitality, German culture” they want to preserve their German roots.
The National Museum for the Pacific War is on “Nimitz-Platz” – not “Square” as is usual in the USA. The notice “English also spoken” hangs in many shop windows. And if you are looking for a room, you might find something in the “Gästehaus Schmidt”.
Nobles established German settlements in the United States
Why is Fredericksburg so German? Fredericksburg was already a destination for German immigrants in the 19th century. In 1842 they founded an association near Mainz to promote German settlements. He helped bring numerous settlers to the American Southwest. For example, some historic cities like Fredericksburg are still German-speaking today and are also quite German culturally.
Fredericksburg has its own German dialect
At that time, Fredericksburg even developed its own language. “It’s a mix of different German dialects, but from the 1840s,” explained Fredericksburg’s Mayor Linda Langerhans back in 2016. If something new was added, a separate word had to be invented. “An airplane, for example, is an ‘airship’.” And what other Americans call “skunk” is called “skunk cat” here. Texas German is a linguist’s treat.
A test on Main Street, just off the “City Cemetery”. How do Texans react when you give them a friendly “Hello!” shouts. “Guden Tack,” a woman calls back with a laugh and adds, in English: “But that’s all German that I know.”
Another passer-by reacts to the “Good day!” with an English “Can I help? Are you looking for something?”. Then he, too, regrets that German isn’t far off. “My grandparents spoke it fluently. It might be enough for me to order a beer.”
Unusual for the USA: Christmas presents on December 24th.
The mayor also fears that her generation will be the last to speak Texas German. “It survived two world wars, but is now being crowded out by immigrants from other parts of the United States or from Latin America.” But just as she still has some pieces of furniture that her ancestors came with nearly two centuries ago, she also upholds tradition. “And everyone does that here, even if they no longer speak German. It makes us unique and that’s why hundreds of thousands of people come to us every year.”
Everything has a special advantage for the children: Everywhere in the USA, they receive Christmas presents on the morning of December 25th. “Not with us,” says Langerhans with a smile, “with us quite German the evening before.”
What is there to see in Fredericksburg?
In addition to the wide main street with many galleries and souvenir shops, there are other special features in the small town: for example the “Sunday Houses”, which German farmers from the region built for their weekends in Fredericksburg. But also the Vereinskirche in the city center or the Pioneer Museum, which offers insights into the everyday life of the first German settlers, are worth seeing.
And nothing stands in the way of eating like in Germany: traditional German cooking and baking is done in restaurants, bistros and bakeries. Even beer gardens do not have to be missed by visitors here. “The Auslander Restaurant & Biergarten” has been serving German dishes, beer and a suitable garden since 1979. On the weekends there is sometimes live music on site.