The Birth of German Texas, Industry and New Braunfels

[@zaphod22]

Great video, thanks. I descended from the Thielepape family. Brothers George and Wilhelm arrived in Indianola. My great great great Grandfather George, a civl engineer and draftsman, settled in Austin and became one of it's most prominent citizens. Wilhelm, an architect, engineer, music composer and lithographer, went on to become Mayor of San Antonio. According to the diary of Prince Carl of Solm Braunfels, Thielepape traveled with him extensively when he first visited Texas.

[@stephanielitton2929]

My Family immigrated to first Industry, then New Ulm in the 1800's. My Gr. Gr. Grandmother lost both her Parents on the journey aboard the Hamburg. She disembarked at Galveston with only her two sisters and they were taken in by the Dorbritz Family. Thank you for sharing this!

[@texan-american200]

Your little videos reminds me of the old "Eyes of Texas" show that was broadcast here in Houston by a fascinating elderly gentleman, Ray Miller. He had me glued to the TV for years.

[@secretsoftexas6872]

Thank you for such a great compliment

[@lucindas2931]

I love your videos. My mom’s folks came from Germany and settled west of San Antonio near Hondo. Thanks for showing this part of Texas!

[@bonnieharris8112]

My great grandparents and grandparents on my dad's side and my great grandparents on my mother's side were Germans from Russia.

[@rockyracoon3233]

@@bonnieharris8112 . Love hearing this as I am a rabid Germanophile!♡

[@virgieortiz5213]

Thank You really injoy your video.

[@WalksandSuch]

You are correct that the Spanish didn't settle the hill country per se.....except for San Antonio obviously which isn't hill country but its very close....but they did explore much of it as the first Europeans....Comal Springs, in the center of New Braunfels, was first discovered by the Spanish almost two centuries before any Germans arrived to the area. Sincerely, a New Braunfel resident of Mexican and German heritage. In a similar vein, that's why lots of towns have German names, but rivers, counties, hills, canyons etc. have Spanish names.

[@Kryotek7]

I moved to Houston about 4 years ago from the U.K. One of the weirder things that is never spoken about is the German history, particularly in Texas. I get that it’s strongly affected by WWI and WWII but the Germanic influence is huge. Whether it’s Schlitterbahn, BBQ meats, breweries like Karbach and Spoetzl, the strong engineering roots, etc. I had thought with Houston and Dallas being named after Scottish names that would be a stronger influence but the Germanic influence is vastly stronger.

[@rockyracoon3233]

Similar to Britain's monarchy. lol

[@dertrixxxa8317]

great video! greetings from germany 🇩🇪👍🏻🇺🇸

[@secretsoftexas6872]

Thanks for visiting

[@kj9217]

I live in New Braunfels, it's like the 4th fastest growing city in the Country. I promise, it's not a secret anymore 😢😢

[@mindyourbusiness302]

It'll be ruined soon..

[@juneweimar1064]

I know, I’m being suffocated with so many people moving here😩😩😩

[@TheCowboyRN1]

Ditto, it’s blowing up. I only hope it stays the same and they don’t screw it up. I don’t want to move again.

[@juneweimar1064]

@@TheCowboyRN1 heard a couple of days ago that there are currently 80 subdivisions going up in NB.🤮

[@f3uibeghardt522]

Sorry to hear that. Your city _will_ fast become a noisy, dilapidated cesspool, and you won't even hear English being spoken anymore. Ironically, despite them building all around your once-isolated, bucolic property, you'll actually feel _more_ alienated and alone. Oh well, it's all worth it so long as no one thinks I'm a bigot, which is definitely the worst thing a human being could possibly be. No, but anyway, the aforementioned hypothetical is exactly what happened to me. It used to be eerily isolated with no neighbors within a 3-mile radius and you could see every single star in the night sky. But sure as the sun rises in the east, the suburban sprawl of cheap housing and repetitive shopping centers that pop up seemingly overnight has subsumed it, and I now have the distinct privilege of getting to hear my vibrant new neighbors blaring godawful Tejano music every night until 4am so loudly that my walls shake. I also love how my other neighbors beautified my formerly scenic view by effectively making a junk yard/impound lot comprised of towers of rusted-out cars, decaying mattresses and bathtubs, and children's swing sets overgrown with weeds. Both political parties push for this endless growth because they care more about the GDP and the economy than they do a healthy and happy populace, so I don't see it ending any time soon.

[@vernicejillmagsino9603]

Eisenhower was a German American born in Texas but he was I don’t know if he has roots in Austin but he was born in other town/city in Texas

[@dombutler7685]

Great video, thanks!

[@jorgepozo8793]

Thank you i love Texas My wife she is from San Antonio thank you 🤠

[@Transterra55]

Fascinating and informative! Greetings from Tennessee...

[@gregorymoore2877]

I was hoping you would not miss the cemetery in Industry with the spectacular view from the top of the hill. (There's a similar such view from the cemetery in Bastrop.) The miniature railroad in Landa Park, New Braunfels is a nice ride.

[@Accolaidia777]

My ancestors on my Moms side came in through Indianolia and settled in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg. When we have company come in from out of town we take them down to Landa Park to the springs and have them drink out of the springs it is rumor that they will return

[@haivannguyen6812]

It's so pretty German town inTexas. That's interesting. Thank.

[@Cdotown3664hello]

Great videos! I was just watching the recent southwestern small towns video - thank you for the information. You are probably quite familiar with Houston. Not open yet bc of COVID, but a must-see, is the Julia Ideson Library, currently named the HMRC. Also, the Bethel Church Park in Midtown on 801 Andrews St has an interesting history. And one of my favorite areas and towns - Comfort, Texas (sorry if it's in one of your videos - I'm still watching them all!). Thanks again for sharing these Texas places!

[@cowboygeologist7772]

Very fascinating video. Thanks for posting. I would like to go there. I wonder how people were treated there during WW2.

[@secretsoftexas6872]

Though I didn't explore this part of history for the video, I would imagine that the culture may have faded considerably during this time.

[@luperamos7307]

This is a really really good channel. I usually never subscribe and don't even live in Texas.

[@PatrickPrejusa]

love your videos

[@zacsauceda6577]

also heard rumors growing up that the faust hotel was haunted by ghost. have had family and friends work there encounter supernatural things. i love NB and miss it

[@edwarddawn2277]

The old LCRA power plant building that you briefly showed around 7:35 was once the largest power plant this side of the Mississippi, well worth a look inside if you ever get the chance. The building actually has 2 sub-basements and still smells of ozone to this day.

[@secretsoftexas6872]

I'd definitely like to go inside. It looks like maybe it's an apartment or condo building now?

[@edwarddawn2277]

@@secretsoftexas6872 it is, I lived on the the 7th floor for several years. The steal superstructure is riveted (build before welding) and the central atrium is an 8 story space going all the way up. Just off of that downtown circle we have Naegelins German Bakery which is the oldest in all of Texas (open since 1868)

[@boodog4023]

So cool. That looks like my sort of town: German, an artesian spring, beer-fest. Interestingly you showed a Methodist and an independent Protestant church but no Lutheran one (a building with a red door though). They must have come from Northern Germany, but I didn't check the names you cited. Thanks for the vid!

[@secretsoftexas6872]

Some of the earliest settlers were from NW Germany. I didn't study the religious background of the Germans very heavily for this (though in hindsight maybe I should have), but I know that in general they were mixed in that regard.

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

LOTS of Germans settled the USA. I’m third born to RussianGermans in US from Russia. LOTS of Germans in Russia too.

[@rockyracoon3233]

I'm a loud and proud Germanophile!♡

[@SMartinTX]

My grandparents on my father's side were Volga Germans.

[@MTknitter22]

Hill Country towns really growing.

[@marklingerfelt4965]

My mothers family came from Industry. Settled their in 1830.

[@TxHornyToad]

I look forward to your videos. Some how you always manage to arrange blue bird sky days.

[@secretsoftexas6872]

In some of my upcoming videos I wasn't so fortunate. We've had a lot of cloudy days lately.

[@jennifergarrett6809]

80 years ago my grandfather worked on the railroad. He and one other man had one of those hand cars to put their equipment on to do spot work. He said that suddenly they heard a train whistle and knew that the train had not been diverted. They quickly got up and began pumping as hard and fast as they could. They had to signal the train to slow till they could get help to remove the car from the track. Said he never had felt so close to death.

[@choicewoods889]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO SIR

[@dorothygale5896]

My people were Wends. They settled in the area of Serbin, TX.

[@secretsoftexas6872]

I'm definitely going to that area soon. Thanks

[@cowboywoodard2569]

I was raised here and in Elementary we,spoke German

[@williamgray8499]

Industry has an important Vortac Navaid if you're flying into Houston from the westerly direction.

[@vernonsanders371]

Texas is Gods country so much beauty

[@kentcourtney5535]

It is okay to do Fredericksburg. The large towns have “ Secrets”, too.

[@secretsoftexas6872]

I'll definitely put some thought into it. There are probably a few hundred Fredericksburg videos on KZbin though. Maybe I'll try to find a unique angle.

[@bonnieharris8112]

Large towns were once small towns, and all towns have secrets.

[@rockyracoon3233]

@@bonnieharris8112 . True.

[@clarencehammer3556]

I wonder how many people in New Braunfels speak German as their first language.

[@eima4547]

If they do, it's in an old country dialect..

[@timothykeith1367]

Only the ones who are German immigrants

[@SMartinTX]

Maybe a few elderly, but that would be it.

[@zacsauceda6577]

mill looks old in this video (faust st bridge). those trees on the right aren’t there anymore

[@johnstauffer1032]

New Braunfels is no longer a quaint little town, so many people from other states are moving here Farm land is dissapearing so fast people are selling out being offered big bucks to come in to build housing. Supply and demand have led to bidding wars on housing, average 4 bed 3 bath is around half a million dollars, commercial sites are popping up all around.

[@texascajun4023]

❤️

[@gamingninja_77]

I live in new Braunfels so this is true

[@crosscastle100]

Schroeder-one pronounced “ a”

[@secretsoftexas6872]

From most sources I've seen to pronounce in proper German the r would be almost silent but as an "oo" not "a". Even with that looks I still didn't get it right.

[@cowboywoodard2569]

All of the hill country is German

[@Sladed]

I just came to say please stop moving here, we have enough people.

[@cowboywoodard2569]

Landa park

[@Nivasi]

Actually the Guadalupe River is better to Tube down!

[@karienslaven9095]

So why is it predominately hispanic population now?

[@mindyourbusiness302]

This is Texas with mostly Hispanic people 😋

[@brushcountry6361]

Duh

[@karienslaven9095]

Someone on youtube told me new braunfels is for Hispanics because it's texas so why does it have a German name sholdnt it have A hispanic name if all of texas is really Mexico in america????????????

[@brandonlopez7683]

There’s a lot of Hispanics but the name of the city is based on the history behind the city. Not based on who lives in it. A little racey there...

[@karienslaven9095]

@@brandonlopez7683 if you didn't think about racism you would realize it's just a question nothing else don't prove the point

[@edmonddantes3640]

Texas was settled by people of many nations, so the towns they built have names related to their background. It gives our state a cultural richness of which Texans are very proud.

[@karienslaven9095]

@@edmonddantes3640 thank you sir you are a gentleman answering my question an not putting a hateful racist remark in your reply now I understand Thanks again godbless you

[@nomaderic]

@@karienslaven9095 you're literally the one that brought up race then accused a Hispanic person of being racist. You said "texas is basically just mexico"

[@TexasTrails]

Many of Germans that came into Tejas in the 1830s, came in as illegal immigrants and illegally owend black slaves, whiich was against the law. Gernans did settle in the hill country, but again, illegally on land that was occupied by Native Americans. Tell the story, but please, be truthful.

[@yolandagarza8489]

Well said👍

[@eima4547]

Research the Battle of Nueces before you hate on all the German settlers. I feel it would be ignorant to think that decent individuals didn't exist throughout history.

[@edmonddantes3640]

Practice what you preach about being truthful. ' illegal immigrant" when pertaining to the settling of America is a simplistic and stereotypical belief. History is full of times when one people conquered others, the Norman invasion of England.the Muslim Ottoman Empire, the Zulu conquest of Southern Africa, even the American Indians pushed other tribes from their land. As for the German settlers of Texas, they had agreements with the local tribes for many years. They also didn't own slaves. But is typical of some, you're here to smugly virtue signal with a shallow and falsely progressive view of Texas history and make everything raaaaaaaacist

[@rockyracoon3233]

@@edmonddantes3640 . WELL said!!!

[@veritaslibertas4976]

Literally every single thing you said is wrong. First, Germans were vehemently opposed to slavery and even sided with the Union in the Civil War. Many of them were lynched and imprisoned as a result. Second, they did not come illegally. They settled Texas on land grants from Mexico, who was unable to settle it themselves, due to resistance from Natives. Mexicans even supplied some of their own Texas towns like Gonzalez with cannons to use against Natives. Third, they did not settle on land occupied by Natives. Their original Fisher-Miller land grant was in Native territory, and as such, they did not settle there, but further south. And the towns they settled were done so with cooperation with the native Comanches. In fact, the treaty between Baron Meusebach and the Comanches is believed to be the only treaty between Natives and settlers that was never broken by either group. You seriously need to educate yourself before spouting off your nonsense.

[@jennifergarrett6809]

80 years ago my grandfather worked on the railroad. He and one other man had one of those hand cars to put their equipment on to do spot work. He said that suddenly they heard a train whistle and knew that the train had not been diverted. They quickly got up and began pumping as hard and fast as they could. They had to signal the train to slow till they could get help to remove the car from the track. Said he never had felt so close to death.