Title: How German Immigrants Shaped Texas | Texas Heritage for Living
Headings: How German Immigrants Shaped Texas
How German Immigrants Shaped Texas
An Ambassador for German Texas
Chain Migration
The German Belt
A Disappearing Culture

Content: The German Belt
Although many of the new German Texans came from west-central Germany, they represented many different backgrounds and possessed varying religious traditions, educational experiences, and linguistic dialects. Some of the German immigrants were peasant farmers, while others were middle-class merchants or intellectuals. As a result, Texas’ German Belt was as heterogeneous as Germany. German settlers in the Pedernales River Valley, for example, tended to be Lutheran or Catholic, and they were known for holding community dances and forming robust social organizations. The Llano River, on the other hand, attracted German Methodists who renounced dancing and fraternal organizations. The Germans profoundly influenced the growth of Texas. They built churches, established newspapers, and founded businesses. Germans contributed to Texas architecture, food, music, and politics. German polkas helped influence Mexican Tejano music. German dance halls became centers of community life.