Newsletter of the German Dialect Project (TGDP) The Texas German Times

DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 12

Premiere of All Güt Things: The Texas German Story

ElderHall Texas Inde- TGDP Milestones pendent Film Festival in 2018– 2019 Blanco, and Best Local Film at the Billy the Kid  The TGDP has inter- Film Festival in Hico, viewed 68 new speakers Texas. The film has also since December 2018. been submitted to  TGDP members presented SXSW in Austin. outreach talks at the LBJ Due to its success, the State Park and Historic Site team behind All Güt in Stonewall, the Annual Things has decided to Convention of the Texas All Güt Things: The Texas screenings in Arlington, continue to develop the German Society in March German Story started in Houston, Dallas, Austin, film into a feature length 2019 and the 2019 Annual 2014 as a five-minute and Stonewall. It premi- version. As part of their conference of the German- short film by Chase Ho- ered at the Hill Country efforts to raise funds to Texas Heritage Society in naker. Since then, Ho- Film Festival in Freder- help accomplish this, Temple (September 2019). naker and his team have icksburg in April and the All Güt Things team  TGDP members presented expanded the film into a played at the Rockport has made their merchan- academic talks at work- 35 minute documentary Film Festival in October dise available on Etsy shops and conferences in film about German im- and at the University of (store: WorkshedCrea- Bloomington (IN), Madi- migration to Texas, the Würzburg (Germany) in tive). A digital download son (WI), Iowa City (IA), Texas German experi- July. The film was of the film is included Berlin (Germany), and Seoul (South Korea). ence, and the rise and awarded Best Short with purchases over fall of the Texas Ger- Documentary and Best $30. To watch the film,  For a list of recent TGDP man dialect. of Festival at the Trib- visit https:// publications, see p. 5. The documentary has ute Film Festival in Abi- vimeo.com/313558411 been screened through- lene, best Texas Short (password: out Texas, including test Film at the inaugural Texasgerman). African American Texas German speakers Inside this issue: It was both unexpected UT Austin graduate to amicable dealings Texas Polish update 2, 3 and peculiar when our David Huenlich has set between Germans and Alkek Foundation 2 interviewers learned out to investigate these African Americans in during a 2015 TGDP accounts of African- the era of Jim Crow. A donation field trip that there used American German German enthusiast re- TGDP resources 4 to be black German speakers: why did they calls: “It’d be ten or speakers throughout acquire German in an twelve of us maybe, African American 1, 5 central Texas. Texas increasingly English- normally half of them Texas Germans Germans related stories speaking environment? black and half white… Featured TGDP 4 about German-speaking Were the reasons mainly But that didn’t make Alum African Americans in economic or were there any difference. We’d Lee County, Fayette other factors? How did have us a ball TGDP publications 5 County, and Austin Germans relate to racial game” (Vaught 2013, County. Some of the segregation? Research The Farmers Game, speakers passed away on baseball in rural Tex- p.68). only recently. as, for example, points cont on p. 5 Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

ISSUE 12 Page 2

Update: The Texas Polish Dialect Project (TPDP) It has been a year since the Boas and the TGDP, they The Texas Polish Dialect these interviews in the Texas announcement of the found- began to interview as many Project (TPDP) continues Polish Dialect Archive ing of the Texas Polish Dia- speakers of Texas Polish as to conduct research in (TPDA) online, which will lect Project (TPDP). In early they could as quickly as pos- representative Texas soon be available. The TPDA 2017, the TPDP’s founders, sible. Many very enthusiastic Polish speech communi- will allow users to listen to Agnieszka Makles and John people have expressed their ties. The main goal of the these interviews and hear ex- Benjamin, began meeting interest and readiness in par- TPDP is to preserve the amples of this rich language. about Texas Polish and de- ticipating in the TPDP. To Texas Polish dialect as a Future interviews conducted cided to learn more about date, the TPDP has record- record of the rich cultural will then be added to the the community and the lan- ed interviews with 27 speak- and linguistic traditions of TPDA. Please look out for guage. Following initial re- ers from Cestohowa, Panna its residents and to allow the web address, coming search, they discovered that Maria, Pawelekville, Kenne- anyone interested, espe- soon! there was much more work dy, and . The cially community mem- to do to learn about and TPDP thus consists of ap- bers and researchers ac- Polish Texans preserve the language and proximately 15 hours of vo- cess to a repository of the Immigrants from Poland, spe- thus proposed a project cabulary and stories from dialect. Members of the cifically from Upper Silesia modeled on the Texas Ger- Texas Polish speakers along TPDP thus carry out in- near Opole, first arrived in man Dialect Project with an additional 10 hours terviews with speakers of Texas in the mid 19th century (TGDP) and the Texas of biographical background Texas Polish. The TPDP and became the first perma- Czech Legacy Project. After to better understand the is currently in the process nent Polish settlers in the receiving support from Hans wider community. of digitizing and storing cont on p. 3 Alkek Foundation makes a generous donation to support TGDP graduate research assistant One of the most port the Texas Ger- important tasks of man Dialect Project the TGDP is to with funding for a find and interview year-long Graduate people across the Research Assistant Lone Star State who position during the can still speak Tex- 2019-2020 academic as German. Organ- year. This generous izing and conducting these herself, while at other times outreach workshop in funding has allowed the interviews requires a lot of the GRA takes a group of January, presenting talks TGDP to hire Margo Blevins, time and is typically handled undergraduate and/or grad- at meetings of German who is currently writing her by a graduate research assis- uate students along to help heritage organizations dissertation in the Depart- tant (GRA) from the De- out with interviews, which across Texas, and pre- ment of Germanic Studies, to partment of Germanic Stud- can take up to an entire day. senting talks at academic continue recording more of ies at UT Austin. Over the The GRA then also oversees conferences. In other the remaining speakers of past five years, various grad- the editing, transcription, words: the GRA is crucial Texas German and to archive uate students have filled that and translation of the inter- to the on-going success these recordings in the Texas role, some of which you views by other students of the TGDP. However, German Dialect Archive. We have read about in this working for the TGDP and finding sufficient funding are extremely grateful for the newsletter: Ryan Dux, David is crucial to a number of to support a GRA year-by generous support by the Al- Huenlich, Alexander Lorenz, other important TGDP -year is no easy task. bert and Margaret Alkek and currently Margo tasks and activities, including In the spring of this year, Foundation. Blevins. the following: publishing the we learned that the Albert Sometimes the GRA con- yearly TGDP newsletter, and Margaret Alkek ducts interviews by him-/ organizing the TX German Foundation would sup- Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Page 3 ISSUE 12

TPDP Update, cont. cont. from p. 2 Hansa One. While in the United States. They fol- Slavic Department at UT lowed Father Leopold Austin from 2016–19, she Moczygemba, born in 1824 met many Polish speakers in the Silesian village of and members of the Texas Płużnica, who arrived in Silesian community who 1852 to provide missionary expressed interest in a pro- service to German settlers ject preserving the language in New Braunfels. The first and was inspired by the 150 settlers set sail in Octo- Texas German Dialect Pro- ber 1854 and reached Gal- ject (TGDP) to start the veston on December 3. Via TPDP. Agnieszka is origi- Indianola, they headed to nally from Silesia near San Antonio to meet Father Częstochowa and feels Moczygemba, arriving on strongly tied to Texas Silesi- December 21. The majority ans as they share a common traveled with him and The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church homeland. founded what is today Pan- in Cestohowa, TX John Benjamin (john.benjamin@westpoint. in ebbs and flows, and in disperse around the state edu) is Assistant Professor 1867, the founding of New and country seeking other of German in the Depart- Waverly in Walker County opportunities. The language ment of Foreign Languages signaled the beginning of was also taught less in at the United States Military the East Texas Polish com- schools. Whatever the rea- Academy West Point. While munities of the Diocese of sons, the rapid process of receiving his PhD in the Galveston. Americanization intensified Department of Germanic Well into the 20th-century, after World War II and Studies at UT Austin, he the Silesians maintained continues to this day. Yet worked with Hans Boas on strongly knit communities. many of these communities the Texas German Dialect The Polish language, a still exist. Each year all over Project (TGDP) and be- strong part of this close- Texas descendants of these came interested in Texas Father Leopold Moczygemba ness, was used in many immigrants meet to cele- immigrant dialects. He churches; in schools—the brate their heritage, espe- speaks Polish and often na Maria, Texas, on an un- first, St. Joseph School in cially during the holidays. visits his family in Silesia. cultivated plateau in Karnes Panna Maria, was founded Given this enduring spirit, County. It was the first in 1866—and in a newspa- now is the time to discover Contact Polish settlement in Ameri- per, Nowiny Texaskie and learn about this fasci- We encourage anyone inter- ca. Further communities (Texas News), published nating part of Texas cultural ested in the project, espe- followed including Ces- from 1913-1920 in San An- and linguistic history. cially those who speak or tohowa, Kosciusko, Pawel- tonio. Today, the Polish know anyone who speaks ekville, Falls City, and St. language in Texas is disap- The TPDP’s Founders Polish here in Texas, to Hedwig, the last of which pearing. With the advent of A g n i e s z k a M a k l e s contact Agnieszka or John became the second largest. World War I, social dis- ([email protected]) is an at [email protected] or These villages later became crimination toward the im- MA student in the Master’s [email protected] organized around the Cath- migrants and their use of in Foreign Language Teach- du. And please look out for olic Diocese of San Anto- the language from nativist ing program at Michigan the web address for the nio, founded in 1874. After groups increased. The State University. Agnieszka Texas Polish Dialect Ar- the first arrivals, immigra- Great Depression led many is also a Polish instructor, chive (TPDA), coming tion from Poland continued from the communities to currently teaching through soon! Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Page 4 ISSUE 12

Resources at the Texas German Dialect Project The Texas German Dialect formed the basis for her Texas German. interviews of Pomerani- Project is home to a num- 1996 article The death of Tex- Approx. an hour of Fred an Low German speakers ber of collections. The as German in Gillespie County. Eikel’s Texas German from central Wisconsin. Texas German Dialect Karen Roesch’s Texas recordings from the first Marion Huffine’s Penn- Archive (TGDA), our larg- Alsatian collection con- half of the 20th century (the sylvania German collec- est collection, contains tains interviews of ~35 exact date of recording is tion. A collection of inter- more than 1000 hours of Texas Alsatians interviewed unknown). views with Pennsylvania audio from interviews with around 2008 for Roesch’s Glenn Gilbert’s record- German speakers, both in over 700 Texas German dissertation Texas Alsatian: ings of Texas Czech, Pennsylvania German and speakers from 46 counties. Henri Castro's legacy. Kansas German, and Ok- in English, including bio- Audio and transcripts for Other collections at the lahoma German from the graphical information, many of these interviews TGDP include: 1960s. This is a set of ap- transcriptions, and linguis- are available online, with Glenn Gilbert’s Texas prox. two dozen recordings tic analysis for each speak- more being uploaded German collection from including translations and er. This collection contains monthly. the 1960s. These collection free conversation. approx. 400 hours of re- Within the TGDA, there includes recordings, maps, John Benjamin and Ag- cordings. are two smaller collections: and a set of over 100 mailed nieszka Makles’s Texas Several sets of historical the Susan Guion collection Texas German question- German Polish Project. A Texas German family and Karen Roesch’s Texas naires. The recordings pro- collection of 27 interviews letters and pictures (over Alsatian collection. The vide the basis for Gilbert’s of Texas Polish speakers, 1,000 pictures and docu- Susan Guion collection 1963 dissertation on Ger- collected in 2017 and 2018. ments). contains interviews of ~18 man spoken in Kendall and Ryan Dux’s Wisconsin Texas German speakers Gillespie counties, as well as Low German collection. from the 1990s which his 1972 Linguistic Atlas of A collection of approx. 20

Featured: Texas German Map Show your Texas German pride and contribute to the Texas German Endowment at the University of Texas at Austin by purchasing one of our high- quality prints of the history of German immigration into Texas! Donated for fundraising purposes by mapmaker and German American Justin Cozart, this beautiful 34”x28” map includes a chronology of the history of Texas Germans dating back to 1831, when Johann Friedrich Ernst first fell in love with the Hill Country and wrote a book about it, Reise nach Texas. It also ex- plains key concepts in German immigration, such as the role of the Adelsverein, an organization that was instrumental in the settling of Texas, the founding of Texas German towns, basic differences between Texas and Standard German, the popularity of German mu- The German Texas map is available exclusively from the TGDP for $40.00 (includes shipping and handling). See enclosed order sic, and more. Contact the TGDP for yours today! form for details. Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Page 5 ISSUE 12

African American TX German speakers, cont. Featured TGDP alum: Sandra Schwalen cont. from p. 1 Sandra Schwalen graduated Other reasons for speaking from UT Austin in 2018 German were simply family- with a BA in international related. Take the case of the relations and global studies Philipps family from Freder- and German. Currently, she icksburg. Paul Phillips III, is working on getting a Mas- orthopedic surgeon in Fred- ter’s of international affairs ericksburg, Gillespie County at Hertie School of Govern- grew up hearing German ance in Berlin. This year, she and has some passive will complete a “professional knowledge of the language. year” at the German Federal His sister Paula (now living Ministry of Defense as part in Baltimore) pursued for- of her Master’s studies. She mal studies in German for would like to thank the Sandra Schwalen some time. But Paula and Christian Methodist TGDP for the opportunity Paul’s father and grandfather Episcopal Church to use German in a profes- throughout her academic (a historically black church in were both fluent German Fredericksburg, Texas) sional manner and Dr. Boas career. speakers as some of the old for his continued support Fredericksburgians may still African Americans used to remember. Paul and Paula’s congregate. Recent TGDP publications cousin, Billy Fasselmann We want to learn more Fay, recounts using German about African American  December 2018: Hans C.  TGDP alumn Luke Lin- at work and translating for German speakers, and we Boas co-edited a book demann published a paper some older Germans into hope to record any remain- with Steffen Hoeder “When Wurst comes to the early nineties. The Phil- ing speakers. Readers who (University of Kiel) enti- Wurscht: Variation and lips and the Fasselmann have knowledge of African tled Constructions in Contact koine formation in Texas families track their heritage American German speakers (with John Benjamins German” in the Journal of to both African and German or Afro-German relations in Publishing). It contains Linguistic Geography 7(1), roots and have been in Fred- Texas and want to contrib- three papers on Texas 33-45 (April 2019) ericksburg for four genera- ute to this project are highly German: Towards a con- tions now. In recent years encouraged to contact structional analysis of the pro-  Pierce, Marc, Hans C. the descendants have reno- David Huenlich at gressive aspect in Texas Ger- Boas, and Glenn Gilbert. vated the historic black [email protected]. man (Margo Blevins), Tex- 2018. When is a disserta- church on Main Street where as German word order con- tion not a dissertation? structions in contact (Ryan On Eikel 1954. Collaboration with the Institute for the German Dux), and A constructional In: Yearbook of German- Language in Mannheim, Germany account of the modal particle American Studies 53, 187- ‘ja’ in Texas German (Hans 196. One of the TGDP graduate guage's annual conference, C. Boas) students, Margo Blevins, was in an effort to encourage invited to give a presentation and foster international col- Margo Blevins about her dissertation at the laboration. Blevins’ disserta- at the Institute Institute for the German tion works to propose a sys- for Language in Mannheim, tem to more easily and effi- Germany this past July. She ciently make comparisons was also part of a new initia- across multiple mixed Ger- tive to invite international man varieties, such as Texas graduate students to the In- German and Russian Ger- stitute for the German Lan- man. Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Department of Germanic Studies The University of Texas at Austin 2505 University Ave, C3300 Austin, TX 78712 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: (512) 910-5047

As reported by

We are still looking for Texas German speakers!

Plans for 2020 Do you or does someone you know speak Texas German? We’re always

 Record more Texas looking for more speakers to talk to, and we need your help! German speakers. Don’t worry if you haven’t spoken German in a while and feel a little  Continue work on rusty — we’re just trying to preserve as much as we can while we can, comparative German and we’re happy to come to you. You are also welcome to visit us on the speech islands archive campus of the University of Texas at Austin. and make it available to the public. E-mail: [email protected]  Develop a concept for Phone: (512) 910-5047 producing a museum exhibition on Texas Thank you for your help and support! We couldn’t do it without you. German language, cul- ture, and history.