The Texas German Times

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

DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE 9 Professor Emeritus Glenn Gilbert visits the TGDP

In September 2015, Professor Emeri- TGDP Milestones tus Glenn Gilbert visited the TGDP 2015-2016 for three days. Prof. Gilbert is famous for his pioneering studies on the Texas  TGDP members present- German dialect including his 1963 ed 19 talks at academic Harvard Ph.D. dissertation on the Tex- conferences in the US and as German dialect spoken in the Hill abroad. They also present- Country, his outstanding “Linguistic Atlas of Texas German,” which was ed 7 community outreach published by the University of Texas talks. Press in 1972, and several other edited volumes and articles on German dia-  A major donation was lects in America. Prof. Gilbert taught made to the Texas Ger- at the University of Texas in the 1960s man Endowment which and early 1970s before moving to the will help the TGDP pre- University of Southern Illinois at Car- serve Texas German years bondale, where he taught until his re- into the future. (see p. 2) tirement in 2005. After his retirement  TGDP members Ryan he moved with his wife to Florida, Glenn Gilbert in the Texas German where he now lives. This was the first Dialect Project office at the Universi- Dux and David Huenlich time that Prof. Gilbert has visited the ty of Texas at Austin graduated with Ph.D.s UT Austin campus since the early from the Department of 1970s and he was surprised to see all class, lecturing on his early research Germanic Studies at UT the many changes that the 40 acres efforts to explore, document, and Austin. have undergone since then. During his analyze Texas German during the visit to UT Austin, Prof. Gilbert gave a 1960s and 1970s. Prof. Gilbert also  The TGDP records its guest lecture in Prof. Hans Boas’ un- took time to meet with various grad- 500th Texas German dergraduate German sociolinguistics (continued on p. 4) speaker.

German Abroad 2 Conference Hosted at UT Austin Inside this issue: The German Abroad 2 tria, Switzerland, the conference took place Netherlands, South Af- Texas German 2 at the University of rica, and the United Documentary Texas at Austin on 2-3 States. Topics included: November, 2016. The ‘Language change and Migration Parallels 3 conference was a follow language shift in Ger- between Germany -up to the German man speaking commu- and Texas Abroad conference held nities in Russia and Bra- in Vienna, Austria in zil,’ ‘Syntactic change Comparative Speech 3 July 2014. The confer- in midwestern Pennsyl- Islands Archive ence focused on struc- guage contact, and mul- vania Dutch,’ tural and sociolinguistic tilingualism. ‘Exploring German in Texas German map 4 issues of German- The conference includ- Namibia,’ ‘The political Featured TGDP 5 speaking minority ed over 20 presenta- factor of language Alum groups from the per- tions by 28 speakers maintenance: German spectives of variationist from Germany, Swe- in the Alsace and South New TGDP 5 sociolinguistics, lan- den, Luxemburg, Aus- (continued on p. 4) Member Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

ISSUE 9 Page 2

All Güt Things: Documentary movie on Texas German language, culture, and history In 2014, Chase Honaker of German settlers in Texas and Things has been busy over mentary movie. Hack Studios in Austin con- covers issues such as immi- the past year and a half film- Please visit this web site to tacted Hans Boas and Jim gration, education, religious ing across central Texas, and learn more about the fund- Kearney about interviewing freedom, and patriotism, are now in the final stretch. raising campaign under way: them about Texas German which continue to be rele- They have started an online germantexas.com . language, culture, and histo- vant in today’s society. fundraising effort to raise ry. Together with some of The crew behind All Güt $20,000 to finish the docu- his colleagues, Mr. Honaker participated in the “Fusion Five Day Doc Challenge”, a limited five day period during which film teams could concept, film, edit, and pro- duce short documentaries in order to submit their work to a film competition. The short documentary All Güt Things was a big hit and Mr. Honaker and his team are now in the process of producing a full length feature film on Texas German. The All Güt Things film documents the story of German (and other central European) immigrants, who came to Texas in the 1800s. It pro- vides insights into the moti- Jim Kearney in All Güt Things. To watch the short documentary, vations, fears, and dreams of visit https://vimeo.com/116386588

Texas German Endowment at UT Austin receives major donation

We are thrilled to report that Endowment at the Universi- interviews to the freely avail- as German left and the funds in December 2015, a very ty of Texas are not touched: able online Texas German generated by the endowment generous anonymous donor instead, they generate a spe- Dialect Archive, program- will be used to maintain the contributed one million dol- cific sum of interest every ming to support the mainte- archive and to support stu- lars to the Texas German year, which helps to support nance of the digital archive, dent and faculty research on Endowment to support the the various activities of the producing our annual news- Texas German language, mission of the TGDP in TGDP including travelling letter, and travelling to pre- culture, and history. We are years to come. The Texas to conduct interviews with sent the results of our re- so very much grateful to the German Endowment was the remaining Texas German search at academic confer- anonymous donor for his put in place in 2007 after speakers across the Lone ences and at outreach events generous donation and we funding for the TGDP from Star State, purchasing equip- organized by historical socie- are excited that the TGDP the University of Texas at ment and supplies to con- ties and various Texas- now has a secure income to Austin and state and federal duct the interviews, hiring German organizations. In 20 support its activities in the organizations dried up. The students to edit, transcribe, -30 years, there will be no future. funds in the Texas German translate, and upload the more fluent speakers of Tex- Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Page 3 ISSUE 9

Texas Migration and Refugees in Germany

Events in Germany in 2015 Northern parts of Germany. therefore made it incumbent showed everyone once again Many had left Germany af- on everyone new to the that migration has deep and ter a failed anti-aristocratic country to learn German. lasting political effects. The revolution and others came Compare this to the situa- British decision to leave the because they sought eco- tion in Texas where many European Union this year, nomic opportunity. Arguing Germans simply continued for instance, is directly relat- that the large numbers of speaking their language until ed to the arrival of over Germans influenced the well into the 20th century. 500,000 long-term refugees Lone Star State in long- It is far from certain that the in Germany. The events lasting negative ways would situation in Germany will sparked intensive debates be absurd: On the contrary, ultimately result in a benefit about the side effects of German immigrants found- trends among the Syrians. for everyone. There are immigration across the old ed flourishing Texan com- Over 70% of them have many factors to be consid- continent and also in Ameri- panies from Blue Bell to work experience, many ered, including cultural and ca. In times of heated politi- Schlitterbahn to Shiner. bring with them an entre- religious differences. How- cal debates, however, it is They established insurance preneurial spirit and would ever, it is also far too early worth to step back and re- companies like the Hermann like to work immediately. to pass judgement over Ger- flect. Sons and Germania. And The majority are tired of many’s future and the delib- It is a curious fact that the they created communities politics and want to focus erate decision the country’s same regions in Germany that are tight-knit, well- on a brighter future for their leadership took to accom- integrating many a migrant working and safe places to families. At the same time, modate these refugees. In today were the home to live until this day. Many frustrations are building be- fact, if differences can be many a Texas German an- Texas Germans are rightly cause the aspect of language overcome, migration may cestor of old: we know that proud of their heritage. acquisition is holding many work to the benefit of the between 1850 and 1890 After interviewing over 200 back, and Germans are in- country in very similar ways Texas received hundreds of Syrian refugees in Germany creasingly worried about the as migration inspired and thousands of German immi- who arrived in 2015, we can social situation of refugees. helped build the Lone Star grants from central and say that there are similar The German government State.

Comparative Speech Island Archive

The current computational er overhauling its computa- perspective of the users is in ciently with our recordings, infrastructure of the freely tional infrastructure in order fact a complicated set of transcriptions, and transla- available online Texas Ger- to adapt to modern technol- different projects that re- tions. Another important man Dialect Archive has ogy standards and to allow a vamp the database, the in- new feature of the novel been in place for 14 years. more efficient interaction ternal web pages, and the infrastructure is that it is Originally developed by two with the data stored in the public facing pages of the flexible enough to allow us gifted undergraduate stu- Texas German Dialect Ar- TGDP. We are happy to to expand our online archiv- dents in computer science at chive. report that the first major ing possibilities. UT Austin, the TGDP staff For the past two years, pro- testing of the new interface For example, for the past have used the database and grammers of the Liberal is complete and that by early five months we have started web pages to process, tran- Arts Instructional Technolo- 2017 we will switch over to exploring different ways of scribe, translate, manage, gy Services at the University the new infrastructure. Reg- hosting recordings from and archive the recordings of Texas at Austin have ular visitors to our website other German speech is- of Texas German speakers. been busy with renovating will not notice any signifi- lands in our archive. Ryan However, many technical the outdated computational cant differences. However, Dux, a long-time TGDP changes and advances have infrastructure. What looks the new infrastructure now member who graduated driven the TGDP to consid- like a simple task from the allows us to work more effi- (continued on p. 6) Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Page 4 ISSUE 9

Glenn Gilbert —cont’d from p. 1 The Material Culture of German Texans uate students and faculty 1972 Linguistic Atlas of Dr. Kenneth Hafertepe, across the UT campus, and Texas German. These mate- professor of museum stud- he was so kind as to donate rials also help the TGDP ies at Baylor University, has some of his historic research team to better understand published The Material Cul- materials to the TGDP: Old more details about the socio- ture of German Texans. In this Texas German question- linguistic situation of the first comprehensive survey naires, images of places in Texas German speech com- of the art and artifacts of the Hill Country, and some munity during the 1960s, German Texans, Hafertepe of his field notes from his when there were still tens of explores how their material pioneering research in the thousands of speakers of culture was influenced by 1960s. These materials sup- Texas German alive. We are their European roots, how it plement our copies of his thrilled that Prof. Gilbert was adapted to everyday life original field recordings of visited the TGDP and look in Texas, and how it Texas German that formed forward to staying in contact changed over time – at dif- age. The book has already the basis for his Harvard with him for the further ex- ferent rates in different been given an award of ex- dissertation and subsequent change of ideas. communities. The book cellence from the Southeast covers German settlements Chapter of the Society of German Abroad 2 —cont’d from p.1 such as New Braunfels and Architectural Historians. Fredericksburg but also Hafertepe is the author of Tyrol,’ and ‘German- in Austin last year. Due to Germans living in Texas six books, including Abner American and African- the great success of the Ger- cities such as San Antonio, Cook: Master Builder on the American contact in Texas’. man Abroad 2 conference at Houston, and Galveston. Texas Frontier and A Guide to The conference was capped UT Austin, another follow- The Material Culture of Ger- the Historic Buildings of Freder- by a performance of the Tex- up conference, German man Texans is about the icksburg and Gillespie County. anische Liebeslieber, modeled Abroad 3, will take place at struggle to become Ameri- The Material Culture of German after Johann Brahms’ 19th the University of Erfurt in can while maintaining a dis- Texans can be ordered online century Liebeslieber, and Germany in March 2018. tinctive cultural identity at tamupress.com. which had its world premier drawn from German herit-

Featured: Texas German Map Show your Texas German pride and contribute to the Texas German Endowment at the Univer- sity 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 Jo- hann Friedrich Ernst first fell in love with the wide- open country and wrote a book about it, Reise nach Texas. It also explains key concepts in German immigration, such as the role of the Adelsverein, an organi- zation that was instrumental in the settling of Texas, the founding of Texas German towns, basic differ- The German Texas map is available exclusively from the TGDP ences between Texas and Standard German, the for $40.00 (includes shipping and handling). See enclosed order popularity of German music, and more. Contact form for details. the TGDP for yours today! Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Page 5 ISSUE 9 Featured TGDP alum: Ryan Dux, now working at Bucknell University

Ryan Dux completed his guage was sparked during his mans. Ph.D. at the University of undergraduate work at the Ryan has since brought Texas at Austin in 2016. University of Wisconsin- these experiences back to During his time in Austin, Madison, where he had the Wisconsin, where he has Ryan worked closely with opportunity to work with been conducting fieldwork the Texas German Dialect other German-American and research on the Pomera- Project, first as a volunteer scholars such as Mark Loud- nian Low German commu- on various fieldwork trips en and Joseph Salmons. The nity near his hometown in and later officially working interesting courses and Central Wisconsin since as a graduate research assis- hands-on experience at UW- 2013. This community dif- tant from 2013 to 2015. Madison led Ryan to pursue fers from Texas German in As a descendent of German a doctoral degree at UT- that it is much smaller and Ryan Dux immigrants to Wisconsin, Austin, where he could get was isolated from English Ryan’s interest in German- more extensive experience influence slightly longer than nell University in Central American culture and lan- working with Texas Ger- Texas German. The unique Pennsylvania. Given the Low German dialect also close proximity to the heart differs significantly from of Pennsylvania Dutch No Hope For Heaven, No Fear Of Hell: Standard (High) German country, he plans to learn and is no longer spoken in more about the Germans in The Stafford-Townsend Feud Europe. Pennsylvania by working Since August 2016, Ryan has with other scholars in the Dr. Jim Kearney, a lecturer been working as a Visiting area and conducting inter- at the University of Texas at Assistant Professor of Ger- views with local PA German Austin, recently published man and Linguistics at Buck- speakers. No Hope For Heaven, No Fear Of Hell: The Stafford-Townsend Feud of Colorado County. New TGDP Member 2016: Margo Blevins The end of the Civil War ushered in a period of pain- Margo Blevins is a PhD stu- ful transition for the defeat- dent at the University of ed Southern States. Nearly Texas at Austin who is stud- all of the ten or so fabled ying language contact and Texas feuds have their roots perceptual dialectology. in this time period. No Hope Margo’s grandmother immi- for Heaven; No Fear of Hell at least one large, extended grated to the United States recounts the story behind German family, the from Bavaria. Growing up, the last of these feuds to Burttschells, in the feud in a Margo’s family celebrated St. Margo Blevins receive book length treat- big way. Nikolaus Tag and her father ment. It documents the Although the book departs passed on German chil- there was a German com- clash between the two most from Kearney’s previous dren’s rhymes. munity in Texas and a pro- prominent families of Colo- work on Texas German his- Since high school, Margo ject at the University of Tex- rado County as they compet- tory, it is a story of recon- has lived for three years in as that was working on pre- ed for status and wealth. The struction politics, which in- Germany — one year in serving and documenting the political dimension to the volved the German commu- Potsdam, one year in Tü- Texas German dialect, Mar- feud — control of the Sher- nity in a very meaningful bingen, and one year in Ber- go was eager to get involved. iff’s office — involved ac- way. lin. During these stays, she After volunteering for sever- commodation to the black No Hope For Heaven, No Fear has taken the time to visit al years, she has joined the and German voters in Colo- Of Hell can be ordered her relatives in Bavaria. TGDP staff this fall. Wel- rado County; both sizeable online at untpress.unt.edu. When Margo moved to Tex- come to the TGDP, Margo! populations. This embroiled as in 2012 and heard that Texas German Dialect Project (TGDP)

Department of Germanic Studies The University of Texas at Austin 2505 University Ave, C3300 Austin, TX 78712 Phone: (512) 910-5047 Fax: (512) 471-4025 [email protected]

As reported by

Comparative Speech Island Archive —cont’d from p.3

from UT Austin in May world, e.g. Kansas, Wiscon- lects from around the world 2016, recorded around thirty sin, Pennsylvania, Minneso- from our colleagues. These speakers of Wisconsin Low ta, Alberta, Ontario, Chile, parallel speech island ar- German. We have tested Argentina, Brazil, Venezue- chives will then allow users different ways in which we la, Romania, Hungary, Sibe- to learn more about the can archive and use Ryan’s ria, Namibia, South Africa, German emigration experi- recordings from Wisconsin Australia, and other places. ence in different parts of the the same way that we have This general purpose web- world, including what hap- handled recordings of Texas site will then serve as the pens when German settlers Plans for 2017 German speakers over the gateway to specific speech come into contact with dif- past 14 years. We expect our island archives containing ferent languages and cul-

testing phase to be complete recordings of German dia- tures. We are very excited  Continue interviewing Texas German speak- sometime during the spring lects from around the world. about this new development ers. of 2017. By the summer of We already have recordings and are looking forward to  Continue fundraising 2017, we plan on offering a from Wisconsin, Texas, Bra- sharing more interview ma- for the TGDP endow- general website with infor- zil, Siberia, and Australia, terials from different Ger- ment. mation about German dia- and hope to receive record- man speech islands from  Test and implement a lects spoken around the ings of further German dia- around the world with you. new “Speech Islands” website, providing information about other German dialects around the world.  Plan and implement an educational program for K-12 students in Texas, in- forming them about the role of German culture, history, and language in Texas.  Offer a class on Ger- man dialects (including Texas Ger- A screenshot from the Wisconsin German Dialect Project page on man) at UT Austin. our new Speech Islands website