Oktoberfest In Texas

Culture is part of special traditions and rites of passage. In this paper I am going to write about American culture compared to German culture. To do this I interviewed Michael Heidenreich, who was born in Berlin, Germany in 1943.

Germany seemed festive, and Germans innocent- they had taken down signs that said things like, “Jews

Thesis: We Texans know that our states attractions stand out more than all the other states, because Texas is the only place where you can have a 72-ounce steak in Amarillo, tour a museum filled with decorative toilet seats in San Antonio, and feed a beer-drinking goat in Lajitas.

When German womans stepped on the new country, they were treated liked they were in hell, but for men like in heaven in Hook they restated this sentence “As one old lady remarked, Texas is heaven for men and dogs, but (hard) for women and oxen.” The Germans loved the way that Texans treated them, Texas made a treaty that protected them from the Native Americans in Document A is stated “The German people and Colonist for the Grant between the waters of the llano and the San Saba shall be allowed to visit any part of said country, and the protected.” The Germans who settled in Texas were diverse in many ways. It includes farmers and intellectuals. This diversity in the Germans colonies reflected their diversity of Texas. When the second generation of Germans came to Texas it came more educated, particularly in comparison to the average Texan. Because of this it changed a lot in Texas way of thinking on education. The idea of kindergarten, physical education and vocational education were the contributions of the Germans. Especially they were the leaders in the call of the universal education. When Germans were planted in the state of Texas they soon spread their cultures and traditions. Beginning in 1850s, German holidays traditions, including the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and even the Easter Bunny became popular in Texas. And the most amazing thing is that they invented

Since its establishment in 1886, “the State Fair of Texas has celebrated all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment.” (“2016 Guide” 6). The Texas State Fair is a staple of Texas tradition and even became a historical landmark in 1986. The fair is known for its signature 55ft figurehead Big Tex. He greets his guests with a signature “howdy y’all” while sporting some of the fair’s sponsors like Dickies and Chevrolet. The fair seeks to embody the spirit and uniqueness of Texas. It does this by celebrating its four core values of tradition, agriculture, education and community. The fair serves as a non-profit organization that strives to educate and raise money for each of these standards.

You may have heard that “everything is bigger in Texas.” and if you really want to experience how everything is bigger, you go to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR). The HLSR, or “Houston Rodeo” as it is referred to by Houstonians, is the largest event of its kind in the world and has been in session since 1932. In 2013, The HLSR had more people in attendance (approx 2.6 million) at the Rodeo than the entire population of the city of Houston (approx 2.1 million), which happens to be the 4th largest city in the United States as well as the most populated city in the state of Texas. The HLSR is held at Reliant Park for three weeks during March, and since parking is always a hassle, Reliant Park also happens to have one of the largest parking lots available as well.

Texas is a true melting pot and it is the differing cultures that make Texas great. Although there are many native Texans born each day, there are just as many that migrate across the country to make Texas their home (Wyly & Wyly, 2012, p. 29). In the beginning, Texas was settled by Scots-Irish, Germans, Czech, Poles, and Italians. However, the greatest influence on the identity of Texas was shaped by the Hispanic culture when they left Mexico behind to make Texas their home (Wyly & Wyly, 2012, p. 15). This cross-cultural influence in Texas creates an open atmosphere, a friendly environment, and a sense of pride that others want to be a part of and that tradition continues today with immigrants arriving from the Middle East, Southeast Asia as well as other parts of the world (Wyly & Wyly, 2012, p. 15).

The Alamo, in San Antonio Texas, is a crucial piece of the history of Texas. It was originally a Franciscan mission built by Spanish settlers around 1718. Its purpose was to be a home for Spanish missionaries and new Native American converts. During Texas’ war for independence from Mexico, the Texans seized the former mission and set up a military base there. Mere months later, the Mexicans attacked the Texans at the Alamo in order to attempt to regain control of this military base. Although the Mexicans vastly outnumbered the Texans, the Texans were able to suppress them for thirteen days, when the Mexicans finally overpowered the Texans. Although the Mexicans tried to destroy the Alamo during their retreat, it is still in excellent condition

This is because wealthy Germans received land grants in some of the most fertile regions of Texas, but they did not know how to farm this soil, and the majority of them did not support the ideas of slavery. These wealthy families would send letters back to Germany and Bohemia telling about how great Texas is, comparing the climate to that of Sicily in Southern Italy, telling that the soil was lush and fertile, and that the game and available food was abundant. This was done in hopes that Germans and Bohemians that were sick of the overpopulation of their home country would take the opportunity to farm these fertile foreign

A sizeable portion of Germans immigrated to Texas in the 1840s and 1850s. They built cities such as New Braunfels, Greure, and Fredericksburg. They kept their language and culture for decades. Their impact on culture was widespread, especially in San Antonio, including beer, music, and food.

They further took advantage of New Braunfels location along the road between San Antonio and Austin. In due time, the settlers established processing and supply businesses as well as crafts shops and millers. Consequently, New Braunfels became the commercial center of the developing Texas agricultural area. A mere decade after its establishment, New Braunfels staked its place as the primary manufacturing center. The city provided artisan goods, farm implements, clothing and many more products to other pioneer settlers who were coming into Central Texas. The pioneer New Braunfels settlers seized the opportunity of the dependable water power source, the Comal Springs. Education and culture were essential to the German settlers. Accordingly, a few months after immigration, Hermann Seele started lesson sessions for a class of fifteen under an elm

Did you know that 31% of Germany has been kept with forests and woodlands? Or that In 1831, the Choctaw Indians endured death and starvation when they were forced out of Mississippi to travel the Trail of Tears? My German heritage affects me in a few ways, and my Choctaw heritage doesn’t affect me very much, but the two German traditions that I do are decorating christmas trees, and painting easter eggs. One from my Choctaw heritage that I want to try is

Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, was a key figure in the establishment of German culture in Texas. Despite being in Texas for only one year, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels was able to leave a lasting legacy of German culture and traditions through the town of New Braunfels.

     America, and what they faced after they landed on our shores. We will begin with the German immigrants who arrived after 1800. After 1800, Germans still poured into the United States, but for different reasons than previous generations. Modernization and population growth forced many Germans from their respective family businesses. In the United States, most Germans lived in the countryside. Large numbers could be found in the Midwest and Texas. Most of the West Coast farmers would sacrifice fertile land for a closer location to other Germans. They would cluster together to form communities not unlike the Chinatowns.

Come drink a Bit burger and eat a delicious wiener schnitzel in Germany! Germany is just slightly smaller than the state of Montana in the United States. In addition, Germany is located in central Europe and borders the North Sea and Baltic Sea in the Netherlands and, Poland. The culture built around Germany has a foundation of Art, Literature, Sports, Food, and Music. In addition, Germany’s torn past over war of its modern day is very different form our own, but is very similar in many other ways. However to truly understand the unique culture of Germany, one must know the origin of the unique Art’s, Literature, Sports, Food and, Music, that Germany is known for.