Heritage German, as spoken in the Texas Hill Country

A good friend of mine explained to me about places or regions in America with distinct German language influences. We all know about areas in Pennsylvania where some sort of German dialects are still alive, but how about the Texas Hill Country? My friend told me all about Heritage German, as spoken in the Texas Hill Country. Let's go!

Uniquely Friedrichsburgerisch!

Fredericksburg was founded by German Immigrants in 1846, and the town's German roots and heritage can still be heard and seen in the city's architecture, typical foodstuff, and regional customs. Until the 1940s, German was actually the main language spoken in Fredericksburg, and in the 1930s, most schoolkids spoke only Deutsch and had to learn English in school.

There are still many places where one can hear German spoken in the Texas Hill Country or even strike up a conversation if you so desire. But one of the first things that you will learn is that this is not "high" or "school" German.

The Germans of the Texas Hill Country and the Germans in Germany have been separated for over 150 years. Pastors did their best to teach catechism and preparations for confirmation in proper German. Still, slowly, by attrition, they were replaced with pastors who had never really learned "German German" or did not know German at all.

The public school system in Fredericksburg has long since been under the control of non-Germans, who have replaced the learning of the German language with Spanish. The Spanish classes are often taught by fully qualified and well-paid Spanish teachers. The German classes have dwindled down to two small classes teaching German I and II.

The German teacher typically also teaches English and took only a few basic courses in German in college. Attempts of the German heritage adults in the community to upgrade the German classes with more learned teachers have gone unheeded.

The German Heritage Foundation of Fredericksburg has not been able to receive help from the Goethe Institute, the German Consulate, or others who should be interested in furthering the German language. Once, a teacher exchange program was tried. A German teacher would come here if we sent an English teacher to Germany. The superintendent here would not go for it. So the dumbing down continues, and the hybrid German-English or Germlish continues.

Yet through the efforts of the German Heritage Foundation, the German Club, Texas Tech, and even private individuals, remnants of Fritztown Germlish persist. (Fritz is the German nickname for Frederick.) A dictionary of German terms likely to be heard in Fredericksburg is currently available through a local resident. We'll see if we can make it available through this website.

In the meantime, here are a few examples taken from the 2nd volume:

General Texas-German idioms, or Friedrichsburger Deutsch, also called "Stadtkrick Geschwetz" (town creek German), comes from the local expression of being baptized in the bad creekwater, that is, picking up bad German.

"Ich like das nicht." I don't like that. (Should be "Ich habe das nicht gern.")

"Hiddes Glas ist leer!" or "This glass is empty."

"Sind die Pitches gut?" (Pit...pronounced the same as peach pits.) Are the peaches good? It should have been, "Sind die Pfirsiche gut?" (Fear-SISCH-uh)

"Oh leck die Fresch!" Literally, "Oh lick the frog" In Fredericksburg, one does not say "Frosch", good German for frog. It expresses disbelief, such as "What a stretch!" or "That's ridiculous!"

Saying goodbye in the German Hills of Texas is usually: "Mach's gut!" for "Make it good!" The reply is "Du auch" or "You, too." Friedrichsburgers also say "Mach's Gut" to someone in Germany or from Germany and then reply, "Mach's besser!" or, "You make it better!"

"Er ist ein' Husche" in Fritztown or Stadtkrick Deutsch means "He's a louse." In Germany the word "Husche" is used as in the sense of a quick rain shower, or, going by quickly, as: "Wir sind vorbei gehusched." We went by quickly. In Fredericksburg, the word Husche could have developed from persons who suddenly appeared but did not stick to any job and could not be completely trusted.

"Oops, Ich habe gegoofed!" (Oh, I goofed!) in German, the past tense for making a mistake, goofing up. This is the classic Friedrichsburger Stadtkrick dialect.

"Hast du Metsches?" (Do you have matches?) The correct German word for matches is Streichholzer.

A little boy, raised in Fredericksburg by German-born parents saw something he thought was nice, keen, or neat. "Oh das ist Neatlich!" ("That's really neat!") In proper German it would be said, "Das ist ordentlich" or by a youngster: "das ist Super", or "das it Prima!" But that is an example of how German Texans put together ideas and come up with their own special "German" words or idioms.

"Ich bin ausgepowered. Ich bin froh wenn wir zu Haus' kommen, so dass ich dann relaxen kann!" or, "I'm pooped out. I'll be glad when we get home so I can relax!"