German Traveler Visits a Small Town in Texas Where German Has Been the First Language for Generations

German traveler Fabs976 visited Shelby, Texas, a small town in Austin County known as “Little Germany” because a large number of people there grew up with German as their first language. While the accents and vernacular have become more anglicized over time, the young traveler had no trouble communicating in his native language with them. The first German colony settled in Shelby after the German Revolution in 1848.

(translated) Shelby is a small village between Houston and Austin. A German colony was founded here, after the German Revolution in 1848. They grew up speaking German as their mother tongue.

The German traditions, schools, and language continued in Shelby, although it all faded a bit during and after World War II.

There were no more German schools. The people weren’t even allowed to talk in German during the war.