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THE
WENDS IN TEXAS
Life
is Hard - and Then You're Assimilated |
The Brides
Wore Black
by Raoul Hashimoto
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| "One of
the more unusual customs the Wends had was brides being married in
black wedding dresses. This was to symbolize the hardships the bride
was about to suffer." |
The Historical
Marker in front of St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
Here's an inspirational
tale for you. If you're not in the mood for an inspirational tale
- then here's an unequaled tale of hardship. Everyone enjoys those.
This is the story of the Wends - an immigrant group that redefines
the word endurance. It's no mystery that they have nearly disappeared
- the mystery is how they ever survived the hardships of their first
few years.
Background:
The Wends or Sorbs (as they were then called in Europe)
came from the land immediately South of Berlin where the countries
of Poland, Germany and (the former) Czechoslovakia
came together. Serbin simply means "Place of the Serbs". Sorb is the
old-world spelling of Serb.
Their separate language, customs and the fact that they were primarily
farmers without representation left them at the mercy of the Prussians.
The Prussians weren't at all interested in the welfare of the Wends.
For all the Prussians cared - the Wends could sail off to Australia
or Texas. Which was exactly what they did.
The Migration to Texas:
Nothing went smoothly for the Wends. Even their migration was as severe
as it was unusual. Except for a handful that came to Texas in 1849-50,
the rest came to Texas in one mass migration of 600 people.
The first group encountered problems when they were shipwrecked in
Cuba. After finally arriving with financial help of Germans in New
Orleans - they make it to Texas and ventured into the Hill
Country to blend into the German population. They were never to
be heard from (as Wends) again.
The second group of 600 was under the leadership of Pastor Johann
Kilian. This group chartered a ship and brought along the bell
from their church. They crossed from Germany to England,
where they were to embark for Texas. In Liverpool there was
an outbreak of cholera and they lost many of their number.
Some survived long enough to be buried at sea a few days later. Women
were widowed. Children were orphaned.
After a layover in Ireland where the ship was cleaned and declared
disease free, they set sail for Galveston
where yellow fever was raging. Immediately after touching Texas
soil, they fled Galveston
for Houston, rather
than contract the dread disease. By this time some of them might've
been thinking that life with the Prussians wasn't all that bad.
Settlements:
Pastor Kilian who was more of an intellectual than a farmer guided
his people and served as a translator. He spoke Wendish of course,
as well as Latin and German. He learned English in Texas.
The group walked the 85 miles from Houston
to Austin County
and stopped in the towns of Industry
and New Ulm.
Here they were told the best land had been taken, so they traveled
further west to Lee
County.
Pastor Kilian's little daughter died shortly after arrival and
was the first to be buried in the Serbin Cemetery.
Winchester
in Fayette County
and Fedor in Lee
County became spore colonies from Serbin. Pastor Kilian had two
other daughters who married and moved to those towns. Warda
and Northrup are the other two towns that had a high percentage
of Wends living there.
In the 19th Century the Wends as a group didn't venture far
from Lee or Fayette
Counties - although in Williamson
County, the tiny hamlet of Noack
is linked to a Wend by that name. During the Civil War Wendish
men went to great lengths to avoid conscription into the Confederate
Army - occasionally resorting to plowing their fields while wearing
women's clothing. The survival of the Wendish families depended on
their crops coming in and the men couldn't risk being taken. |
Serbin
Today:
A former Serbin schoolhouse has been turned into the Wendish
Heritage Museum. Pioneer log cabins of the Kurio and Mertink
families along with the cemetery and St. Paul's Lutheran Church,
now comprise what is now the core of Wendish culture. |
Texas Wendish
Heritage Museum
Route 2, Box 155 Giddings, Texas 78942
979-366-2441
2003 photo, wikipedia |
Wendish pioneer
log cabin, John Kilian's home, later school and church
On St. Paul Lutheran Church grounds
2008 photo, wikipedia |
A Wendish log
cabin on the grounds of the historical museum
(with protective roof)
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
Part of the Museum
Complex today in Serbin, Texas
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
A Wendish log
cabin on the grounds of the historical museum
Photo courtesy Cissy CeCe Wong |
Texas Wendish
Heritage Museum
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
Texas Wendish
Heritage Museum welcome sign
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
The
town was originally down the road (FM 2239) to the west. There had
been a general store until a fire destroyed it in recent years.
One of the more unusual customs the Wends had was brides being married
in black wedding dresses. This was to symbolize the hardships the
bride was about to suffer. The custom eventually faded - the dresses
became gray for a few years and then white.
The bronze bell brought from Germany is now on the campus of Concordia
University in Austin.
Concordia's main building is Kilian Hall.
The Wendish Church is the site for the Annual Wendish Fest
held the last Sunday in September. |
The cemetery
has its cedar trees trimmed to resemble thick green discs. Recently
damaged tombstones have been left on the ground and modern markers
have been placed near them. Some of the markers are ironwork in the
European style.
Many tombstone inscriptions verify the hardships the Wends endured.
|
Serbin cemetery
with shaped trees
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
A Wendish Tombstone
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
Johanne Rosine
Dube tombstone inscription
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
Serbin Trees
and Tombstones
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
European style
headstone
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
The original
bell the Wends brought from home
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
A Mailbox in
Serbin
ZIP Code 78942
Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
© John
Troesser
Source:
The information for this feature comes primarily from the well-researched
book: THE WENDISH TEXANS by Sylvia Ann Grinder. This small (120 page)
volume is in The Texians and the Texans Series published by the Institute
of Texas Cultures in San Antonio.
Texas Wendish Heritage Museum website:
http://wendish.concordia.edu/# |
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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