Towards a Roadmap for Exploring Texas German Voices

Abstract

Our interdisciplinary article provides an overview of the breadth and variety of primary sources available to scholars studying Texas German history, culture, and language. We seek to (re)open an interdisciplinary dialogue and inspire future research. As we explore how linguists and historians can fruitfully work together, we take Texas German-Indigenous relations as our case study, showcasing the evolving use and associations of the term Indianer. A special emphasis is placed on the dynamics of (inter)generational ethnic memory formation around the (passed down) story of the kidnapping and return of Herman Lehmann in the 1870s.