Before it was a charming escape from Austin and San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Texas, was part of a settlement effort organized by German nobles, sponsored by the Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer, or the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas.
They first established a farm near modern-day Round Top in 1843 to provide opportunities for the working classes of Germany’s cities and to establish trade between the nations. But there were problems from the beginning, as the early colony was already in debt, and hundreds of immigrants died due to disease on the journey.
By May 1846, 120 men, women, and children had arrived at the settlement following a difficult 16-day journey from New Braunfels, Texas. They named their settlement Fredericksburg, after Prince Frederick of Prussia, who was part of the founding society.
Settlers would be granted one lot in town and ten more in a rural area for farming. Most families lived primarily on their farms. But they also built small homes in town, which was laid out similarly to their hometowns in the Rhineland. These one-room structures with sleeping lofts were used on Sundays when the settlers would travel by wagon into town for to attend church, do their shopping, and mingle with neighbors at social gatherings. These in-town homes became known as “Sunday houses.” The homes were basic, with fireplaces to heat meals and porches to relax on. They also provided somewhere to stay after doing their “city” tasks without worrying about traveling in the unsafe conditions at night.
Around 1920, the Sunday houses fell out of style because they lacked running water and electricity. The internal combustion engine also made the journey between town and country much faster and safer.
However, several of these Sunday houses still stand in Fredericksburg, including some on West San Antonio Street. Some have been converted into private residences, and others have become museums and vacation rentals, such as the Metzger Sunday House. The Trueheart Hotel has modern versions of the Sunday house with daily breakfast. If you’re looking for something more modern, the Albert Hotel is named for a local architect with a pool inspired by famous Texas swimming holes, a pharmacy-turned-coffee shop, and an on-site barbecue joint.
If you start to get hungry, go to Otto’s German Bistro, which brings the flavors of the motherland with a Texas twist. There you’ll find flammkuchen, a German-style flatbread, pork schnitzel, and Black Forest cake. The company behind it also owns Alla Campagna, inspired by the Italian countryside, but with Texas wine pairings. Hill and Vine is another favorite, focused on Texas wine and Hill Country flavors, with a 1974 VW bus parked outside serving as a bar while you wait for a table.
Of course, you can’t go to Texas without eating barbecue: Eaker Barbecue brings together mesquite-smoked barbecue with a Korean twist, earning a place in Texas Monthly’s best barbecue joints list. Don’t leave town without visiting Das Peach Haus either; it was founded in 1928 in a 1870s German log cabin by German immigrant J.B. Wieser. It now offers an onsite distillery and cooking school.
The Germans were also part of planting the vines that would lead to Fredericksburg’s role as one of the state’s eight American viticultural areas (AVAs) known for its chenin blancs and merlots. Among them is Meierstone Vineyards, a family-owned winery on over 500 acres run by descendants of early winemaker Jacob Brodbeck. It’s known for its sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. Becker Vineyards and Grape Creek Vineyards are staples of the region as well, among the first modern wineries to open in Fredericksburg.
To tour a real Sunday house and learn about the history of Fredericksburg, head to the Pioneer Museum, which has several structures restored to their original condition during the settlers’ heyday. Follow it up with a visit to the iconic Vereins Kirche Museum, a reconstructed version of the building that would have served as the settlers’ school, church, and meeting hall.
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