![Praha texas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Praha_texas.jpeg)
Czech Texans are residents of the state of Texas who are of
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
*Czech, ...
ancestry. Large scale Czech immigration to Texas began after the
Revolutions of 1848
The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
changed the political climate in Central Europe, and after a brief interruption during the U.S. Civil War, continued until the First World War.
Concentrated in Central Texas, Czech Texans have preserved their identity through the Painted Churches of Texas, traditional Czech events, and bakeries specializing in Czech pastries.
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there are 193,058
Czech-Americans living in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, the largest number of any state.
History
![Czech Museum, Caldwell, TX IMG 0540](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Czech_Museum%2C_Caldwell%2C_TX_IMG_0540.JPG)
Historically, Czech
Moravian settlements were founded in Central Texas. "Czechs first settled in Texas in the 1840s, traveling from
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
,
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
, and
Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...
... Czech settlers usually identified themselves as
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n,
Slovak or
Moravian."
Czech immigration to Texas began as early as the 1820s, but most immigrants made the journey as individuals. Large-scale and family immigration began with the immigration of Rev. Josef Arnost Bergman, described as the "father" of Czech immigration to Texas by some sources, and his family in 1850. Once settled in Texas, Bergman wrote letters to families in Europe, encouraging them to come to Texas.
Czech immigration was driven by the availability of land in Texas and by events in Europe. In the 1840s, the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
, which included Czech lands, was still run by a feudal system, despite the wave of democratic ideals permeating western Europe. This led to the Revolutions of 1848, which did little to improve the economic status of peasants who still found it difficult to gain wealth.
The revolutions, together with factors such as religious persecution and mandatory military service, fueled a wave of emigration from Austria beginning in 1852.
Immigrants to America were unfamiliar with the concept of American democracy due to their lack of experience with democratic ideals. The concepts of states' rights and slavery were equally foreign to the immigrants.
Josef Lidumil Lesikar (1806-1887) was instrumental in organizing two groups of about 160 Czechs to immigrate to Texas in 1851 and 1853. Although about half of the first group died, Lesikar, his wife, and their four sons reached Galveston with the second group on board the ''Suwa'' in late December 1853. The family bought farmland in New Bremen, Austin County. The men felled trees and built a log house that still stands, with a Texas historical marker before it. Lesikar wrote articles for periodicals published in various parts of the United States as well as in his native land, and his writings encouraged many Czechs to come to America. As one of the founders of , a Czech newspaper published in St. Louis, he helped to lay the foundation for Czech journalism in America. In his writing he opposed secession. He died on October 21, 1887, near New Ulm and is buried in the New Ulm Cemetery.
In January 1861, as tensions between northern and southern states over slavery reached a breaking point, a convention was called in Austin, TX to draft a secession document, which was then approved by a vote of the citizens in February. The recency of the Czech immigration meant that most Czechs living in Texas were not naturalized citizens, and were therefore unable to vote in the decision for secession. Texas became a member of the Confederacy in March 1861, and in April 1861, the first battle of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter, SC. In July 1861, a Union blockade of the Southern coast reached Texas and stopped all immigration, Czech or otherwise. By the time of the blockade, the Czech population in Texas had grown from 74 in 1852 to over 700.
In 1861, as the war was beginning, more than 600 men in Fayette County and 160 men in Austin County volunteered for either active duty or military reserve service. Of those enrolled, only nine in Fayette County and zero in Austin County were definitively Czech. This changed in 1862, when conscription laws for military service were established and enforced. Under the Confederate Constitution, military service was a legal method of obtaining Confederate citizenship for those who were not formerly American citizens, but aliens, unlike citizens, were not required to serve in the regular military. The exemptions for aliens were determined by the Confederate War Department to apply only to aliens who were not permanent settlers and had not renounced their native allegiance. This did not apply to the majority of Czechs because they were permanent settlers. As a result, Czechs were conscripted to serve in the Confederate Army. To avoid conscription, some chose to leave Texas and join the Union Army; others went into hiding. For many Czechs, an alternative to conscription was to carry cotton to Mexican markets as a revenue source for the Confederacy. Another alternative that arose in Fayette County was to form a stay-at-home company of troops; most were unofficial and served only to allow members to avoid official conscription.
The experience of Anthony M. Dignowity provides an example of Czech resistance to the Confederacy. Dignowity was a Czech immigrant who traveled to Texas in 1835 and worked in many professions before becoming a physician in San Antonio.
He opposed the
Texas Revolution, viewing it as a means to increase the power of slave states in the United States, and thus did not settle in Texas until after it was admitted to the US. During the Civil War, his anti-slavery views made him a target for lynching parties, causing him to flee Texas and travel to Washington, D.C., where he stayed for the rest of the war working for the Department of the Interior. While in D.C., Dignowity proposed a plan to Congress detailing the capture and reinstatement of Texas based on the support of immigrant groups, such as the Czechs and Germans, who opposed slavery, but Congress did not act upon it. Meanwhile, Dignowity's son, Anthony Francis Dignowity, was conscripted into the Confederate Army and given the task of painting the personal carriage of General Hamilton Bee, which he completed before escaping and enlisting in the Union Army.
Czech women, already familiar with the hard work of farming, managed to keep their farms and homes running during the war while their husbands were serving in the military or in hiding. In addition to the regular farm responsibilities, families also had to produce homemade commodities to substitute for increasingly expensive goods such as coffee and sugar.
Culture
![Needville_TX_SPJST_Rehab](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Needville_TX_SPJST_Rehab.jpg)
Although many Czech-Texans have experienced
cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially.
The different types of cultural assi ...
, Czech celebrations and events continue to be held.
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
is home to the Czech Heritage Museum. A
Fayetteville museum celebrates Texas's Czech settlement. In
Caldwell
Caldwell may refer to:
People
* Caldwell (surname)
* Caldwell (given name)
* Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada
Places
Great Britain
* Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet
* Caldwell, East ...
is the Burleson County Czech Heritage Museum. In 2004, the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center was opened in
LaGrange
Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi Lagrangia[Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...](_blank)
's
Czech Center Museum Houston
The Czech Center Museum Houston (DBA), also known as Czech Cultural & Community Center, is a multifunctional cultural organization located in the Museum District of Houston, Texas, committed to the education and celebration of Czech (Moravia ...
features Czech and Slovak culture, art, and history.
Praha hosts the Praha Homecoming, also known as the Pražská Pouť, which is celebrated with Catholic mass, food, singing and dancing. The city of
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
hosts Westfest every Labor Day, which includes a
Koláče baking contest and a
Taroky tournament.
Crosby Crosby may refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario
*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario
;England
*Crosby, Cumbria
*Crosby, Lincolnshire
*Crosby, Merseyside
** Crosby (U ...
, northeast of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, hosts a Czech Fest and a
Koláče Bake. The Czech Heritage Society of Texas has developed 14 chapters throughout the state.
The
National Polka Festival is an annual parade and festival held in Ennis, Texas celebrating the Czech heritage in the city. The 3-day festival is held every Memorial Day weekend. The 3 fraternal halls offer a lunch or dinner with Czech foods such as klobase (sausage), sauer ...
is an annual parade and festival held in
Ennis, Texas
Ennis () is a city in eastern Ellis County, Texas. It is on the edge of the blackland prairie region of Texas. The population is 20,159 according to the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 21,210 in 2021. Ennis is home to the annual Nat ...
celebrating the
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
*Czech, ...
heritage in the city. The 3-day festival is held every
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
weekend. Most of the party halls offer a lunch or dinner with Czech foods such as
klobása (sausage),
sauerkraut
Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferme ...
, and
koláče, as well as live entertainment with traditional
polka music
Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas.
History
Etymology
The term ...
and dancing.
The available literature about Texas Czechs and their history has expanded with advent of self-publishing, which has made it possible for amateur historians to distribute their works. One author has declared Mr. Albert Blaha of Houston "the Father of Texas Czech History", saying that "He is our own
František Palacký
František Palacký (; June 17, 1798 – May 26, 1876) was a Czech historian and politician, the most influential person of the Czech National Revival, called "Father of the Nation".
Life
František Palacký was born on June 17, 1798 at Hodslavi ...
."
[From the Historiography of Czech Texas]
" Czechoslovak and Central European Journal, published by the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, Summer/Winter 1990, pp. 134-143. ''Naše Dějiny'', "a magazine of Texas Czech genealogy, history and culture" was founded in 1983.
The Library of the SPJST (Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas), founded in Temple in 1963, has holdings which "include over 20,000 volumes, the vast majority of which deal with Czech or Texas Czech topics."
In 2013, The Texas Czech Genealogical Society hosted the "From Generation to Generation Research Conference" for those interested in exploring Czech ancestry.
In 2017 HR1229 was submitted in the
Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...
by State Representative
James White and it stated "That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature here by recognize September 30, 2017, as Czech Heritage Day in Texas and honor the contributions of Czechs and people of Czech descent to this state."
Texas Czech dialect
12,805
Texans can speak the
Czech language
Czech (; Czech ), historically also Bohemian (; ''lingua Bohemica'' in Latin), is a West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin script. Spoken by over 10 million people, it serves as the official language of the Czech Re ...
.
Drawing on Boas's model for interviewing speakers of the language and digitally cataloging the dialects, John Tomecek founded and Lida Cope of East Carolina University developed the Texas Czech Legacy Project at the University of Texas at Austin to document and preserve the dwindling language.
Because the majority of Texas immigrants came from Moravia, the Czech spoken in Texas is largely characterized by Moravian dialects (
Lachian and
Moravian Wallachian) which vary to some extent from the Bohemian dialects spoken by most Czech-Americans. Czech-language journalism has been very active in the state over the years. Thirty-three newspapers and periodicals have been published. As of 1993 one weekly newspaper, ''Našinec'', published at
Granger
Granger may refer to:
People
*Granger (name)
*Hermione Granger, a fictional character in Harry Potter
United States
* Granger, Indiana
* Granger, Iowa
* Granger, Minnesota
* Granger, Missouri
* Granger, New York
* Granger, Ohio
* Granger, Texas ...
, and one monthly, ''Hospodář'', published at
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
, were still being published entirely in Czech. Other periodicals such as ''Věstník'' and the ''Brethren Journal'' contained sections printed in Czech.
See also
*
Czech Stop and Little Czech Bakery
The Czech Stop and Little Czech Bakery is a combination deli/bakery and convenience store located in the city of West, Texas, West, Texas.
Established in 1983, the store serves traditional Czech cuisine such as kolache, klobasnek and strudels. Th ...
*
National Polka Festival is an annual parade and festival held in Ennis, Texas celebrating the Czech heritage in the city. The 3-day festival is held every Memorial Day weekend. The 3 fraternal halls offer a lunch or dinner with Czech foods such as klobase (sausage), sauer ...
*
Tejano music
Tejano music ( es, música tejana), also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican and US influences. Typically, Tejano combines Mexican Spanish vocal styles with dance rhythms from Czech and German genres – particular ...
*
Texas German
Texas German (german: Texasdeutsch) is a group of German language dialects spoken in Texas by descendants of German immigrants who settled there in the mid-19th century. These "German Texans" founded the towns of Bulverde, New Braunfels, Fred ...
*
Czech Americans
Czech Americans ( cz, Čechoameričané), known in the 19th and early 20th century as Bohemian Americans, are citizens of the United States whose ancestry is wholly or partly originate from the Czech lands, a term which refers to the majority o ...
*
Austrian Americans
Austrian Americans (, ) are Americans of Austrian descent, chiefly German-speaking Catholics and Jews. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 735,128 Americans of full or partial Austrian descent, accounting for 0.3% of the population. The ...
References
Relevant literature
*Barton, Frances & John K. Novak. ''Czech Songs in Texas''. University of Oklahoma Press. 2021
*Dutkova, Lida (1998) ''Texas Czech: An ethnolinguistic study''. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Arizona at Tucson.
*Dutkova-Cope, Lida. 2001. The Language of the Czech Moravians: Do you know what "Párknu kára u hauza" means? ''Southwest Journal of Linguistics'' 20.2:51-84.
*Eckert, E. (1993
Language change: The testimony of Czech tombstone inscriptions in Praha, Texas In E. Eckert (ed.), Varieties in Czech. Atlanta: Rodopi, 189–215.
External links
Czechs Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, on March 2, 1897. , TSHA moved their offices from Austin to the University of N ...
*
*
*
*
A Guide to the Henry R. Maresh Papers Essays and articles on Czech history, particularly their settlement in Texas, biographies of notable Czech-Texans, and a copy of "The Czechs in Texas"
Czech Texasbooks at WorldCat
*
From the Historiography of Czech Texas" Czechoslovak and Central European Journal, published by the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, Summer/Winter 1990, pp. 134–143. Extensive bibliography.
Czech Center Museum HoustonTexas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center
{{Ethnicity in Texas
Czech American
Slavic languages spoken in North America
Slavic ethnic groups