By Jonas Leon Kaupert
Houston ranks as one of the most diverse cities in the United States, but few know about one of its best-kept secrets: the Houston Saengerbund, a German Texan singing society. The city’s oldest musical society, the Saengerbund is also a community who celebrates singing German songs and honoring German Texan culture. Area residents may be familiar with some imprints of German culture in the city, such as its German street names, Tomball’s world-renowned Christmas Market, or Oktoberfest. However, few people know about the Houston Saengerbund or how it found its way to Houston.
Early Years
German migration to Texas grew steadily in the early nineteenth century, driven by the push for free trade and industrialization that swept Europe following the Napoleonic Wars. As industrialization rose and replaced the guild systems that had protected the artisan and handcraft industries, an economic crisis emerged. Agricultural land in Germany became scarce compared to its high population density, causing some families to leave their homeland and take a chance in Texas, where land was cheap and available in large quantities. The German settlements that emerged not only enriched the state’s labor force and agricultural industry but also brought cultural institutions like German-language newspapers, gymnastic clubs, marksmanship clubs, and singing societies to the broader community.
From 1850 to the early twentieth century, nearly a hundred German singing societies emerged throughout Texas. While some singing societies have died out as their villages disappeared, active singing societies still operate in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg. One of Texas’s oldest German singing societies is Der Deutsch-Texanische Sängerbund (the German Texan Singers’ League), or DTSB. In operation since 1853, DTSB serves as an umbrella association of German Texan singing societies and organizes festivities like the Sängerfest, a competition between singing groups and community festival.
Founded on October 6, 1883, the Houston Saengerbund celebrates its 142nd anniversary in 2025, making it Houston’s oldest musical society. While there are no surviving records for the organization’s first twenty years, documents from the early twentieth century indicate the first formal meeting occurred on June 1, 1884, with twenty-four singers and fifty non-singers listed as members. That same year, the Houston Saengerbund members formalized the singing society by electing their club officers.
1913 Maennerchor
During its early years, the Sängerbund hosted the DTSB in Houston in 1885, 1894, 1902, and 1913. Moritz Tiling, author of the German Element in Texas, described the 1885 Sängerfest, saying: “When the opening day of the Sängerfest arrived everything was spick and span. The city was gaily decorated along all the principal streets, Main and Preston, Congress and Travis Streets, however, wearing the most gorgeous apparel. The public spirited merchants along these thoroughfares seemed determined to outdo each other in promoting the spirit of the occasion, and had draped their house fronts in the gayest attire.”
The following years marked an influx of members, as many German immigrants who came to Houston in the early twentieth century were naturally attracted to participating in German cultural traditions in their new home. Membership continued to grow, and by 1908, the Saengerbund had 176 active members, which ballooned to 407 members by 1913. The club activities during this period not only included singing German folk songs but also staging dramatic plays, participating in gymnastic activities, and giving lectures to German American audiences about the positive impact of German culture on the United States.
In 1920, the Saengerbund honored its beloved choir director, C. C. Lieb, for his twenty-fifth anniversary with the organization. Having served as director since 1895, he became one of the longest-serving choir directors in the history of the Houston Saengerbund. Members showed their gratitude by gifting him a hand-painted anniversary picture signed by notable and active members of the choir, including former Saengerbund President Hellberg, who held the post for about twelve years, and former president Victor Juenger. Lieb’s active role in the DTSB’s Sängerfest is often cited as the reason the choir still exists today.
To read the full story, click on Buy Magazines above to purchase a print copy or subscribe.
Click on the video to watch a performance by the Houston Saengerbund.
Click here to visit the Houston Saengerbund’s website and check out upcoming events!
Follow