Lone Star Story Hour: Verein Verboten! WWI Anti-German Sentiment in Texas

In 1917, Seguin-native Will Bergfeld and his family were preparing for bed when almost 20 Texas Rangers crashed through windows and doors to arrest the young farmer for treason. What followed was a six-week trial that would pit neighbor against neighbor and have lasting impact on German-American communities across Texas. Will was just one of many targeted by secretive Councils of Defense formed in small towns across the state in response to WWI. Join us to learn more about the socio-political context for the outcry against Germans as “alien enemies” and the outcome of Will’s trial and those of other prominent Texans at this month’s Lone Star Story Hour!

Americans Attacking German Store in 1917

William Bergfeld