Many of the headstone inscriptions at Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery are in German. The perils of frontier life are reflected in the tombstones of individuals killed by American Indians, cholera, and Confederate troops. Many members of Admiral Chester Nimitz’s family, who were early Fredericksburg settlers, are buried here.

The earliest headstones in the cemetery are from the 1870s, are made of local limestone, and were backdated to as early as 1849. In the 1880s white marble stones began to be imported from San Antonio and between 1890 and 1920 Texas red granite, quarried locally, was popular. German-Texans were enthusiastic buyers of cast-iron fences imported from Cincinnati and other industrial centers. In what may be her last public art installation, German Texan sculptor Elisabet Ney was commissioned to sculpt a cherub above the 1906 Schnerr Memorial.

Watch our Becoming Texans video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in our German Texans mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel Tours mobile app. Download the app for more videos and travel information: