Becoming Louisiana: The Germans (Lecture Series)

The Friends of the Louisiana State Archives and the Friends of the Old State Capitol are excited to invite you to the next lecture in the Becoming Louisiana series: The Germans, given by Jay Schexnaydre.

Becoming Louisiana is an ambitious historical exploration tracing the many origins that converged to create the Louisiana we know today and will continue to become.

We hope to see you there! Free admission.

Why did German people speak French in Louisiana? Over 300 years ago, some of the earliest colonists to the fledgling French territory of Louisiana were Germanic people from the Rheinland, Alsace, Lorraine, and Switzerland. Settled along the mighty Mississippi, upriver from New Orleans, these tenacious settlers proved to be crucial to the success of Louisiana’s survival. This presentation will explain why and how these settlers came to Louisiana. You will learn how they integrated into the overall Creole culture of South Louisiana over 3 centuries and may be surprised to learn their descendants number into the millions today.

Jay Schexnaydre is President of the German-Acadian Coast Historical & Genealogical Society and affiliated with a half-dozen local and national genealogy organizations. For over 25 years he was employed with the Laura Plantation Creole Heritage Site in Vacherie and since March is the new President & CEO of Louisiana's Cajun Bayou (Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission).