Ludwig Börne

Who was the young man which had such a great influence on the thinking of a group of German immigrants that would be the first to settle in Boerne?

Loeb Baruch was born in 1786 in Frankfort, Germany. Loeb was discriminated against because of his religion. He could not to go to certain schools or work at some jobs because Loeb was Jewish. He knew that this was unfair and he wanted to do something to change the laws. Loeb Baruch changed his name to Ludwig Börne and wrote articles which criticized the German government’s policies. Many young German people agreed with him and he attracted a loyal following among students and other Germans who wanted change.

Ludwig was not popular with the German government and he was forced to leave Germany and move to France during the 1830 Revolution. He loved his country, but he felt that all German citizens should be protected and treated equally. Ludwig wrote letters back to friends criticizing and mocking German laws and customs that oppressed a person, no matter if they were rich or poor or because of their religion.

Börne’s letters from Paris (during the time period 1832-1834) inspired groups of young Germans to leave Germany in the 1840s seeking new lives in Texas. Ludwig Börne died on February 12, 1837 in Paris so he never knew about the German colony in Texas named for him. Ludwig Börne died 15 years before Gustav Theissen and John James named the town Boerne. The name Börne was eventually Americanized to become Boerne.

Now you know that our city was named for a man who wanted freedom and opportunity for all people and stood up for those beliefs.