During the mid-nineteenth century, Germany joined several other European powers in staking a claim to land in Texas in an effort to curtail America's westward expansion. Sponsored by The Society of Noblemen, thousands of German immigrants left the social unrest of Germany with the hope to establish a better life in Texas.

Their immigration to Texas represents the largest single immigration of Germans to the United States. In 1844, Society member Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels purchased from Mexico a 27-acre plot of land in central Texas. He christened it New Braunfels in honor of his family estate at Braunfels, Germany.

Although the settlement's German population declined in the intervening years, the town continues to celebrate its German heritage with the annual Wurstfest, the establishment of the Sophienburg museum, and through the preservation of historic Conservation Plaza. The plaza houses several structures relocated from downtown New Braunfels, examples of the nineteenth century German architecture characterized by traditional fachwerk.

In addition to its German heritage, New Braunfels also boasts a large population of Mexican-Americans. While these two cultures have generally lived together peacefully, a dispute arose in 1998 over a proposed design for a new city flag. The city council ultimately abandoned the proposed design, which depicted a bundle of arrows, a lone star, and the words "The Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas" because it represented only one facet of the city's heritage. Despite this disagreement, the multicultural citizens of New Braunfels continue to honor both German and Mexican heritage with traditional restaurants, museums, and festivals.