Serbin, Texas

Serbin is an unincorporated community in southwestern Lee County, Texas, United States. Located about 50 miles (80 km) east of Austin, it was originally established by Sorbs (Wends) in the mid-1850s.

The majority of Wendish immigrants to the United States settled in Texas, using Serbin as the "mother colony". It was during 1854 that about 550 Wendish Lutherans from congregations in Prussia and Saxony left for Texas under the leadership of John Kilian. Upon arriving in Texas, the people of Serbin became some of the earliest members of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. St. Paul Lutheran Church stands as a typical example of Wendish architecture; the pulpit is located in the balcony of the church.

Originally called Low Pin Oak Settlement, the community's name was changed to "Serbin" meaning "Wendish land" before 1860.

The Texas Wendish Heritage Museum is housed in a former parochial school in Serbin.

It is unclear whether either of the two Sorbian languages is still spoken in Serbin. According to the 2000 U.S. census, 37 people in the 78942 ZIP Code area (which also includes Giddings and other nearby towns) spoke a Slavic language other than Polish or Russian at home. [http://www.mla.org/map_data_primary&state_id=&county_id=&mode=zip&zip=78942&place_id=&order=r&a=]

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External links

* [http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsSouth/SerbinTexas/SerbinTexasWends.htm Serbin, Texas from TexasEscapes.com]
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* [http://www.stpaulserbin.org/ St. Paul Lutheran Church, Serbin, TX]
* [http://wendish.concordia.edu/html/frames.htm Texas Wendish Heritage Society]