German Coast

The German Coast (French: Côte des Allemands) was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the east side of the Mississippi River – specifically, from east (or south) to west (or north), in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes of present-day Acadiana. The four settlements along the coast were Karlstein, Hoffen, Mariental, and Augsburg.

The area's name was derived from the large population of German pioneers who were settled along the Mississippi River in 1721 by John Law and the Company of the Indies. When the company folded in 1731, the Germans became independent land owners.

Despite periodic flooding, hurricanes, and the rigors of frontier life, the German pioneers made a success of their settlements. Their farming endeavors provided food not only for themselves but also for New Orleans' residents. Some historians credit these German farmers with the survival of early New Orleans.

Most of the German Coast settlers hailed from the Rhineland region of Germany, the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland, and other areas. Many came from the German-speaking region of Alsace-Lorraine in France, and some from Belgium.

...today are called Bayou des Allemands and Lac des Allemands (meaning Germans' Bayou and Germans' Lake, in French).

From the time of their arrival, the German immigrants began speaking French and intermarried with the early French settlers. Over the subsequent decades they intermarried with the descendants of the latter as well as the Acadians. Together with other settlers, they helped create Cajun culture.

A number of common Cajun surnames have German origins: for example, Schexnayder (various spellings), LaBranche (a calque of Zweig), and Trosclair (a phonetic macaronic of Troxler).

...
Wikipedia