“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.”

– G.K. Chesterton

Over the summer, I have had the pleasure and the privilege of traveling to many different places in Europe and especially Germany. All of them are unique and different in their own ways. Hamburg was a wonderful northern German city, Berlin remains a historically interesting place to visit, and Alsace is as beautiful as ever. Another place I got to visit was Munich. Munich is the capital of the Free State of Bavaria, and at this point I have visited Munich many times now. This last time was different though, because since I have visited the city a lot, I try to observe different things every time. This time, as I made my journey back home, I had only one conclusion: Bavaria is the Texas of Germany.

To be fair, I am not the first person who has made this statement, it isn’t even particularly original. So, let’s talk about the many similarities. To start, Bavaria was its own kingdom for many centuries within the Holy Roman Empire before joining the German Empire in 1871. While Texas wasn’t itself independent for centuries, it was also a previously independent state that ended up joining the United States in 1845, also in the middle of the nineteenth century. Bavaria is the largest German state by land area and has the second largest population. Texas is the largest state by land area in the contiguous United States, and has the second largest population. To this day, Bavaria has its own very distinct regional and cultural identity that sets it apart from other German states, and Bavaria is known worldwide. Similarly, Texas has its own culture and way of life and it is known throughout the world. People may not know about Nebraska or Saxony-Anhalt, but people have definitely heard of Texas and Bavaria. Texans tend to be some of the proudest Americans, though they also like to remind people that Texas was an independent country and could survive as an independent country again. Bavaria is no different, they are also some of the proudest Germans, which considering that German patriotism is rare and understated, sets Bavarians apart. They also like to tell others that Bavaria could be a very successful independent state if they wanted to be.

Politically there are a lot of similarities too. Bavaria is fairly conservative and has been ruled by one center-right party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), for decades. Texas is also fairly conservative, and has been ruled by the Republicans for many decades. While there are areas of Germany and America that are more rightwing than Bavaria and Texas, these two stand out as being bigger states geographically, population wise, and economically that are also more conservative. Though both have bigger cities within that are more liberal, Munich is known for being an island of left-wing politics, just like Austin. Politicians in Bavaria are fairly influential on the German political stage, especially in the world of center-right politics. It is analogous to the influence that Republicans from Texas have in America. Both states also give more in the way of financial support to their respective federal governments than they receive back. It is said that the thriving Texan and Bavarian economies are helping to fund other poorly run states. Because of their economic dominance, both states are seeing steady population growth, not just from other states, but from immigrants as well.

Religiously the states are a bit different from each other, but are still comparable in their role within the country at large. Bavaria is a very catholic place with a decent protestant minority. Bavaria is the most catholic state in Germany, both by percentage and by raw numbers. To give an example, Bavaria has had something called the Kreuzpflicht since 2018. Every school classroom is required to hang up a cross on the wall. There have been critiques that this is more performative in nature and that the cross represents cultural attitudes more than a robust Christian faith in the populace. Regardless, Bavaria is known for its strong religiousness and traditional values.

Nearly everything said above could be repeated for Texas, with only some minor twists. Texas has a large protestant majority, with a sizable catholic minority. Texas is known for its many mega churches and because of it being a part of the American South, Texas is known for its large Christian and especially Southern Baptist influence. In 2025, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring that all public schools in the state include the Ten Commandments in their classrooms. Though it has gone through some legal battles, it stands as of writing this. There have also been recent moves to require reading of the Bible to be part of school curriculum. Whether all of this is related to cultural war, Texan heritage, or earnest faith is for the reader to decide. Like Bavaria, Texas is known for its strong religiousness and traditional values.

At this point it would be fair to mention that there are some differences. As mentioned before, Texas and Bavaria are both Christian and conservative, but Texas is very protestant and Bavaria is very catholic. The theological differences here are not trivial. Bavaria is not a small state by any means, but by area it would fit in Texas nearly ten times. Texas is incredibly car dependent and has been more hostile to reducing car dependency, unlike many other states. Bavaria has a very developed public transportation system, has traditional walkable cities, and is not nearly as car dependent. They both have large and diverse economies, though the automotive industry is a big player in Bavaria with it hosting both BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) and Audi. Texas doesn’t have a similar auto industry, but it is the US’s largest oil producer. Plus, neither Bavaria nor Texas are monoliths. The Free State of Bavaria is made up of different regions that all have their own flair, these include Altbayern, Franconia, parts of Swabia, and parts of the Palatinate. Nuremberg is the biggest city in Franconia and was historically more protestant. Texas is also made up of different regions. West Texas is very different from Austin, which is different from San Antonio, which is different to Houston or Dallas. It would be false to say that Texas and Bavaria are similar to each other, because they really aren’t. It is more accurate to say that they both play very similar roles politically, culturally, and economically for their respective countries.

This is why the two can even be compared. There are other places that have very strong regional identities that play very different roles. Quebec in Canada, Scotland in the United Kingdom, Catalonia in Spain, and Brittany in France are all similar in the sense of their uniqueness, but they are not really like Texas or Bavaria. All of the places mentioned have active independence movements. For all of their big talk, neither Texas nor Bavaria has any particularly strong or serious desire for independence. Texas and Bavaria are by no means their own countries, but they are their own nations.

After comparing these two states, I can’t help but come to another conclusion, which is that no country is a monolith. Each country is made up of subdivisions that differ from each other and cause now two cities in any country to be the same. Texas and Bavaria are both well known, but that doesn’t mean that each other state isn’t unique itself or that it doesn’t have its own culture and regional identity. North Dakota is very different from Massachusetts, which is different from Florida, which is different from Texas, which is different from California, which is different from Idaho and so on. Hamburg, Saxony, Hesse, and Bavaria are all different from each other as well. I think it is common to think of each country as being homogenous, but this thought isn’t particularly helpful. The deeper you dig, you find that each country has any number of regions with their own nuances. Just as an American would be offended if their state was assumed to be the same as any other state, we shouldn’t then turn around and do the same to others. Because we know that US states differ from each other, let’s not forget this fact when it comes to other countries. I find that tourists tend to lose any courtesy and nuance when it comes to talking about and visiting other places, because for whatever reason, they seem to forget that other places are as unique and complicated as home. And I wouldn’t give anyone a pass. I have heard Americans say very silly things in regards to Germany, and I have heard Germans make similarly stupid statements in regards to America. This doesn’t mean that we all need to become geopolitical experts before traveling, but it would be nice to everyone involved if everyone traveled with an open mind and an appetite to learn more.

How similarities and differences are measured is also important. Bavaria and Texas are different from each other, when they are only compared to each other. If we wanted to compare civilizations, we would soon find that Bavaria and Texas are quite similar, at least when compared to Latin America, the Middle East, India, or China. European ancestry, Christian faith, democratic values, liberalism, and Western history tie all of the West together. North America, Europe, and Australia start to look pretty similar, when civilizations are being compared.

God’s creation is wonderful and diverse, filled with nations and people that are all interesting to visit and to discover. The best part is, one does not even have to go far. Within one’s own country there will undoubtedly be regions worth their own visit. Traveling abroad to places like Italy or Mexico is great, but compelling places might be even closer than expected. I have kept saying time and again that Bavaria is the Texas of Germany, but Bavaria is a lot older. So maybe it would be more accurate to say that Texas is the Bavaria of America. Either way, the similarities and roles that both states play in the German and American context is captivating and worth further discussion. I am sure I won’t be the last person to notice this.

E pluribus unum.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” – Romans 1:20 (ESV)