Adelsverein


Book Description

The Adelsverein Trilogy, now combined in a single hardbound edition, is a saga of family and community loyalties, and the challenge of building a new life on the hostile frontier. They came from Germany to Texas in 1847, under the auspices of the "Mainzer Adelsverein" - the society of noblemen of Mainz, who tried to fill a settlement in Texas with German farmers and craftsmen. Christian "Vati" Steinmetz, the clockmaker of Ulm in Bavaria, has brought his sons and daughters: Magda - passionate and courageous, courted by Carl Becker, a young frontiersman with a dangerous past. Her sister Liesel wants nothing more than to be a good wife to her husband Hansi, a stolid and practical farmer called by circumstances to be something greater, in the boom years of the great cattle ranches. Their brothers Friedrich and Johann, have always been close - in the Civil War, one will wear Union blue, the other Confederate grey homespun - but never forget they are brothers. And finally, there is Vati's adopted daughter Rosalie, whose life ends as it began - in tragedy. But Vati's family will will survive and ultimately triumph. They will make their mark in Texas, their new land. Adelsverein: It's about love and loss, joy and grief . . . and the sometimes wrenching process of becoming American.




Voyage to North America, 1844-45


Book Description

"Included in the Appendix are two additional important documents. First, is the diary of the colonial director of the Adelsverein, Alexander Bourgeois, who accompanied Solms until dismissed in August 1844. This record provides a unique counterpoint to Solms's viewpoint. The second is the Memoir on American Affairs, addressed to Queen Victoria. In this, written in 1845 some months after Solms's return to Germany, develops political views which were strongly influenced by Solms's stay in Texas."--BOOK JACKET.




Nassau Plantation


Book Description

In the 1840s an organization of German noblemen, the Mainzner Adelsverein, attempted to settle thousands of German emigrants on the Texas frontier. Nassau Plantation, located near modern-day Round Top, Texas, in northern Fayette County, was a significant part of this story. No one, however, has adequately documented the role of the slave plantation or given a convincing explanation of the Adelsverein from the German point of view. James C. Kearney has studied a wealth of original source material (much of it in German) to illuminate the history of the plantation and the larger goals and motivation of the Adelsverein, both in Texas and in Germany. Moreover, this new study highlights the problematic relationship of German emigrants to slavery. Few today realize that the society's original colonization plan included ownership and operation of slave plantations. Ironically, the German settlements the society later established became hotbeds of anti-slavery and anti-secessionist sentiment. Responding to criticism in Germany, the society declared its colonies to be "slave free zones" in 1845. This act thrust the society front and center into the complicated political landscape of Texas prior to annexation. James A. Mayberry, among others, suspected an English-German conspiracy to flood the state with anti-slavery immigrants and delivered a fiery speech in the legislature denouncing the society. In the 1850s the plantation became a magnet for German immigration into Fayette and Austin Counties. In this connection, Kearney explores the role and influence of Otto von Roeder, a largely neglected but important Texas-German. Another chapter deals with the odyssey of the extended von Rosenberg family, who settled on the plantation in 1850 and helped to elevate the nearby town of Round Top into a regional center of culture and education. Many members of the family subsequently rose to positions of leadership and influence in Texas. Several notable personalities graced the plantation--Carl Prince of Solms-Braunfels, Johann Otto Freiherr von Meusebach, botanist F. Lindheimer, and the renowned naturalist Dr. Ferdinand Roemer, to name a few. Dramatic events also occurred at the plantation, including a deadly shootout, a successful escape by two slaves (documented in an unprecedented way), and litigation over ownership that wound its way to both the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.




German Pioneers on the American Frontier


Book Description

Wilhelm Wagner (1803-1877), son of Peter Wagner, was born in Dürkheim, Germany. He married Friedericke Odenwald (1812-1893). They had nine children. They emigrated and settled in Illinois. His brother, Julius Wagner (1816-1903) married Emilie M. Schneider (1820-1896). They had seven children. They emigrated and settled in Texas.




Adelsverein: The gathering


Book Description

"They have come from Germany to Texas in 1847, under the auspices of the 'Mainzer Adelsverein' - the society of noblemen of Mainz, who seek to fill a settlement in Texas with German farmers and craftsmen. Among them is a family who will survive and endure, making their mark in Texas, their new land. Christian 'Vati' Steinmetz, the clockmaker of Ulm in Bavaria, has brought his many sons and daughters: Magda, passionate and courageous, is courted by Carl Becker, a young frontiersman with a dangerous past. Her sister, Liesel wants nothing more than to be a good wife to her husband Hansi, a stolid and practical farmer who will be called by circumstances to become something greater. Brothers Friedrich and Johann, who have always been close, will find themselves fighting in the Civil War, but one will wear Union blue, the other Confederate grey homespun. Yet they will never forget that they are brothers."--Publisher description.




A German Paradise in Texas


Book Description

A gripping historical novel about the Germans who left their home country more than 150 years ago. False promises of a better life and incompetent organisers attracted thousands who had little to lose back home to look for a new life in Texas with the hope of creating a New Germany free from tyranny and poverty. These courageous people created much of the culture of Texas today. This emotive rendering of Scheffel’s monumental ‘lost’ heart-rending classic makes this story available for English language readers for the first time. Notes are provided for additional background information.




Adelsverein: The Sowing


Book Description

Ideals, friendship, and cruel circumstance collide as war comes to the Hill Country in this epic story of how a family of German immigrants became American. The saga continues through the wrenching tragedy of the Civil War.




Germany and the Americas [3 volumes]


Book Description

This comprehensive encyclopedia details the close ties between the German-speaking world and the Americas, examining the extensive Germanic cultural and political legacy in the nations of the New World and the equally substantial influence of the Americas on the Germanic nations. From the medical discoveries of Dr. Johann Siegert, surgeon general to Simon Bolivar, to the amazing explorations of the early-19th-century German explorer Alexander von Humboldt, whose South American and Caribbean travels made him one of the most celebrated men in Europe, Germany and the Americas examines both the profound Germanic cultural and political legacy throughout the Americas and the lasting influence of American culture on the German-speaking world. Ever since Baron von Steuben helped create George Washington's army, German Americans have exhibited decisive leadership not only in the military, but also in politics, the arts, and business. Germany and the Americas charts the lasting links between the Germanic world and the nations of the Americas in a comprehensive survey featuring a chronology of key events spanning 400 years of transatlantic history.




Hill Country


Book Description

This book features ten tours to Central Texas that capture the essence of its flavor and charm. Included in this guide are historic tidbits, folklore, geography, major attractions, maps, listings of accomodations, a calendar of events, and more.