Johann Ludwig Karl Heinrich von Struve
Encyclopedia
Johann Ludwig Karl Heinrich von Struve (August 9, 1812 – March 3, 1898) was the youngest son of the large brood of children of Johann Christoph Gustav von Struve
and Sibilla Christiane Friederike von Hochstetter; part of the Struve family
and brother to Gustav Struve
. His father was president of the
, in what was the Kingdom of Württemberg
, during the short-lived Confederation of the Rhine
.
Like his siblings before him, he attended the Gymnasium and Polytechnic schools in Stuttgart, before attending law school, which he did not finish, having been bitten by wanderlust before his final exams. He then joined and traveled to the province of Silesia
, as a member of the Russia
n military.
It was there that he met his first wife, Stephanie von Borowsky, the daughter of the local noble, J. von Borowsky, and on September 19, 1836 they were wed at the von Borowsky estate at Posen
.
Heinrich and Stephanie farmed land purchased by Heinrich from von Borowsky in Froeschen and there they had four children, including an infant who died shortly after birth:
Stephanie died shortly after the fourth child died during its birth.
and there he married his cousin, Wilhelmine Charlotte Margarete "Minna" von Hochstetter on September 19, 1844.
With Minna and his young family, he went back to his land holdings in the east and another daughter came, Stephanie von Struve, born 1847 in Chobanin
, Kingdom of Poland
.
Shortly thereafter the German Revolution of 1848
began, and Heinrich's brother, Gustav Struve
, who was a leading component of such, caused the Struve name to be less than honorable for the times and created an environment less than hospitable for Heinrich von Struve and his family, as he too had supported the democratic cause. Like many of his German countrymen, he decided the only solution was to emigrate. He chose Texas, in the United States
, as destination.
to Galveston
, Texas
, landing there on November 22, 1848. From there they went by ox-cart to Fayette County, Texas
, ultimately settling between the Rutersville
township and the town of Fayetteville
in eastern Fayette County.
In Texas the last four children were born to Heinrich and Minna von Struve:
von Struve was quite active in his adopted homeland of Texas
, serving as a postmaster, a cigar-maker, a farmer and rancher and a land speculator. He enjoyed the frontier life. However, his wife, Minna, did not and just prior to the American Civil War
, he sent his family back to Europe
.
. The former, Amand, marrying Christiane Otilie Pfeisler and residing in Burnet County and later in Blanco County. The latter, Louis, marrying Clementine de Lassaulx, the daughter of Otto Phillip de Lassaulx of Koblenz and Elberfeld and his wife Margaretha Fassbender of Trier, and granddaughter of the noted royal Prussian architect Johann Claudius von Lassaulx (also known as J.C. de Lassaulx), and residing the remainder of his life in Fayette County, Texas
.
Heinrich von Struve, like his wife and younger children, returned to Europe
from Texas
by way of New York
, where he visited his brother Gustav Struve
, who also had emigrated to America
after the 1848 Revolution with his wife, Amalie. He assisted his brother in marketing Gustav's "Weltgeschichte" or World History, which Gustav had written after his arrival in America.
Heinrich von Struve came back to Texas
several times thereafter to visit his sons, as well as traveled to Brazil
, where his youngest son, Konrad had gone as an engineer. In Brazil
he had an audience with the Brazilian Emperor, Dom Pedro II of Brazil, where he regailed the monarch with his tales of the Texas Wilderness.
When finally he returned and remained in Europe, Heinrich put his life story to paper and published it in 1895 as a "Lebensbild". He died March 3, 1898 in Rothenberg ob der Tauber, Germany
.
Johann Christoph Gustav von Struve
Johann Christoph Gustav von Struve was born on 26 September 1763 in Regensburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria during the Holy Roman Empire of German States to notable diplomat Anton Sebastian von Struve, the Russian ambassador to the Reichstag in Regensburg...
and Sibilla Christiane Friederike von Hochstetter; part of the Struve family
Struve family
The Struve family were a dynasty of five generations of astronomers from the 18th to 20th centuries. Members of the family were also prominent in chemistry, government and diplomacy.-Origins:...
and brother to Gustav Struve
Gustav Struve
Gustav Struve, known as Gustav von Struve until he gave up his title, , was a German politician, lawyer and publicist, and a revolutionary during the German revolution of 1848-1849 in Baden...
. His father was president of the
Early life
Struve was born in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, in what was the Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
, during the short-lived Confederation of the Rhine
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederation of the Rhine was a confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Treaty of Pressburg, in effect, led to the...
.
Like his siblings before him, he attended the Gymnasium and Polytechnic schools in Stuttgart, before attending law school, which he did not finish, having been bitten by wanderlust before his final exams. He then joined and traveled to the province of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, as a member of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n military.
It was there that he met his first wife, Stephanie von Borowsky, the daughter of the local noble, J. von Borowsky, and on September 19, 1836 they were wed at the von Borowsky estate at Posen
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.
Heinrich and Stephanie farmed land purchased by Heinrich from von Borowsky in Froeschen and there they had four children, including an infant who died shortly after birth:
- Friedrich Wilhelm Amand von Struve (1838–1902)
- Louis Joseph von Struve (1839–1921)
- Sibilla "Silly" von Struve (born 1840-1841)
Stephanie died shortly after the fourth child died during its birth.
Life in Berlin
von Struve then traveled to BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and there he married his cousin, Wilhelmine Charlotte Margarete "Minna" von Hochstetter on September 19, 1844.
With Minna and his young family, he went back to his land holdings in the east and another daughter came, Stephanie von Struve, born 1847 in Chobanin
Chobanin
Chobanin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wieruszów, within Wieruszów County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It lies approximately east of Wieruszów and south-west of the regional capital Łódź.-References:...
, Kingdom of Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
.
Shortly thereafter the German Revolution of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
began, and Heinrich's brother, Gustav Struve
Gustav Struve
Gustav Struve, known as Gustav von Struve until he gave up his title, , was a German politician, lawyer and publicist, and a revolutionary during the German revolution of 1848-1849 in Baden...
, who was a leading component of such, caused the Struve name to be less than honorable for the times and created an environment less than hospitable for Heinrich von Struve and his family, as he too had supported the democratic cause. Like many of his German countrymen, he decided the only solution was to emigrate. He chose Texas, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as destination.
Immigration to the United States
On September 19, 1848, Heinrich von Struve and his family emigrated from the port of HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
to Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, landing there on November 22, 1848. From there they went by ox-cart to Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 21,804. Its county seat is La Grange. Fayette is named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French nobleman who became an American Revolutionary War hero...
, ultimately settling between the Rutersville
Rutersville, Texas
Rutersville is an unincorporated community in central Fayette County, Texas, United States.Rutersville College was located in the community.-External links:* Handbook of Texas Online....
township and the town of Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Texas
Fayetteville is a city in Fayette County, Texas, roughly halfway between Austin and Houston. The population was 261 at the 2000 census.The town is about twelve miles east of La Grange and U.S. Highway 77; it is about twelve miles north of Borden and Interstate 10.-History:Fayetteville's first...
in eastern Fayette County.
In Texas the last four children were born to Heinrich and Minna von Struve:
- Konrad von Struve (1849–1923) - who later was an engineer in Rio De JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and married his cousin Philippine von Manuel. - Alexandrine Albertine "Fanny" von Struve (1853–1917) - who later was married to a Scots relation of the St. Clairs and lived for a time in EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where she ran a finishing school, and then moved her school to LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. - Sophie von Struve (1857–1909)
- Elisabeth Pauline Luise "Amy" von Struve (1858–1911) - who later married Julius Karl Betzler and was a missionary in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for a time.
von Struve was quite active in his adopted homeland of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, serving as a postmaster, a cigar-maker, a farmer and rancher and a land speculator. He enjoyed the frontier life. However, his wife, Minna, did not and just prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he sent his family back to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
World traveling
His two older sons, Amand and Louis, remained in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The former, Amand, marrying Christiane Otilie Pfeisler and residing in Burnet County and later in Blanco County. The latter, Louis, marrying Clementine de Lassaulx, the daughter of Otto Phillip de Lassaulx of Koblenz and Elberfeld and his wife Margaretha Fassbender of Trier, and granddaughter of the noted royal Prussian architect Johann Claudius von Lassaulx (also known as J.C. de Lassaulx), and residing the remainder of his life in Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 21,804. Its county seat is La Grange. Fayette is named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French nobleman who became an American Revolutionary War hero...
.
Heinrich von Struve, like his wife and younger children, returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
by way of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he visited his brother Gustav Struve
Gustav Struve
Gustav Struve, known as Gustav von Struve until he gave up his title, , was a German politician, lawyer and publicist, and a revolutionary during the German revolution of 1848-1849 in Baden...
, who also had emigrated to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the 1848 Revolution with his wife, Amalie. He assisted his brother in marketing Gustav's "Weltgeschichte" or World History, which Gustav had written after his arrival in America.
Heinrich von Struve came back to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
several times thereafter to visit his sons, as well as traveled to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, where his youngest son, Konrad had gone as an engineer. In Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
he had an audience with the Brazilian Emperor, Dom Pedro II of Brazil, where he regailed the monarch with his tales of the Texas Wilderness.
When finally he returned and remained in Europe, Heinrich put his life story to paper and published it in 1895 as a "Lebensbild". He died March 3, 1898 in Rothenberg ob der Tauber, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Sources
- Heinrich von Struve: Ein Lebensbild. Erinnerungen aus dem Leben eines Zweiundachtzigjährigen in der alten und neuen Welt, Leipzig, Verlag von E. Ungleich, 1895 (1st edition 1896).
- Heinrich von Struve: Ein Lebensbild. Erinnerungen aus dem Leben eines Zweiundachtzigjährigen in der alten und neuen Welt, Leipzig, Verlag von E. Ungleich, 1896 (2nd enlarged edition in 1896).
- Heinrich von Struve: Ein Lebensbild. Erinnerungen aus dem Leben eines Zweiundachtzigjährigen in der alten und neuen Welt, Emmishofen (Schweiz), Verlag von Carl Hirsch, 1924 (3rd edition 1924).
- Arno Struve: The Struve Family in Europe and in Texas, Abernathy, self-published, 1979
- Jon Todd Koenig: The Struve Family in Texas: the descendants of Heinrich von Struve (1812-1898) of Fayette County, Texas, USA, Houston, self-published, 2006