List of Darmstadt Society of Forty

Hermann Spiess,^[1] Ferdinand Ludwig Herff^[2] and Gustav Schleicher ^[3] founded Darmstadt Die Vierziger (the Society of Forty), sometimes referred to as the Socialistic Colony and Society. The founders, as well as many of the members, were from Darmstadt. They originally planned to establish socialistic communes in Wisconsin.

Spiess and Herff were approached in Wiesbaden by Adelsverein Vice President and Executive Secretary-Business Director Count Carl Frederick Christian of Castell-Castell,^[4] who made a deal with them to colonize two hundred families on the Fisher-Miller Land Grant territory in Texas. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, equipment and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves.^[5] The colonies attempted were Castell,^[6] Leiningen, Bettina,^[7] Schoenburg and Meerholz in Llano County; Darmstädler Farm in Comal County; and Tusculum in Kendall County.^[8] Of these, only Castell survives. The colonies failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and also due to conflict of structure and authorities. Some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany.

The Forty

Darmstadt Society of Forty

Name	Ship	Notes
Amelung, OttoOtto Amelung	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Lawyer
Backofen, HeinrichHeinrich Backofen	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Maker of musical instruments
Bub, PeterPeter Bub	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Maker of musical instruments
Deichert, UnknownUnknown Deichert		Blacksmith
Flach, ChristophChristoph Flach	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Mechanic
Friedrich, WilhelmWilhelm Friedrich	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Lawyer
Fuchs, RudolphRudolph Fuchs		Lawyer
Hahn, AdolphAdolph Hahn	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Lieutenant of the military
Heff, UnknownUnknown Heff		Carpenter
Herff, Ferdinand LudwigFerdinand Ludwig Herff	1846	Physiclan
Herrmann, UnknownUnknown Herrmann		Forester
Hesse, ChristianChristian Hesse		Lawyer
Hoerner, JohannesJohannes Hoerner
Kappelhoff, LouisLouis Kappelhoff		Ship carpenter
Kattmann, HeinrichHeinrich Kattmann	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847
Koeppel, AdamAdam Koeppel	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847
Kuechler, JacobJacob Kuechler	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Forester
Lerch, AugustAugust Lerch	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Architect
Lindheimer, Ferdinand JacobFerdinand Jacob Lindheimer	1834	Naturalist
Friedrich, LouisLouis Friedrich	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Forester
Merting, UnknownUnknown Merting		Minister
Michel, FriedrichFriedrich Michel	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Brewer
Mordes, FranzFranz Mordes
Mueller, EdwardEdward Mueller	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Agriculturalist
Neff, UnknownUnknown Neff		Carpenter
Neff, UnknownUnknown Neff		Butcher
Ottmer, UnknownUnknown Ottmer		Miller
Reinhardt, LudwigLudwig Reinhardt	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Botanist
Rockan, UnknownUnknown Rockan		American who joined in Victoria, Texas
Schenck, Phillipp Friedrich Karl Theodore (Fritz)Phillipp Friedrich Karl Theodore (Fritz) Schenck	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Forester
Schleicher, GustavGustav Schleicher	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Engineer
Schlenning, TheodoreTheodore Schlenning	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Physician
Schuze, LeopoldLeopold Schuze
Schunk, AntonAnton Schunk		Maker of musical instruments
Spiess, HermannHermann Spiess	1846
Strauss, AugustAugust Strauss	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Mechanic
Vogt, AdamAdam Vogt	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Forester
Wagner, JuliusJulius Wagner	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Lawyer
Wundt, UnknownUnknown Wundt		Lawyer
Zoeller, PhillipPhillip Zoeller	St. Pauli, July 4, 1847	Architect

References

1. ^ Ragsdale, Crystal Sasse. "Hermann Spiess". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsp11. Retrieved 30 January 2011. 
2. ^ Stembridge, Vernie A. "Ferdinand Ludwig Herff". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhe27. Retrieved 20 January 2011. 
3. ^ Heinen, Hubert Plummer. "Gustav Schleicher". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsc09. Retrieved 20 January 2011. 
4. ^ Brister, Louis E. "Count Carl of Castell-Castell". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fcaap. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
5. ^ King (1967) p.122
6. ^ Heckert-Greene, James B. "Castell, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnc23. Retrieved 20 January 2011. 
7. ^ Lich, Glen E. "Bettina, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvb55. Retrieved 20January 2011. 
8. ^ Lich, Glen E. "The Forty". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pnf02. Retrieved 20 January 2011. 

Source material

• Sowell, Andrew Jackson (orig. 1900; reprint 2010). Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas. General Books LLC. ISBN 978-1459067509. 
• Texas State Historical Association (1900). The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 3. 
• Pioneers in God's Hills. Gillespie County Historical Society. 1960. 
• King, Irene Marschall (1967). John O.Meusebach. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0292736566. 
• Reichstein, Andreas (2001). German Pioneers on the American Frontier: The Wagners in Texas and Illinois. University of North Texas Press. ISBN 978-1574411348. 
• Morgenthaler, Jefferson (2005). Boerne, Settlement on the Cibolo. Mockingbird Books. ISBN 978-1932801088. 
• Morgenthaler, Jefferson (2007). The German Settlement of the Texas Hill Country. Mockingbird Books. ISBN 978-1932801095. 
• "Immigration Database". Galveston Historical Foundation. http://ghf.destinationnext.com/immigration/Search.aspx. 
• "Indianola Immigrant Database". Victoria Tx Regional History Center. http://vrhc.uhv.edu/manuscripts/indianola/home.cfm.