Adelsverein (German Migration to Texas Hill Country)

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Texas, United States

"The Adelsverein, also known as the Mainzer Verein, the Texas-Verein, and the German Emigration Company, was officially named the Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer in Texas (Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas). Provisionally organized on April 20, 1842, by twenty-one German noblemen at Biebrich on the Rhine, near Mainz, the society represents a significant effort to establish a new Germany on Texas soil by means of an organized mass emigration."^[1]

Lured by publications that overstated the resources and charms of the region, over 7,000 emigrants settled in central Texas as part of the Adelsverein between 1842 and 1853. The first ships that arrived at the port of Indianola found little by way of infrastructure or resources and many early migrants died of disease, starvation and overexposure. Others made their way first in carts, then on foot, to the Fisher-Miller Land Grant located between the Llano and Colorado Rivers. Their mark on the Texas Hill Country is still evident today in the town such as Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Boerne, New Braunfels, and others.

Research Starting Points

• Indianola Immigrant Database maintained by Victoria Regional Historical Center, https://vrhc.uhv.edu/manuscripts/indianola/default.aspx may have secondary information.
• Galveston Immigration Databse: http://ghf.destinationnext.com/immigration/Search.aspx

According to the Victoria Regional Historical Center, "[s]ince 1820 the United States immigration laws stated that all ship's manifests (passenger lists) were to be turned over to the officials at the port where the ship first made landing. For the immigrants coming to Indianola, this was usually New Orleans or Galveston. It could even have been a port on the east coast, such as New York. The passengers were then placed on smaller vessels to complete the final stage of their long journey. The smaller vessels were necessary since the bay leading into Indianola was too shallow for the larger sailing vessels."

• Digitized items in SMU’s Adelsverein archive are available at http://digitalcollections.smu.edu/cdm/search/collection/tex/searchterm/A2009.0006/mode/exact

• Rudolph Leopold Biesele papers, A2010.0030, http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/smu/00177/smu-00177.html

• David I. Miller land deed, 1858 June 1, A2002.0123c

• Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer in Texas records, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/01592/cah-01592.html

• Solms-Braunfels Archives, 1842-1957, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/00025/cah-00025.html

• Yale archive. https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/11/resources/1200

• Texas Land Office records. Search: https://s3.glo.texas.gov/glo/history/archives/land-grants/index.cfm Finding Aid: https://www.glo.texas.gov/history/archives/forms/files/glo-german-collections.pdf

• Wikidata: Item Q1885712, en:Wikipedia