Friedrich Armand Strubberg

This book caught my eye at my local public library because it's about Fredericksburg, Texas, the German-settled town where my parents retired to 30 years ago, in 1994, and lived happily for almost 20 years.  This novel, originally written and published in Germany in 1867 under a title that roughly translates to Friedrichsburg: Colony of the German Furstenverein, was translated, annotated, and illustrated by James C. Kearney as part of his dissertation in 2010 for a Ph.D. in German and history from the University of Texas - Austin.

The author of the original, Dr. Friedrich Armand Strubberg, actually served as the first colonial director of Fredericksburg, in 1846 and 1847, under his alias surname Schubbert, before returning to Germany in 1854, where he then wrote fiction and nonfiction.  Schubbert is one of the main characters of the book (often referred to simply as "the director"), which is very much a fictional account of the early years of the real Fredericksburg, with some grains of truth.

Besides the director, other main characters are Rudolph von Wildhorst and his bride-to-be Ludwina Nimanski, as well as their fathers, all four of which are fictional.  Many other characters are based on real people, such as the Delaware Indian chief Youngbear (the historical Jim Shaw); Kateumsi and Santa Anna, Penateka Comanche war chiefs; and John Grey (the historical Lyman Wight), leader of a group of Mormans who settled in various places in Texas, including the community of Zodiac, about four miles down the Pedernales River from Fredericksburg.  Not mentioned at all in the book is John Muesebach, who hired (and fired) Strubberg, and was the one who negotiated the peace treaty with the Penateka Comanche that is part of the novel.

Kearney does an excellent job, in his thorough introduction and end notes, identifying what is true and what is not in Strubberg's novel.  The book also includes a glossary (particularly of German words used in the novel), an extensive list of works cited, an index, and a chronological bibliography of all the first edition books by Strubberg, ten of which are set in Texas.

Some of the action in the book is melodramatic, and the language is flowery and excessive (typical of the period when it was written), but the story is entertaining, and it's a good depiction of the early years of Fredericksburg, where my parents chose to be buried.  I'm glad I read it.… (meer)

From Wikipedia: Friedrich Armand Strubberg (1806 –1889) was born in Germany. Strubberg spent many decades in the United States as a merchant, physician, and pioneer colonist. In Texas, he used the pseudonym Dr. Friedrich Schubbert. He designed the Vereins Kirche in Fredericksburg. Strubberg spent the last few decades of his life as an author in Germany.

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth202837/
Amerikanische Jagd- und Reiseabenteuer: aus meinem Leben in den westlichen Indianergebieten.






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Description
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This German text recounts the author's adventures traveling the western United States over a sixteen-year period. The author describes his encounters with Native Americans and the natural environment, especially the animals he hunted. The book also includes illustrations made by the author during his travels.
Physical Description
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vi, 460 p., [24] leaves of plates : ill. ; 22 cm.
Creation Information
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Armand, 1806-1889 1858.… (meer)