Ferdinand Ludwig Herff
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Ludwig Herff was a 19th Century German-born physician who emigrated to Texas
and became a medical pioneer in San Antonio. He was one of the co-founders of the Bettina commune. In 1982, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
1268 was placed on Malakopf Mountain in Boerne, to honor Herff.
Herff's homesite in San Antonio was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in the year 2000, Marker number 12345 .
, Germany
to Christian von Herff, Privy Councillor or Judge of the Supreme Court of Hesse-Darmstadt, and his wife Eleanora von Meusebach, a cousin of John O. Meusebach
.
, where his uncle Doctor von Rehfuss was the president of the university. Both universities were the alma maters of Karl Marx
. A fellow student was Frederick III
, future King of Prussia at the Bonn university. The family social circle included naturalist Alexander von Humboldt
and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Herff completed his medical education at the University of Giessen
in 1843. Upon graduation, he served a surgical internship with the army of Hesse
, and learned techniques in plastic surgery
and the treatment of tuberculosis
.
and Hermann Spiess
founded the Socialistic Colony and Society, or Die Vierziger (the Society of Forty), which originally had plans 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, 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 colony was expected to support itself. In 1846, Herff and Spiess emigrated together to the United States via New York
. From there, they traveled by railroad to Wheeling, West Virginia
, and by stage coach to New Orleans. They then boarded a ship to Galveston
. Spiess went to New Braunfels, and Herff went to Indianola
at the end of April 1847 to await the arrival of the other colony members. John O. Meusebach
and Spiess chose the location for Bettina in 1847 on the banks of the Llano River
. The commune was named in honor of Bettina von Arnim
, an early feminist activist and a personal friend of the Meusebach family. The majority of the Bettina settlers arrived in August 1847. Beneath an oak tree, Herff removed a cataract
from the eye of a local Indian chief. Jacob Kuechler was one of the notables at the commune. Bettina failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and due to conflict of structure and authorities. Some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany.
Herff returned to Germany for an additional period of service with the Hesse army, to learn techniques in treating battle casualties. While there, Herff was able to observe the correlation between a surgeon's attention to sanitation, and the low rate of patient infection.
, Herff established a home and a medical practice in San Antonio in 1850. He served as City Alderman 1850-1851. Herff pioneered the use of chloroform
as early as 1854. A number of his patients were indigent, but Herff dedicated his career to caring for the patient regardless of financial circumstances. Herff was personal physician to Richard King
, founder of the King Ranch
.
In 1853, he became a charter member of the Texas Medical Association. Herff strived to elevate the standards of medical practice, and was San Antonio health officer in 1860. Like many Germans, Herff was a supporter of the Union in the Civil War; however, he served as Confederate States Army
surgeon, treating the patient not the uniform. He helped the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
establish Santa Rosa Infirmary, San Antonio's first hospital.
and other parts of the United States, as well as journeys to Europe. The Herff family owned 960 acres on two different tracts in Boerne, Texas
, which they used as personal retreats. The acreage has now been incorporated into the Cibolo Nature Center. Mrs. and Mrs. Herff were life-long friends with Texas State Senator James Rodgers Loughridge.
Ferdinand Ludwig Herff died in San Antonio on May 18, 1912 and is buried in San Antonio City Cemetery No. 1.
In 1982, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
1268 was placed on Malakopf Mountain in Boerne, to honor Herff. Herff's homesite in San Antonio was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in the year 2000, Marker number 12345 .
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...
and became a medical pioneer in San Antonio. He was one of the co-founders of the Bettina commune. In 1982, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
1268 was placed on Malakopf Mountain in Boerne, to honor Herff.
Herff's homesite in San Antonio was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
in the year 2000, Marker number 12345 .
Early life
Ferdinand Ludwig von Herff was born November 29, 1820, in DarmstadtDarmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, 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...
to Christian von Herff, Privy Councillor or Judge of the Supreme Court of Hesse-Darmstadt, and his wife Eleanora von Meusebach, a cousin of John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas Senate, District 22.-Early years:John O...
.
Education
Herff attended the University of Berlin and the University of BonnUniversity of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, where his uncle Doctor von Rehfuss was the president of the university. Both universities were the alma maters of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
. A fellow student was Frederick III
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
, future King of Prussia at the Bonn university. The family social circle included naturalist Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Herff completed his medical education at the University of Giessen
University of Giessen
The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...
in 1843. Upon graduation, he served a surgical internship with the army of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, and learned techniques in plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
and the treatment of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Bettina
Herff, Gustav SchleicherGustav Schleicher
Gustav Schleicher was a German-born Democratic United States Representative from Texas. He was an engineer who served briefly in the Texas legislature, and was a veteran of the Confederate Army.-Early life:Schleicher was born in Darmstadt in the German principality of Hesse in 1823...
and Hermann Spiess
Hermann Spiess
Hermann Spiess was co-founder of the Bettina, Texas commune in 1847. He became Commissioner-General of the Adelsverein after the resignation of John O. Meusebach.-Early life:...
founded the Socialistic Colony and Society, or Die Vierziger (the Society of Forty), which originally had plans to establish socialistic communes in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Spiess and Herff were approached in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
by Adelsverein
Adelsverein
Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
Vice President and Executive Secretary-Business Director Count Carl Frederick Christian of Castell-Castell, who made a deal with them to colonize two hundred families on the Fisher-Miller Land Grant
Fisher-Miller Land Grant
The Fisher-Miller Land Grant was part of an early colonization effort of the Republic of Texas. Its 3,878,000 acres covered between the Llano River and Colorado River. Originally granted to Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller, the grant was sold to the German colonization company of Adelsverein...
territory in 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...
. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, equipment and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colony was expected to support itself. In 1846, Herff and Spiess emigrated together to the United States via 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...
. From there, they traveled by railroad to Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and by stage coach to New Orleans. They then boarded a ship 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...
. Spiess went to New Braunfels, and Herff went to Indianola
Indianola, Texas
Indianola is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The community, once the county seat of Calhoun County, is a part of the Victoria, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1875, the city had a population of 5,000, but on September 15 of that year, a...
at the end of April 1847 to await the arrival of the other colony members. John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas Senate, District 22.-Early years:John O...
and Spiess chose the location for Bettina in 1847 on the banks of the Llano River
Llano River
The Llano River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 105 mi long, in central Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin....
. The commune was named in honor of Bettina von Arnim
Bettina von Arnim
Bettina von Arnim , born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena Brentano, was a German writer and novelist....
, an early feminist activist and a personal friend of the Meusebach family. The majority of the Bettina settlers arrived in August 1847. Beneath an oak tree, Herff removed a cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
from the eye of a local Indian chief. Jacob Kuechler was one of the notables at the commune. Bettina failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and due to conflict of structure and authorities. Some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany.
Herff returned to Germany for an additional period of service with the Hesse army, to learn techniques in treating battle casualties. While there, Herff was able to observe the correlation between a surgeon's attention to sanitation, and the low rate of patient infection.
San Antonio
During his sojourn in his home country, Herff married his fiancee Mathilde Klingelhoeffer. Herff and his new wife re-emigrated to Texas. Herff Americanized his name by dropping the "von", and became a citizen. After a brief period of life in New BraunfelsNew Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
, Herff established a home and a medical practice in San Antonio in 1850. He served as City Alderman 1850-1851. Herff pioneered the use of chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
as early as 1854. A number of his patients were indigent, but Herff dedicated his career to caring for the patient regardless of financial circumstances. Herff was personal physician to Richard King
Richard King (Texas)
Richard King was a riverboat captain, entrepreneur, and most notably, the founder of the King Ranch in South Texas, which at the time of his death in 1885 encompassed over 600,000 acres .-Early years:Born in New York City into a poor Irish family, King was indentured as an apprentice to a jeweler...
, founder of the King Ranch
King Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
.
In 1853, he became a charter member of the Texas Medical Association. Herff strived to elevate the standards of medical practice, and was San Antonio health officer in 1860. Like many Germans, Herff was a supporter of the Union in the Civil War; however, he served as Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
surgeon, treating the patient not the uniform. He helped the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is the name of two Roman Catholic religious orders based in the state of Texas.- Houston Order :...
establish Santa Rosa Infirmary, San Antonio's first hospital.
Personal life and death
Herff married Mathilde Klingelhoeffer in 1849. The couple had six sons. He spent his vacations with his family, touring Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
and other parts of the United States, as well as journeys to Europe. The Herff family owned 960 acres on two different tracts in Boerne, Texas
Boerne, Texas
Boerne is a city in the Hill Country of Texas in the United States. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Boerne was named in honor of Ludwig Börne, a Jewish German author and publicist, and its population was 10, 471 in the 2010 census. The city is noted for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court...
, which they used as personal retreats. The acreage has now been incorporated into the Cibolo Nature Center. Mrs. and Mrs. Herff were life-long friends with Texas State Senator James Rodgers Loughridge.
Ferdinand Ludwig Herff died in San Antonio on May 18, 1912 and is buried in San Antonio City Cemetery No. 1.
In 1982, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
1268 was placed on Malakopf Mountain in Boerne, to honor Herff. Herff's homesite in San Antonio was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in the year 2000, Marker number 12345 .
Legacy
- May 1, 1905, the Bexar County Society unveiled a bust of Dr. Herff at the Carnegie Library in San Antonio.
- Ferdinand Herff Elementary School in San Antonio.