German-Language Manuscript Resources in the
Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections,
Special Collections, LSU Libraries
Contents:
Introduction
Alphabetical List
Chronological Index
INTRODUCTION
From the "German Coast" villages, also known as the Cote des Allemands (in present day St. John the Baptist and St. Charles Parishes), to the scattered planters throughout the Lower Mississippi River Valley, German immigrants had a presence in Louisiana and the lower Mississippi River valley that began early in the colonial period. The first Germans moved from New Biloxi to inland points of Louisiana. In 1768, they joined with Acadians from the Cabannocé Post area to march on New Orleans and overthrow Spanish colonial governor Antonio de Ulloa. Their close association with the Acadians led to intermarriage, and many Cajuns came to be known as "German Cajuns" as a result.
The German-language resources in the Lousiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections (LLMVC) at LSU touch upon a range of topics and dates. The authors of these various papers, letters, notebooks, and other materials were students, planters, merchants, soldiers, and housewives, among other roles. The collections contain descriptions of aspects of the Civil War, plantation life, immigration experiences, business practices, travel accounts, the Nazi regime, and many other subjects. The dates of these materials range from 1776 to 1979 (see Chronological Listing, below).
Collections in this guide are listed alphabetically. Brief descriptions include references to sources for additional information--either the LSU Libraries' catalog, which is accessible through the Internet, or the manuscript card catalog in the Special Collections reading room of Hill Memorial Library. Still additional information on some of these collections can be found in detailed finding aids in the reading room. Increasingly, electronic copies of these finding aids can be found on the World Wide Web site for Special Collections, where you can also find information about using the collections, searching the online catalog remotely, and asking us questions.
ALPHABETICAL LIST
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Adams, Israel L., Family Papers, 1801-1860, (bulk 1852-1866). 5 linear ft. (505 items, 1 ms. vol.). Location: Y:83, Mss. Mf:A, E:Impr. Merchant and farmer of Natchez, Mississippi. Collection consists of correspondence, bills, receipts, and printed items.
Letters of the Adams children and others describe the Civil War in Arkansas and Mississippi. Some letters describe experiences
of an immigrant cotton farmer in Sao Paulo, Brazil; other papers relate to German immigrants. Some letters in German. Available (with some omissions) on microfilm: University Publications of America Confederate Military
Manuscripts Series B, Reel 1. For further information see online catalog.
Mss. 3637.
Adler, Barbara., Letter, 1833 March 2. 1 item. Location: Misc.: A. Resident of New Orleans. Letter to Frau Madalina Eisenhart, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pertains to personal and family matters. In German. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 2821.
Barrow, Bartholomew, Family Collection of Sheet Music, 1836-1869. 4 items, 3 vols. Location: Range 65:. Planter of
Eldorado Plantation, a sugar plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. Collection of bound and loose vocal and piano sheet
music collected by Barrow and his family. Some compositions in French, German, and Italian. For further information see
online catalog. Mss. 1379.
Bruxner, A., Lecture Notebook, 1854-1856.
1 vol. Location: O:17. Student at the University of Leipzig. Four semesters of lectures delivered by
Wilhelm Georg Friedrich Roscher, a German economist who taught at the University of Leipzig, recorded by A Bruxner. Subject
matter includes economic theory and practice, finance, statistics, and political science. In German. For further information
see online catalog. Mss. 3201.
No "C" Resources
No "D" Resources
Eder, Joseph and Rosina. Letter, 1854. 1 item. Location: Misc. Account of the journey of Joseph and Rosina Eder from Teisendorf, Germany, to Nacogdoches, Texas, by way of Bremen, Germany, and New Orleans. In German. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 0469.
Fraude, Wolfgang. Elegy, 1943 ca. 1 item. Location: Misc. German soldier killed during the battle on the beachhead of Salerno, Italy, in September 1943. Typed manuscript signed with initials found by an American soldier. An original composition, in poetic prose, it deals with an episode which tests and reaffirms the comradeship between three soldiers. In German with English translation. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 3634.
Gayarré, Charles, 1805-1895. Collection, 1720-1895 (bulk 1845-1857). 588 items, 6 vols., and 1 microfilm reel. Location: U:124-132, Vault, Mss.Mf:G. Louisiana historian, jurist, statesman, and plantation owner. Papers include plantation and business records, legal documents, historical and political writings, and personal correspondence of Gayarré. In Spanish, French, German, and English. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 1282.
Gillespie, James A., planter. Family Papers, 1776-1928 (bulk 1840-1890). 1,149 items, 20 ms. vols. Location: E:22-24, G:16, 65:G, Vault. Planter of Hollywood Plantation, Adams County, Mississippi, and Indian Village Plantation, Concordia Parish, Louisiana. Collection includes plantation records, business papers, and correspondence of the Gillespie family and business papers of the Davis family. Papers include slave sales, land deeds, a will, diaries, portraits, maps, sheet music, and fashion publications. Includes some printed items in German. Available (with some omissions) on microfilm: University Publications of America Records of Southern Plantations from Emancipation to the Great Migration, Series B, Part 4, Reels 5-8, or Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War, Series I, Part 3, Reels 13-14. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 669, 695, 1104, 2086. Complete Finding Aid
Hammer, Carl, 1910-. Papers, 1947-1964. .3 linear ft. (230 items, 2 printed vols.). Location: UU:132. Professor of German at LSU and a Goethe scholar. Papers include correspondence, manuscripts, and newspaper clippings related to Goethe scholarship. Some items in German. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 2011.
Hansen, Eduard T. (Eduard Theodor). Diary and writings. 1864-1868. 2 vols., 1 microfilm reel. Location: M:20, Mss. Mf:H. Native of Luxembourg who was discharged from the Confederate army in the Civil War and subsequently joined the Union army as a member of the 2nd Missouri Light Artillery, stationed in Louisiana and then as part of the Powder River Expedition. Diary records Hansen's enlistment and service in the U.S. Army in Louisiana and in the Great Plains. It includes copies of letters received by Hansen as well as prose and poetry. In English, German, and French. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 0758.
Heberle, Franziska, 1900-. Letters, 1872-1986. 102 items [photostatic copies]. Location: Y:82. Immigrant from Germany, student of social welfare, employee of the Louisiana State Public Welfare Administration, and wife of LSU Boyd Professor of Sociology Rudolf Heberle. Letters to family and friends describing in detail experiences of the writer, her husband, and their three children while adjusting to life in the U.S. Included are accounts of travels in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 3624.
Heberle, Rudolf, 1896-. Papers, 1869. 1 item (8 pages) [enlargement prints]. Location: OS:H. Native of Germany and Boyd Professor of Sociology at LSU. Copy of 'New Louisiana, No. 1, October 1869' giving information concerning Louisiana soil, climate, and products, published by the State Board of Commissioners of Emigration. In German. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 2254.
No "I" Resources
No "J" Resources
No "K" Resources
No "L" Resources
Meyer Brothers. Store records. 1855-1909, n.d. 10 linear ft., 245 ms. vols. Location: H:19, 92:2-14. Natives of Germany and general merchants of Clinton, East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Family papers consist of letters from family in Germany and in the U.S. and from various friends pertaining to business conditions and social life in Louisiana and Texas. Business papers include correspondence, bills, receipts, and manuscript volumes. The Jewish community in the Feliciana Parishes is reflected in a group of record books of the Feliciana Lodge No. 239 of the International Order of B'nai B'rith. Filed under Meyer Brothers. Records in Archives USA. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 2909.
Nuebling, Maximilian. Letterbooks, 1822-1826. 2 ms. vols. Location: J:12. German immigrant who settled in St. Francisville, Louisiana, and worked in a general store owned by his uncle, Dietrich Holl. Holl's wife, Virginia Martha Brent Chisholm, married Nuebling after her husband's death, and they had one son, John. Handwritten copies of letters by Neubling. Early letters were written at sea on board the S. S. Fortuna on a voyage from Bremen, Germany, to New Orleans. Later letters describe his life in St. Francisville while he was working in his uncle's store. In German with a typewritten volume containing English translations. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 0873.
No "O" Resources
Paap, Christian C. F. Papers, 1822-1848. 7 items. Location: Misc. Birth certificates of Sophia Elizabeth Schumacher, Johann Paap, and Christian C. F. Paap. In German. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 0246.
Palfrey, John, G., 1768-1843. Family Papers, 1776-1918 (bulk 1806-1875). 388 items; 21 vols. Location: 77:89, H:22, Mf, 99. Ship chandler and manager of Forlorn Hope Plantation, Bayou l'Albaye near St. Martinville, Louisiana. Collection includes documents related to plantation life, papers related to the education of Palfrey's sons at Harvard University, Civil War letters, land documents, and marriage certificates. Includes land documents in Spanish and French. For further information see online catalog. See Complete finding aid Mss. 0334.
Peters, Samuel Jarvis, 1823-1863. Diary, 1840-1862. 1 vol. Location: E:49. Samuel J. Peters, Jr., was the son of New Orleans merchant, civic leader, and banker Samuel Jarvis Peters. He worked as a clerk in New York City (1841-1842), then returned to New Orleans to work in his father's business. Diary describes social life in New Orleans during the antebellum period and in the Civil War prior to federal occupation of the city. Includes entries on family life, civic affairs, and national news. Some early 1840 entries are in German. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 1355.
No "Q" Resources
Riefenstahl, Leni. Oral history interview, 1979 September 5. 3 cassette tapes, 1 ms. vol. Location: W:15, W:22. German actress and filmmaker. Taped interview with Leni Riefenstahl. Topics include a discussion of her production of official documentaries for the Nazi regime during the 1930's and her personal contacts with Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking government and party officials. Included are a typed transcription and a translation from German into English of an edited version. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 3388.
Saucier, Gertrude B. (Gertrude Bott), 1881-1978. Family Papers, 1821-1960. 351 items, 1 ms. vol., 2 printed vols. Location: UU:82. Resident of Baton Rouge, the daughter of John Phillip and Mary Buchel Bott. Both sets of Saucier's grandparents were of German origin. She was an honorary president of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Papers consist primarily of business, personal, and legal papers of the Buchel and Bott families, with a few items from the Saucier family. Collection includes thirty-one muster rolls of Louisiana Confederate regiments. Photographs in the collection include studio portraits, views of Baton Rouge houses, and a banquet of the United Daughters of the Confederacy meeting in 1947. Some items in German, French, and Latin. Available (with some omissions) on microfilm: University Publications of America Confederate Military Manuscripts Series B, Reel 17. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 3293. Complete Finding Aid.
Schlick, Henry N., b. 1841?. Papers. 1861-1879. .5 linear ft. (120 items, 2 vols.). Location: U:135. Union officer in the 1st New York Dragoons in the Civil War. Schlick was stationed in Springfield, Illinois, in 1864-1865, and was part of the escort for President Lincoln's funeral. Papers include Civil War correspondence among Henry and his brothers; United States Army papers such as lists of deserters and black recruits; two diaries covering 1864-1870; and personal letters of Charles Schlick discussing his grocery store (1871). Some letters in German. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 1686.
Speeg, George. Papers. 1895-1918. 562 items, 13 ms. vols., and 45 printed vols. Location: 79:78-83. Blacksmith and wheelwright of Lobdell, West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Speeg, a German immigrant, came to Port Allen, Louisiana, in the 1890's and operated a blacksmith ship on the River Road just outside of Port Allen for over 50 years. German language account books, periodicals, newspapers, and bound printed volumes of George Speeg. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 1735.
Thilly, Frank. Notebooks. 1888-1889. 7 vols. Location: H:20. Notebooks of Professor Frank Thilly while attending the University of Heidelberg contain lecture notes on logic, ethics, and general philosophy courses. Part in German. For further information see manuscript card catalog. Mss. 0498, 0520.
Werner, Edgar S. Papers. 1866-1907. .3 linear ft. (101 items, 1 ms. vol., 2 printed vols.). Location: C:67. Owner and editor of WERNER'S MAGAZINE, a speech journal published in Albany, New York, and in New York City (1879-1902). Papers include newspaper articles, broadsides, research papers, and a notebook related to speech patterns and stuttering. Includes one broadside in German. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 1290.
Weydemeyer, Luise. Family correspondence. 1849-1869. .16 linear ft. (100 items). Location: A:67. German immigrant living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Letters from relatives and friends concern personal and business matters and discuss Union army recruitment and training during the Civil War. Letters from Union general Franz Sigel's wife describe her husband's military activities and civilian career. Primarily in German. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 1350.
No "X" Resources
No "Y" Resources
No "Z" Resources
CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX
1776-1928 (bulk 1840-1890).
Gillespie, James A. Family papers.
1776-1918 (bulk 1806-1875). Palfrey, John, G., 1768-1843. Family papers.
1801-1860, (bulk 1852-1866). Adams, Israel L., Family Papers.
1822-1826. Nuebling, Maximilian. Letterbooks.
1822-1848. Paap, Christian C. F., Papers.
1833 March 2. Adler, Barbara.
1836-1869. Barrow, Bartholomew, Family Collection of Sheet Music.
1840-1862. Peters, Samuel Jarvis, 1823-1863. Diary.
1849-1869. Weydemeyer, Luise. Family correspondence.
1854. Eder, Joseph and Rosina. Letter.
1854-1856. Bruxner, A., Lecture Notebook.
1855-1909, n.d. Meyer Brothers. Store records.
1861-1879. Schlick, Henry N., b. 1841?. Papers.
1864-1868. Hansen, Eduard T. (Eduard Theodor). Diary and writings.
1866-1907. Werner, Edgar S. Papers.
1869. Heberle, Rudolf, 1896-. Papers.
1872-1986. Heberle, Franziska, 1900-.
1888-1889. Thilly, Frank. Notebooks.
1895-1918. Speeg, George. Papers.
1943 ca. Fraude, Wolfgang. Elegy.
1947-1964. Hammer, Carl, 1910-. Papers.
1979 September 5. Riefenstahl, Leni. Oral history interview.

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