Between Worlds, Never to Return

Germany in 1844 ...§- a country without individual and political freedom or independence,§- a country divided into small kingdoms and principalities,§- a country far behind the developments of a modern democratic state,§- a country with its inhabitants suffering from poverty and misery.§A group of noblemen offers help to all disappointed and desperate§Germans. They advertise for Germans wanting to emigrate to Texas in§the Southwest, where they wish to create a new Germany. Thousands§accept the offer of the "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants§in Texas" and depart for North America.§One of these is the revolutionary Karl Engelbach. To avoid persecution,§he and his son Johann have to leave their small farm in northern Hesse§one night in March of 1844. Father and son are forced to undertake a§dangerous flight through their divided country until they arrive in§Bremen, where they take a ship sailing to Charleston. After their arrival§in South Carolina, there is still a long way to Texas, and the Engelbachs§have to deal with many difficulties to get there. In Texas they join the§other German settlers and continue their journey from the coast into§the heart of the wild, uncivilized Texas, where they and the other§German settlers have to struggle with perilous dangers. Will they§ever reach their Promised Land? Or will the Texas project of the§Noblemen's Society end in disaster?§Barbara Ortwein combines the story of her fictional characters Johann§and Karl Engelbach with the real story of the actual people involved in§this historical project, which took place in Germany and Texas in 1844§to 1847. Her special focus in this, the first book of her Texas saga, is§Germany in 1844. Through her plot she explains why the Germans of§this time were so keen to leave their country and follow the call of the§Noblemen's Society: "Geh mit nach Texas!" ("Come with us to§Texas!") ------------------- At her lectures in many places throughout§Germany she has been rewarded with the§great interest of her German audiences.§The Germans were astonished to hear§about people who had lived in their§communities long ago, but had suddenly§disappeared during the 19th century to§start a new life in another part of the§world. Her readers demanded to know§more of the almost-forgotten stories of§their country folk who emigrated to Texas.§To fulfill their wish Barbara Ortwein§started the sequel "In the Middle of Texas§but Not At The End," which will appear at§the Leipzig Book Fair in March of 2015.§The idea to translate her first book into§English had been discussed eagerly with§her two translators Lisa Mays and Pamela§Phillips, both teachers at Texas High§Schools and colleagues of Barbara§Ortwein. It now becomes reality.