Bettina German Commune Freethinker Specie — Llano County

Bettina was a short-lived commune on the north bank of the Llano River settled in 1847 by highly educated German communitarian freethinkers influenced by Étienne Cabet and Charles Fourier. It was the seventh and last Adelsverein colony in the Fisher-Miller grant and lasted less than a year before internal disputes dissolved cooperation. Notable members included Dr. Ferdinand von Herff, Gustav Schleicher, and Jacob Kuechler. Commune-breakup folklore sometimes imagines shared funds buried when cooperative stores and workshops dispersed. A state historical marker on the north side of the Llano commemorates Bettina, Castell, and Leiningen. Coordinates mark the north-bank Bettina site across the Llano River from Castell in western Llano County.