---
title: "Struve family"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struve_family"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:05:44.011306+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve's cousin, Johann Christoph Gustav von Struve, son of diplomat Anton Sebastian von Struve. "After finishing his studies and several extensive journeyings (sic), Anton started his career as private secretary to Count Schonberg, Minister in Dresden. In 1755 he entered the services of the Duke of Holstein-Gottrop, who later as Peter III became emperor of Russia, and thus became a Russian subject, along with his 2 brothers who were also induced to accompany Peter to Russia. One of these was the celebrated astronomer, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, and the third, the scientist. Anton Sebastian,  after several diplomatic missions in Russian services, ended as Resident Minister at the German Reichstag at Regensburg. He died April 7, 1802. Hi biography is to be found in Schlichtegroll's "Nekrolog der Deutschen für das 19th. Jahrhundert". He had 12 children, but only five sons and four daughters attained maturity. Of these, only the eldest (Gustav von Struve, Sept. 26,1763 – 1828), and the youngest (Henry, 1772–1851), and Phillipine (She married President von Grün), the youngest daughter, had issue." (incorrect – see below)  (1729–1802), became a diplomat in the Russian service primarily in Regensburg, Bavaria. Johann Christoph and his wife, née Sibilla Christiana Friedrike von Hochstetter, were the parents of 11 children, among them:
"*Elise (1795-18440) unmarried

Anton 1797–1846) As Russian Plenipotentiary in Frankfurt, married St. Clair von Trotter. Issue: one daughter, St. Clair, married von Gemningen.
Amand (1798–1867) who brought the biography up to date and wrote of their happy family life – a most interesting biography of his father who must have been an unusually fine character. The mother also. Married Karoline von Kalenberg. One son, Alexander (1838–1855).
Sophie born January, 1801, married 1832 to the Neapolitan Captain Karl von Manuel who fell in the battle of Messina, 1848. 5 children.
Georg Heinrich Christoph Franz Von Struve (August 29, 1802 – 1886). Married Eugenie von Witte (born June 12, 1809 in Posen, daughter of War and Dominions Councilor Karl Von Witte, who died 6 months after his daughter's birth. Entered his service in January, 1827 he was busy at the technical bureau in Warsaw, the Finance Ministry, and the Zoological Gardens near Warsaw in Skiernievice until in 1830 he was nominated permanent officer of the Forestry Department. After the rising and settlement in November, 1830 the Department was relayed to Russia proper, and he was now credited to the Imperial Russian Forestry Department, with Gasiorovo to live in. In January, 1841 he became Chief of Forestry Ministerium and ad to inspect all the Imperial forests in Polan, being responsible for their upkeep. He and Eugenie had 16 children.
Katharine (born Dec. 26, 1803, died  July, 1855)
Gustav von Struve (1805–1870), a publicist, political agitator and soldier who emigrated the United States following the collapse of the Baden Revolution of 1848.
Friederike (born 1807) Married 1837 Baron Joseph von Gemmingen. 5 children.
Phillipine (born 1809) Lived in Zurich, Switzerland" 
Johann Ludwig Karl Heinrich von Struve (1812–1898), who emigrated to Fayette County, Texas after the failure of the Revolution of 1848, but eventually returned to Rothenberg in der Odenwald, near Darmstadt, Germany where he died.  His two eldest sons with his first wife Stephanie von Borowski; Friedrich Wilhelm Amand Struve (1838–1902) and Louis Joseph Struve (1839–1921), remained in Texas even though the remainder of Heinrich's family returned to Germany with him.
Another line was represented by Henry G. Struve (1836–1905), a native of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg who emigrated to the United States in 1852. An attorney, he was elected mayor of Seattle, Washington, in 1882 and 1883. Struve and his wife, the former Lascelle Knighton, were the parents of:

Harry K. Struve
Helen (Mrs. Harry F. Meserve)
Frederick Karl Struve
Mary Struve
His younger son, Frederick Karl Struve, was elected president of the Seattle National Bank in 1914.

== Family traditions ==
Jacob Struve once expressed his attitude to life in his letter to Friedrich, which characterizes the family spirit

A teneris adsuescere multum est. Wir Struve können nicht ohne anhaltende Arbeit vergnügt leben, weil wir von frühester Jugend an uns überzeugt haben, daß sie die nützlichste und beste Würze des Menschenlebens ist. (We, Struve, can not live happily without continuous work, because from the young age we learn that it is the most useful and best virtue of human life.)
During the astronomical observations, members of the Struve family wore the Beobachtungskäppchen ("cap for observation"), which was made for the husband by his bride. The cap was handmade from red velvet and had golden threads embedded around it. The number of threads corresponded to the generation, so Friedrich Georg Wilhelm had one and Georg Hermann four.

== See also ==
List of Russian astronomers and astrophysicists

== References ==

== External links ==
Alan Henry Batten (1988). Resolute and Undertaking Characters: The Lives of Wilhelm and Otto Struve. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-90-277-2652-0.
 Media related to Struve family at Wikimedia Commons

== References ==
Artemenko T., Balyshev M., Vavilova I. The struve dynasty in the history of astronomy in Ukraine (2009). Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodies, 25 (3). 153-167.
Artemenko T., Balyshev M., Vavilova I. (2008). Dynasty Struve and the influence of its representatives on the development of Ukrainian astronomy. The history of Ukrainian science is on the verge of millennia.. Vol.35. 13-37. (In Ukrainian)
Balyshev M. (2008). Otto Ludvigovich Struve (1897-1963). Moscow: Science. 526 p. (In Russian)
Balyshev M. (2007). Sic transit gloria mundi: Life and creativity Otto Ludwigovich Struve (1897-1963). Historical and Astronomical Studies. Moscow: Science. Vol.ХХХІІ. 138-206. (In Russian)