Karl Heinzen
Encyclopedia
Karl Peter Heinzen was a revolutionary author who resided mainly in Germany
and the United States
. He was one of the German Forty-Eighters
.
, and attended the gymnasium
in Kleve
. In 1827, he began the study of medicine
at the University of Bonn
. He was expelled for a rebellious speech and went to Holland where he was recruited for its Indonesia
n colonies and shipped out as a subaltern to Jakarta
. He later (1841) wrote a book on his trip and what he found there: Reise nach Batavia (Voyage to Jakarta). He didn't find the colony suitable for permanent residence, and returned home in 1831.
After he had fulfilled his military service
obligation, he worked a short time as a salesman and then as a tax man. After eight years, he became a executive functionary for the Rhenish railroad in Cologne
and later part of the administration of a fire-insurance association in Aachen
. He devoted his leisure time to writing. Besides the travel book, he published a book of poems (1841; reprinted in Boston, 1867), and after those involved himself in political writings. Two pamphlets, Die Ehre (Honor) and Die geheimen Konduitenlisten (Secret Lists of Leaders), undertook an objective criticism of the measures of the Prussia
n government. His tone was sharper in contributions he made to two newspapers, the Leipziger Allgemeine Zeitung and the Rheinische Zeitung.
The banning of these newspapers from Prussia prompted him to write Die preußische Bureaukratie (The Prussian Bureaucracy) which was confiscated immediately on its appearance and led to a criminal investigation
. Heinzen fled to Belgium
to escape prosecution and in March 1845 began a series of socialist writings with Steckbrief, an indictment of the higher courts of the Prussian Rhine Province
. These writings were distributed throughout Germany. In 1846, he moved to Switzerland
, first to Zurich
, then to Bern, Basel
and Genf. All showed him the door, and in the winter of 1847/48 he left for the United States.
When he heard about the February revolution
in France
, he immediately returned to Europe and took active part in the activity in Germany. He organized an armed incursion of volunteers from France and Switzerland into Baden
. After the uprising in Baden was suppressed in 1849, he fled to Switzerland, and then went back to the United States again, via London
. In New York City
, for a time he edited the Schellpost, a paper founded by Eichthal. In 1853, he went to Louisville, Kentucky
, where he founded the newspaper Pionier. He put this out for over a quarter of a century, writing most of it himself. German radicalism, of which he was one of the pillars, was the recipient of sharp and bitter satire within its pages.
In March 1854, he, Bernhard Domschke, and others deliberated on a statement of principles of the radical Germans which became known in German-American circles as the "Louisville Platform." It denounced slavery
, the Fugitive Slave Law, clericalism
and isolationism
; it advocated free land for genuine settlers, equal rights for African-Americans and women, easier access to citizenship, federally-sponsored internal improvements
, penal reform, judicial reform, educational reform. In addition, it advocated the abolition of the office of the President of the United States
and the United States Senate
and favored a unicameral system with an executive council closely overseen by the legislature.
Heinzen stood almost alone in the German-language press in his advocacy of women's rights
. German papers occasionally noted feminist lectures of Mathilde Franziska Anneke
, but aside from the Neue Zeit of St. Louis (George Schneider
's short-lived paper) and Heinzen's Pionier, most German-language newspapers condemned the movement. Forty-Eighters like Reinhold Solger
, Christian Esselen and Friedrich Hecker thought suffrage
for women would set back culture a century. Heinzen was also an isolated voice in the German-language press which defended the legality of the Grant
administration's sale of surplus arms to France during the Franco-Prussian War
.
In 1859, he and the Pionier moved to Boston
which he regarded as the most culturally advanced city in the United States
. The paper had a limited circulation, probably never more than 5,000. Heinzen shrugged off German-born Bostonian's complaints about its lack of coverage of local news. About five-sixths of the circulation went out of town. In its pages could be found reports from many fields of human endeavor. William Lloyd Garrison
praised it highly.
Illness obligated him to abandon the paper in 1879. In addition to his political writings and poetry, he wrote some comedies. He is buried in Forest Hills Cemetery
.
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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was one of the German Forty-Eighters
Forty-Eighters
The Forty-Eighters were Europeans who participated in or supported the revolutions of 1848 that swept Europe. In Germany, the Forty-Eighters favored unification of the German people, a more democratic government, and guarantees of human rights...
.
Biography
He was born in GrevenbroichGrevenbroich
Grevenbroich is a town in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Erft, approximately 15 km southwest of Neuss and 15 km southeast of Mönchengladbach.-City districts:...
, and attended the gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
. In 1827, he began the study of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at the University of Bonn
University 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...
. He was expelled for a rebellious speech and went to Holland where he was recruited for its Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n colonies and shipped out as a subaltern to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
. He later (1841) wrote a book on his trip and what he found there: Reise nach Batavia (Voyage to Jakarta). He didn't find the colony suitable for permanent residence, and returned home in 1831.
After he had fulfilled his military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
obligation, he worked a short time as a salesman and then as a tax man. After eight years, he became a executive functionary for the Rhenish railroad in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and later part of the administration of a fire-insurance association in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
. He devoted his leisure time to writing. Besides the travel book, he published a book of poems (1841; reprinted in Boston, 1867), and after those involved himself in political writings. Two pamphlets, Die Ehre (Honor) and Die geheimen Konduitenlisten (Secret Lists of Leaders), undertook an objective criticism of the measures of the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n government. His tone was sharper in contributions he made to two newspapers, the Leipziger Allgemeine Zeitung and the Rheinische Zeitung.
The banning of these newspapers from Prussia prompted him to write Die preußische Bureaukratie (The Prussian Bureaucracy) which was confiscated immediately on its appearance and led to a criminal investigation
Criminal procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.-Basic rights:Currently, in many countries with a democratic system and the rule of law, criminal procedure puts the burden of proof on the prosecution – that is, it is up to the...
. Heinzen fled to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to escape prosecution and in March 1845 began a series of socialist writings with Steckbrief, an indictment of the higher courts of the Prussian Rhine Province
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
. These writings were distributed throughout Germany. In 1846, he moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, first to Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, then to Bern, Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and Genf. All showed him the door, and in the winter of 1847/48 he left for the United States.
When he heard about the February revolution
French Revolution of 1848
The 1848 Revolution in France was one of a wave of revolutions in 1848 in Europe. In France, the February revolution ended the Orleans monarchy and led to the creation of the French Second Republic. The February Revolution was really the belated second phase of the Revolution of 1830...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he immediately returned to Europe and took active part in the activity in Germany. He organized an armed incursion of volunteers from France and Switzerland into Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
. After the uprising in Baden was suppressed in 1849, he fled to Switzerland, and then went back to the United States again, via London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, for a time he edited the Schellpost, a paper founded by Eichthal. In 1853, he went to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, where he founded the newspaper Pionier. He put this out for over a quarter of a century, writing most of it himself. German radicalism, of which he was one of the pillars, was the recipient of sharp and bitter satire within its pages.
In March 1854, he, Bernhard Domschke, and others deliberated on a statement of principles of the radical Germans which became known in German-American circles as the "Louisville Platform." It denounced slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, the Fugitive Slave Law, clericalism
Clericalism
Clericalism is the application of the formal, church-based, leadership or opinion of ordained clergy in matters of either the church or broader political and sociocultural import...
and isolationism
Isolationism
Isolationism is the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by...
; it advocated free land for genuine settlers, equal rights for African-Americans and women, easier access to citizenship, federally-sponsored internal improvements
Internal improvements
Internal improvements is the term used historically in the United States for public works from the end of the American Revolution through much of the 19th century, mainly for the creation of a transportation infrastructure: roads, turnpikes, canals, harbors and navigation improvements...
, penal reform, judicial reform, educational reform. In addition, it advocated the abolition of the office of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and favored a unicameral system with an executive council closely overseen by the legislature.
Heinzen stood almost alone in the German-language press in his advocacy of women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
. German papers occasionally noted feminist lectures of Mathilde Franziska Anneke
Mathilde Franziska Anneke
Mathilde Franziska Anneke was a German feminist, socialist, and newspaper editor, owner, and reporter. Born Mathilde Franziska Geisler, her first marriage to Alfred von Tabouillot, a rich wine merchant, ended in divorce...
, but aside from the Neue Zeit of St. Louis (George Schneider
George Schneider (banker)
George Schneider was an Illinois journalist and banker. He was a German refugee, one of the Forty-Eighters.-Early years:...
's short-lived paper) and Heinzen's Pionier, most German-language newspapers condemned the movement. Forty-Eighters like Reinhold Solger
Reinhold Solger
Reinhold Ernst Friedrich Karl Solger was a historian, novelist, poet, political activist and lecturer...
, Christian Esselen and Friedrich Hecker thought suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
for women would set back culture a century. Heinzen was also an isolated voice in the German-language press which defended the legality of the Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
administration's sale of surplus arms to France during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
.
In 1859, he and the Pionier moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
which he regarded as the most culturally advanced city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The paper had a limited circulation, probably never more than 5,000. Heinzen shrugged off German-born Bostonian's complaints about its lack of coverage of local news. About five-sixths of the circulation went out of town. In its pages could be found reports from many fields of human endeavor. William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
praised it highly.
Illness obligated him to abandon the paper in 1879. In addition to his political writings and poetry, he wrote some comedies. He is buried in Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was designed in 1848.-Overview:...
.
Further reading
- Carl Wittke. Against the Current: The Life of Karl Heinzen. Chicago, Ill. 1945.
External links
- Friedrich EngelsFriedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
: Die Kommunisten und Karl Heinzen (Karl Heinzen and the communists)