Rudolf Doehn
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Doehn was a German writer
and journalist
. He belonged to the Forty-Eighters
who participated in the American Civil War
as volunteers in the Union Army
. Here he became also known as Randolph Doehn.
at the University of Halle-Wittenberg
, wrote his Dissertation de speculativo logices Platonicae principio on Plato
at the University of Greifswald in 1845, and continued his studies of jurisprudence
in Berlin
and at the University of Rostock
. After the defeat of the revolutions of 1848 in the German states
he emigrated to the United States
in 1854. Doehn settled in St. Louis, worked as a teacher for the freethought
s, and married Francisca Martins in 1858.
In 1860 Doehn was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives
. He belonged to the German volunteers who helped prevent Confederate forces from seizing the government arsenal in St. Louis during the Camp Jackson Affair., His wife supported him and called in the Anzeiger des Westens
for supporting John C. Frémont
and Franz Sigel
. Doehn was a member of the Missouri General Emancipation Society, founded by Benjamin Gratz Brown und Charles D. Drake
, who demanded even more consequent measures against slavery as foreseen by Abraham Lincoln
in his Emancipation Proclamation
of 1862, which excluded border states like Missouri
.
Rudolf Doehn went back to Germany in 1865. He settled in Dresden
and wrote many books about the political system of the U.S. and its literature, but published also in Die Gartenlaube
. Doehn was a leading member of some well known poetry groups and movements in Germany. His daughter Franziska married Ferdinand Avenarius
, Doehn's son Bruno, a jurist, became known during the Weimar Republic
.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He belonged to the 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...
who participated in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as volunteers in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. Here he became also known as Randolph Doehn.
Life
Rudolf Doehn studied philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Halle-Wittenberg
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
, wrote his Dissertation de speculativo logices Platonicae principio on Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
at the University of Greifswald in 1845, and continued his studies of jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and at the University of Rostock
University of Rostock
The University of Rostock is the university of the city Rostock, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.Founded in 1419, it is the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area...
. After the defeat of the revolutions of 1848 in the German states
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1854. Doehn settled in St. Louis, worked as a teacher for the freethought
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
s, and married Francisca Martins in 1858.
In 1860 Doehn was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
. He belonged to the German volunteers who helped prevent Confederate forces from seizing the government arsenal in St. Louis during the Camp Jackson Affair., His wife supported him and called in the Anzeiger des Westens
Anzeiger des Westens
The Anzeiger des Westens was the first German-language newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, and, along with the Westliche Post and the Illinois Staats-Zeitung, one of the three most successful German-language papers in the United States Midwest serving the German-American population with news and...
for supporting John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
and Franz Sigel
Franz Sigel
Franz Sigel was a German military officer, revolutionist and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
. Doehn was a member of the Missouri General Emancipation Society, founded by Benjamin Gratz Brown und Charles D. Drake
Charles D. Drake
Charles Daniel Drake was a United States Senator from Missouri. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he attended St. Joseph's College in 1823 and 1824, and Patridge's Military Academy in 1824 and 1825; he was appointed midshipman in the United States Navy in 1825 and served four years, when he resigned...
, who demanded even more consequent measures against slavery as foreseen by Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in his Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
of 1862, which excluded border states like Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Rudolf Doehn went back to Germany in 1865. He settled in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
and wrote many books about the political system of the U.S. and its literature, but published also in Die Gartenlaube
Die Gartenlaube
Die Gartenlaube Illustrirtes Familienblatt , was a forerunner of modern magazines, and the first major success of the German weekly. The name means "The Garden Arbor Family Journal" but the magazine is known worldwide as "Die Gartenlaube"...
. Doehn was a leading member of some well known poetry groups and movements in Germany. His daughter Franziska married Ferdinand Avenarius
Ferdinand Avenarius
Ferdinand Avenarius was a lyric poet, a leading representative of the culture reform movement of his time and the first popularizer of Sylt.-Life:...
, Doehn's son Bruno, a jurist, became known during the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
.
Works
- Works by Rudolf Doehn in the catalogue Open LibraryOpen LibraryOpen Library is an online project intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.-Books for the blind and...
- Works by Rudolf Doehn in the catalogue WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
- Works by Rudolf Doehn in the catalogue HathiTrustHathiTrustHathiTrust is a very large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via the Google Books project and Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally by libraries....
Further reading
- Antony Winkler Prins: Winkler Prins' Geïllustreerde encyclopaedie, Band 6, Elsevier", 1907
- Wilhelm Kosch, Carl Ludwig Lang: Deutsches Literatur-Lexikon. Ausg. 3, 1968.
- Wolfgang Schumann (grandson): posthumous estates