Ferdinand Krien
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Krien was the German
consul in Joseon Dynasty
Korea
from 1887 to 1898.
. In 1888, he became the victim of a malicious rumour, believed to have been spread by the wife of Russian consul Karl Ivanovich Weber
, that he held orgies
in the German legation; this contributed to his disfavour among foreign missionaries operating in Korea. He was appointed as full consul on 27 May 1889. From 10 July 1889 to 5 April 1891, he took a leave of absence from his position. Around the beginning of his leave, he became the president of the Seoul Club, also known as the German Club, a gentlemen's club
headquartered in a building owned by German businessman Carl Andreas Wolter; however, according to American missionary Horace Allen
, the club became defunct the following year, possibly due a land dispute in the German community. He set up the Imperial German Language School in Seoul in 1898; it continued operation until 1911. He was succeeded in his consular post by F. Reindorf, and later became the German consul at Kobe
.
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...
consul in Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
from 1887 to 1898.
In Korea
Krien was appointed to his position on 22 May 1887, after having served as an interpreter at the German Legation in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. In 1888, he became the victim of a malicious rumour, believed to have been spread by the wife of Russian consul Karl Ivanovich Weber
Karl Ivanovich Weber
Karl Ivanovich Weber was a diplomat of the Russian Empire and a personal friend to King Gojong of Korea's Joseon Dynasty...
, that he held orgies
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
in the German legation; this contributed to his disfavour among foreign missionaries operating in Korea. He was appointed as full consul on 27 May 1889. From 10 July 1889 to 5 April 1891, he took a leave of absence from his position. Around the beginning of his leave, he became the president of the Seoul Club, also known as the German Club, a gentlemen's club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
headquartered in a building owned by German businessman Carl Andreas Wolter; however, according to American missionary Horace Allen
Horace Newton Allen
Horace Newton Allen was a Protestant medical missionary and a diplomat from the United States to Korea at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.-Biography:He was born in Delaware, Ohio on April 23, 1858. He lreceived his B.S...
, the club became defunct the following year, possibly due a land dispute in the German community. He set up the Imperial German Language School in Seoul in 1898; it continued operation until 1911. He was succeeded in his consular post by F. Reindorf, and later became the German consul at Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
.