Friedrich Kapp
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Kapp was a German-American lawyer
, writer
, and politician. He was an outspoken opponent of Germany
's colonization fervor during his time as a National Liberal
Reichstag deputy. This was exemplified in his speech to the annual Congress of German Economists
. Kapp stressed both the unprofitability of colonies and their negative impact on Anglo-German relations.
, Province of Westphalia
, as the son of the Gymnasialdirektor
Friedrich Kapp (1792–1866). He was the nephew of educator and philosopher Ernst Kapp
(1801–1896) and of Christian Kapp (1798–1874), a philosopher and politician from Baden
.
In New York
, he married Luise Engels, the daughter of General Friedrich Ludwig C. Engels (1790–1855), commander of Cologne
(1847–1855). His son, Wolfgang Kapp
(1858–1922), was the nominal leader of the Kapp Putsch
.
from Gymnasium “Hammonense”, the same educational institution where his father held the position of principal. Between 1842 and 1844, Kapp studied law
and philosophy
at the University of Heidelberg. There, at his uncle Christian Kapp's (1798–1874) house, he met the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. Not only did they become close friends; Feuerbach's criticism of religion, which also strongly influenced Karl Marx
, had a great impact on Kapp's attitude towards life as well. Other acquaintances from his time as a student were Ludwig Bamberger
(1823–1899), who would later become a banker, the author Berthold Auerbach
(1812–1882) of Heidelberg and the poet
Bettina von Arnim
(1785–1859) of Berlin
. From 1844 on, Kapp studied at the University of Berlin and voluntarily served in the army for one year. In Berlin, he was already working as a journalist for the utopian socialist magazine called "Westfälisches Dampfboot" ("Westfalian Steamboat").
to work as an intern at the highest court of appeals
in Westfalia
and stayed there until 1848. In Hamm, he founded a reading circle where "leftwing Hegelian intellectuals read foreign newspapers, which were not affected by Prussia
n censorship
, as well as the texts of the Young Hegelians
, and German and West European socialists." (Wehler)
During his time at the High Court of Appeal in Hamm, Kapp was anything but popular: The court's president could only grant him access to the assessor's exam under certain conditions.
to work as a journalist
. His uncle, Christian Kapp, had become a member of the National Assembly in St. Paul’s Church over the intervening years. In Frankfurt, Kapp was also politically involved by working for the democratic-republican left. He became the first secretary of the Frankfurt Parliament
.
Kapp worked as a political journalist in Frankfurt, but due to his involvement in the September Rebellion he had to flee to Brussels
. There he worked as a private teacher for the son of Russian writer Alexander Herzen
.
where he continued to work for Herzen and translated two of his employer's books. In July 1849, the French police forced Herzen and Kapp to leave Paris. Both of them went to Geneva
, where Kapp ran into an acquaintance of his, Ludwig Bamberger
. In 1846 Kapp had first thought about emigrating to the USA, but not until he arrived in Geneva did he make the final decision to leave. He reached New York City
in March 1850. Later, he married his fiancée Luise Engels, who had followed him to the United States
soon afterwards.
. Despite early successes, he found he had no liking for the law.
Starting in 1852, Kapp worked as a journalist for the newly founded "Atlantic Studies". Their aim was to correct overly enthusiastic reports on the U.S. being circulated in Germany and also to show the darker side of American reality. Having become an American citizen in 1855, he was a lawyer until 1870 and worked as a foreign correspondent
for the "Kölnische Zeitung", a newspaper in Cologne
, Germany. He also wrote for the early numbers of the Nation of New York. From 1855, he was co-publisher of the "New Yorker Abend-Zeitung", a German newspaper in New York, and wrote several books about this flourishing country and the life of Germans in the United States. In politics, he associated with the Whigs
.
In contrast to many other German-Americans, however, he always kept strong ties to his homeland
. His loyalty towards Germany and his belief in a unified German state not only continued to dominate his own life but also the upbringing of his son Wolfgang.
in 1852, he became a stout opponent of slavery
in the southern states
(abolitionism
). Thus, in 1854, he not only wrote a book on the history of slavery
in the United States, but even became a member of the Republican Party
. In 1856 and in 1860 he actively campaigned for this party in presidential elections
. In 1860, he was even nominated as an elector for Abraham Lincoln
. Except for Carl Schurz
, no one did more to win German-Americans over to the Union cause. In 1867, he became a member of the New York Board of Immigration. It was a position he held until he returned to Germany in 1870.
(1858) and Johann de Kalb
(1862), and explored various American topics from a German point of view. Being very aware of his German identity, he wanted to show Americans the significance of German influence on the US. In a similar manner, he tried to convince his home country of its capability to form a unified German nation, using the achievements of German emigrants as a role model. In 1855, he described the fairly poor living conditions of his fellow Germans in the Texan
colony of the "Mainzer Adelsverein
". While still in the United States, the University of Bonn
conferred an honorary degree
of philosophy
on him on 4 August 1868.
had been granted to political opponents, Kapp returned to Germany in April 1870 at the urging of German friends. As early as 21 October of that year he had become a Prussian citizen again. As such he was quickly able to become a city representative of Berlin in Otto von Bismarck’s
German Empire
in 1871/1872. From 1872-1877 and from 1881 to his death he was a Member of Parliament for the National Liberal Party
in the German Reichstag
. Apart from that he was also a representative of the regional parliament of Prussia from 1874-1877. In Berlin he also continued his work as a political writer.
As Kapp had always been in favor of a German Free State
, he now pushed for a vigorous policy of settlement in the East in order to stop Germans from emigrating. At the same time he was engaged in developing uniform regulations for the consular system as well as for all kinds of emigration questions. His book Aus und über Amerika (Out of and about America) was published in Berlin in 1876. Its realism and candid opinions earned it unfavorable reviews in the United States.
in Antwerpen in 1884, where he was able to study the "Grand Livre de Francfort", an important source about the book trade in general as well as the Frankfurt Book Fair
. When Kapp died in Berlin later that year, he had just finished four chapters and outlined several others. Nevertheless, he was mentioned as author of the first of a total of four volumes.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, writer
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 politician. He was an outspoken opponent of Germany
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...
's colonization fervor during his time as a National Liberal
National Liberal Party (Germany)
The National Liberal Party was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by Prussian liberals who put aside their differences with Bismarck over domestic policy due to their support for his highly successful foreign policy, which resulted in the unification of...
Reichstag deputy. This was exemplified in his speech to the annual Congress of German Economists
Congress of German Economists
The Congress of German Economists was an association of German economists founded in Gotha, in 1858. Examplar for the association was the British Anti-Corn Law League, founded in 1838 by Richard Cobden....
. Kapp stressed both the unprofitability of colonies and their negative impact on Anglo-German relations.
Family life
Kapp was born in HammHamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
, Province of Westphalia
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...
, as the son of the Gymnasialdirektor
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...
Friedrich Kapp (1792–1866). He was the nephew of educator and philosopher Ernst Kapp
Ernst Kapp
Ernst Kapp was a German philosopher of technology and geographer, he was also a follower of Carl Ritter.He was prosecuted for sedition in the late 1840's for publishing a small article entitled 'Der konstituiert Despotismus und die konstitutionelle Freiheit' and was subsequently forced to leave...
(1801–1896) and of Christian Kapp (1798–1874), a philosopher and politician from 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....
.
In New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he married Luise Engels, the daughter of General Friedrich Ludwig C. Engels (1790–1855), commander of 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...
(1847–1855). His son, Wolfgang Kapp
Wolfgang Kapp
Wolfgang Kapp was a Prussian civil servant and journalist. He was a strict nationalist, and a nominal leader of the so-called Kapp Putsch.-Early life:...
(1858–1922), was the nominal leader of the Kapp Putsch
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch — or more accurately the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch — was a 1920 coup attempt during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 aimed at overthrowing the Weimar Republic...
.
Education in Heidelberg
Kapp received his AbiturAbitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
from Gymnasium “Hammonense”, the same educational institution where his father held the position of principal. Between 1842 and 1844, Kapp studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and philosophy
Philosophy
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 Heidelberg. There, at his uncle Christian Kapp's (1798–1874) house, he met the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. Not only did they become close friends; Feuerbach's criticism of religion, which also strongly influenced Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
, had a great impact on Kapp's attitude towards life as well. Other acquaintances from his time as a student were Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger was a German economist, politician and writer.-Early life:Bamberger was born in a Jewish family in Mainz.After studying at Gießen, Heidelberg and Göttingen, he entered law.-Career:...
(1823–1899), who would later become a banker, the author Berthold Auerbach
Berthold Auerbach
Berthold Auerbach was a German-Jewish poet and author. He was the founder of the German “tendency novel,” in which fiction is used as a means of influencing public opinion on social, political, moral, and religious questions.-Biography:Moses Baruch Auerbach was born in Nordstetten in the Kingdom...
(1812–1882) of Heidelberg and the poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Bettina von Arnim
Bettina von Arnim
Bettina von Arnim , born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena Brentano, was a German writer and novelist....
(1785–1859) of 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...
. From 1844 on, Kapp studied at the University of Berlin and voluntarily served in the army for one year. In Berlin, he was already working as a journalist for the utopian socialist magazine called "Westfälisches Dampfboot" ("Westfalian Steamboat").
Judge in Hamm
In 1845, he returned to his hometown HammHamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
to work as an intern at the highest court of appeals
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals is an appellate court generally.Court of Appeals may refer to:*Military Court of Appeals *Corte d'Assise d'Appello *Philippine Court of Appeals*High Court of Appeals of Turkey*United States courts of appeals...
in Westfalia
Westfalia
Westfalia is the designation of various specially converted Volkswagen camper vans. It is named after Westfalia-Werke, the contractor that built the vans, which is headquartered in the town of Rheda-Wiedenbrück located in the Westphalia region of Germany....
and stayed there until 1848. In Hamm, he founded a reading circle where "leftwing Hegelian intellectuals read foreign newspapers, which were not affected by 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 censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, as well as the texts of the Young Hegelians
Young Hegelians
The Young Hegelians, or Left Hegelians, were a group of Prussian intellectuals who in the decade or so after the death of Hegel in 1831, wrote and responded to his ambiguous legacy...
, and German and West European socialists." (Wehler)
During his time at the High Court of Appeal in Hamm, Kapp was anything but popular: The court's president could only grant him access to the assessor's exam under certain conditions.
Journalist in Frankfurt
The uprisings of March 1848 in Germany prompted Kapp to go to FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
to work as a 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...
. His uncle, Christian Kapp, had become a member of the National Assembly in St. Paul’s Church over the intervening years. In Frankfurt, Kapp was also politically involved by working for the democratic-republican left. He became the first secretary of the Frankfurt Parliament
Frankfurt Parliament
The Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. Session was held from May 18, 1848 to May 31, 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main...
.
Kapp worked as a political journalist in Frankfurt, but due to his involvement in the September Rebellion he had to flee to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. There he worked as a private teacher for the son of Russian writer Alexander Herzen
Alexander Herzen
Aleksandr Ivanovich Herzen was a Russian pro-Western writer and thinker known as the "father of Russian socialism", and one of the main fathers of agrarian populism...
.
Paris, Geneva and departure for the United States
From Brussels, he went to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he continued to work for Herzen and translated two of his employer's books. In July 1849, the French police forced Herzen and Kapp to leave Paris. Both of them went to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, where Kapp ran into an acquaintance of his, Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger
Ludwig Bamberger was a German economist, politician and writer.-Early life:Bamberger was born in a Jewish family in Mainz.After studying at Gießen, Heidelberg and Göttingen, he entered law.-Career:...
. In 1846 Kapp had first thought about emigrating to the USA, but not until he arrived in Geneva did he make the final decision to leave. He reached 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...
in March 1850. Later, he married his fiancée Luise Engels, who had followed him to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soon afterwards.
Journalist in New York
In New York, Kapp joined the law firm of Zitz, Kapp and FroebelJulius Fröbel
Julius Fröbel was a journalist, diplomat and author. He was active in Western Europe, the United States and South America at different times in his life.-Biography:...
. Despite early successes, he found he had no liking for the law.
Starting in 1852, Kapp worked as a journalist for the newly founded "Atlantic Studies". Their aim was to correct overly enthusiastic reports on the U.S. being circulated in Germany and also to show the darker side of American reality. Having become an American citizen in 1855, he was a lawyer until 1870 and worked as a foreign correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
for the "Kölnische Zeitung", a newspaper 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...
, Germany. He also wrote for the early numbers of the Nation of New York. From 1855, he was co-publisher of the "New Yorker Abend-Zeitung", a German newspaper in New York, and wrote several books about this flourishing country and the life of Germans in the United States. In politics, he associated with the Whigs
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
.
In contrast to many other German-Americans, however, he always kept strong ties to his homeland
Homeland
A homeland is the concept of the place to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with —the country in which a particular national identity began. As a common noun, it simply connotes the country of one's origin...
. His loyalty towards Germany and his belief in a unified German state not only continued to dominate his own life but also the upbringing of his son Wolfgang.
Activities against slavery in Florida
In 1856, Kapp bought a house in Mansfield Square which was to become a popular location where the Germans of New York met to discuss literature and politics. After visiting FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1852, he became a stout opponent of 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...
in the southern states
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
(abolitionism
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
). Thus, in 1854, he not only wrote a book on the history of 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...
in the United States, but even became a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In 1856 and in 1860 he actively campaigned for this party in presidential elections
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
. In 1860, he was even nominated as an elector for 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...
. Except for Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
, no one did more to win German-Americans over to the Union cause. In 1867, he became a member of the New York Board of Immigration. It was a position he held until he returned to Germany in 1870.
Writing biographies of German immigrants in the U.S.
As a political writer he can be regarded as a pioneer of German-American historical science. He described the effects of German immigration on both countries, wrote the biographies of the generals Friedrich Wilhelm von SteubenFriedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben , also referred to as the Baron von Steuben, was a Prussian-born military officer who served as inspector general and Major General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
(1858) and Johann de Kalb
Johann de Kalb
Johann von Robais, Baron de Kalb , born Johann Kalb, was a German soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:...
(1862), and explored various American topics from a German point of view. Being very aware of his German identity, he wanted to show Americans the significance of German influence on the US. In a similar manner, he tried to convince his home country of its capability to form a unified German nation, using the achievements of German emigrants as a role model. In 1855, he described the fairly poor living conditions of his fellow Germans in the Texan
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
colony of the "Mainzer Adelsverein
Adelsverein
Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
". While still in the United States, 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...
conferred an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of philosophy
Philosophy
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...
on him on 4 August 1868.
City representative of Berlin
After a general amnestyAmnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
had been granted to political opponents, Kapp returned to Germany in April 1870 at the urging of German friends. As early as 21 October of that year he had become a Prussian citizen again. As such he was quickly able to become a city representative of Berlin in Otto von Bismarck’s
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1871/1872. From 1872-1877 and from 1881 to his death he was a Member of Parliament for the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Germany)
The National Liberal Party was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by Prussian liberals who put aside their differences with Bismarck over domestic policy due to their support for his highly successful foreign policy, which resulted in the unification of...
in the German Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
. Apart from that he was also a representative of the regional parliament of Prussia from 1874-1877. In Berlin he also continued his work as a political writer.
As Kapp had always been in favor of a German Free State
Free state (government)
Free state is a term occasionally used in the official titles of some states.In principle the title asserts and emphasises the freedom of the state in question, but what this actually means varies greatly in different contexts:...
, he now pushed for a vigorous policy of settlement in the East in order to stop Germans from emigrating. At the same time he was engaged in developing uniform regulations for the consular system as well as for all kinds of emigration questions. His book Aus und über Amerika (Out of and about America) was published in Berlin in 1876. Its realism and candid opinions earned it unfavorable reviews in the United States.
Writing for the history of the German book trade
Fellow party member and Member of Parliament Eduard Brockhaus encouraged Kapp to write a book on the history of the German book trade ("Geschichte des deutschen Buchhandels"). This was a very difficult task for Kapp, as it was not his area of expertise and there were insufficient published sources at the time. Therefore, Kapp first had to do intensive research in archives. To this end, Kapp visited the Plantin-Moretus MuseumPlantin-Moretus Museum
The Plantin-Moretus Museum is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium honouring the famous printers Christoffel Plantijn and Jan Moretus. It is located in their former residence and printing establishment, Plantin Press, at the Friday Market.- History :...
in Antwerpen in 1884, where he was able to study the "Grand Livre de Francfort", an important source about the book trade in general as well as the Frankfurt Book Fair
Frankfurt Book Fair
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's largest trade fair for books, based on the number of publishing companies represented. As to the number of visitors, the Turin Book Fair attracts about as many visitors, viz. some 300,000....
. When Kapp died in Berlin later that year, he had just finished four chapters and outlined several others. Nevertheless, he was mentioned as author of the first of a total of four volumes.
Works
- Die Sklavenfrage in den Vereinigten Staaten (The slavery question in the United States; Göttingen, 1854)
- Leben des amerikanischen Generals Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (Life of American General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben; Berlin, 1858; English ed., New York, 1859)
- Geschichte der Sklaverei in den Vereinigten Staaten (History of slavery in the United States; Hamburg, 1860)
- Leben des amerikanischen Generals Johann Kalb (Life of American General Johann Kalb; Stuttgart, 1862; English ed., New York, 1870)
- Der Soldatenhandel deutscher Fürsten nach Amerika (The trade in soldiers for America by German princes; Berlin, 1864; 2d revised and enlarged ed., 1874)
- Geschichte der deutschen Auswanderung in Amerika (History of German emigration to America; vol. i., Leipzig, 1868)
- On Immigration and the Commission of Emigration (1870)
- Friedrich der Grosse und die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika (Frederick the Great and the United States of America; 1871)