Henry Boernstein
Encyclopedia
Henry Boernstein [in Europe
, Heinrich Börnstein] (November 4, 1805 Hamburg
- September 10, 1892 Vienna
) for many years published the Anzeiger des Westens
in St. Louis, Missouri
, the oldest German newspaper west of the Mississippi River
. He was also a political activist, author
, soldier
, actor
and stage manager.
, a city in Austrian
Poland
, where Boernstein attended the university. After the requisite preliminary education, he commenced and completed the study of medicine.
After leaving the university, Boernstein joined the Austrian army for five years, and then resigned his commission and took up his residence in Vienna. There he became associated with one of the leading journals. Very soon he evinced decided dramatic talent, and wrote plays which became popular in the theatres. In 1826, he was appointed secretary of the two great theatres of Vienna, An Der Wien and Josephslads, under Director Carl, a celebrated stage manager from Germany.
After three years of instruction, Boernstein became chief manager in several of the leading theatres of the cities of Germany and Italy — at Linz
, Agram
, Trieste
, Venice
, and other cities. He was a successful stage manager, and also a popular actor. In 1841, he and his wife, the former Mary Stolzer who he married on November 13, 1829, toured the principal cities of Germany, playing to packed houses.
His popularity in Germany determined him to go to Paris
, and in 1842 he became manager of the German opera there, and then the Italian opera. At the same time, he corresponded with the leading journals of the day, and finding that he could not conveniently be an author and a stage manager at the same time, he dedicated himself to literature, and wrote a number of plays, which had a fine run in the various German theatres.
Boernstein was always an advocate for freedom. His beau ideal of a perfect government was the sovereignty of the people; consequently, when Louis Philippe
was dethroned, he advocated the cause of those who supported the French Republic. In 1844 he published Vorwärts!
, a journal to which Karl Marx
contributed. He became president of the Société des Democrats Allemands. During the revolutions of 1848
, he helped found Herwegh's group which left from Paris to aid the revolution in Germany. He was forced to flee Europe, and left on December 10, 1848.
, Boernstein went to Highland, Illinois
, and remained a year looking about for a proper locality to settle permanently. His literary abilities became known through his correspondence, and he was offered the editorship of the German-language
newspaper Anzeiger des Westens
at St. Louis. He accepted the offer, and entered upon his duties in March 1850. Very soon he became the publisher and proprietor. Along with his work at the Anzeiger, he ran a hotel, a theatre, a brewery, and several saloons.
Boernstein introduced sensational methods to the Anzeiger. Mobs formed many times to “clean out” its offices. The Anzeiger was early to announce support of the new Republican Party
.
In 1852 he published the "anti-Catholic" novel The Mysteries of St. Louis, in many ways an imitation of a bestselling anti-Catholic French novel of the era, Eugène Sue
's Le Juif errant
, which, despite its title, is about a priest. In Mysteries Boernstein describes "decadent" priests teaching at the Catholic sponsored St. Louis University.
Boernstein represented the interests of secular and Protestant German immigrants through many trying periods of political warfare. He contended the German interest should receive some consideration in legislative enactments, and that they were not bound to sacrifice all their nationalities because they did not agree with the caprices and peculiar education of native-born American citizens. He contended that the German-born citizens were as true to the United States
as any other class of citizens, and therefore they had equal claim to legislative consideration.
By the start of the Civil War
, he had amassed a fortune, and was both socially and politically popular. In 1859, he leased the largest theatre in St. Louis, and converted it into an opera house, and introduced the citizens of St. Louis to true classical drama. It was successful, though it closed when Boernstein went off to war in 1861.
In the months before Abraham Lincoln
's inauguration, a German militia was organized in St. Louis. Boernstein had shown himself so aggressive during this task, that he was made colonel of the 2nd Missouri. He marched with Nathaniel Lyon
to the capture of Camp Jackson. Soon tiring of war, he resigned after three months of service.
where he wrote two volumes of reminiscences. He settled permanently in Europe, and for many years was a correspondent for American papers.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Heinrich Börnstein] (November 4, 1805 Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
- September 10, 1892 Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) for many years published 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...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the oldest German newspaper west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. He was also a political activist, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and stage manager.
Europe
His family moved from Hamburg, in 1813, to LemburgLviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, a city in Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, where Boernstein attended the university. After the requisite preliminary education, he commenced and completed the study of medicine.
After leaving the university, Boernstein joined the Austrian army for five years, and then resigned his commission and took up his residence in Vienna. There he became associated with one of the leading journals. Very soon he evinced decided dramatic talent, and wrote plays which became popular in the theatres. In 1826, he was appointed secretary of the two great theatres of Vienna, An Der Wien and Josephslads, under Director Carl, a celebrated stage manager from Germany.
After three years of instruction, Boernstein became chief manager in several of the leading theatres of the cities of Germany and Italy — at Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Agram
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, and other cities. He was a successful stage manager, and also a popular actor. In 1841, he and his wife, the former Mary Stolzer who he married on November 13, 1829, toured the principal cities of Germany, playing to packed houses.
His popularity in Germany determined him to go to Paris
Paris
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...
, and in 1842 he became manager of the German opera there, and then the Italian opera. At the same time, he corresponded with the leading journals of the day, and finding that he could not conveniently be an author and a stage manager at the same time, he dedicated himself to literature, and wrote a number of plays, which had a fine run in the various German theatres.
Boernstein was always an advocate for freedom. His beau ideal of a perfect government was the sovereignty of the people; consequently, when Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe may refer to:*Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, last King of France*Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, called King Louis Philippe II by some factions*Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans*Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans...
was dethroned, he advocated the cause of those who supported the French Republic. In 1844 he published Vorwärts!
Vorwärts!
Vorwärts! was a biweekly newspaper published in Paris from January to December 1844. The journal was seen as "the most radical" in contemporary Europe. The newspaper circulation was about a thousand copies...
, a journal to which 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...
contributed. He became president of the Société des Democrats Allemands. During the revolutions of 1848
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, he helped found Herwegh's group which left from Paris to aid the revolution in Germany. He was forced to flee Europe, and left on December 10, 1848.
United States
On landing in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Boernstein went to Highland, Illinois
Highland, Illinois
Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,433 at the 2010 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants.Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switzerland....
, and remained a year looking about for a proper locality to settle permanently. His literary abilities became known through his correspondence, and he was offered the editorship of the German-language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
newspaper 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...
at St. Louis. He accepted the offer, and entered upon his duties in March 1850. Very soon he became the publisher and proprietor. Along with his work at the Anzeiger, he ran a hotel, a theatre, a brewery, and several saloons.
Boernstein introduced sensational methods to the Anzeiger. Mobs formed many times to “clean out” its offices. The Anzeiger was early to announce support of the new 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 1852 he published the "anti-Catholic" novel The Mysteries of St. Louis, in many ways an imitation of a bestselling anti-Catholic French novel of the era, Eugène Sue
Eugène Sue
Joseph Marie Eugène Sue was a French novelist.He was born in Paris, the son of a distinguished surgeon in Napoleon's army, and is said to have had the Empress Joséphine for godmother. Sue himself acted as surgeon both in the Spanish campaign undertaken by France in 1823 and at the Battle of Navarino...
's Le Juif errant
Le Juif Errant
-Publication:Le Juif errant was a serially published novel, which attained great popularity in Paris, and beyond. According to historian John McGreevy, the novel was intensely and deliberately "anti-Catholic." Its publication, and that of its predecessor Les Mystères de Paris, greatly increased...
, which, despite its title, is about a priest. In Mysteries Boernstein describes "decadent" priests teaching at the Catholic sponsored St. Louis University.
Boernstein represented the interests of secular and Protestant German immigrants through many trying periods of political warfare. He contended the German interest should receive some consideration in legislative enactments, and that they were not bound to sacrifice all their nationalities because they did not agree with the caprices and peculiar education of native-born American citizens. He contended that the German-born citizens were as true to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as any other class of citizens, and therefore they had equal claim to legislative consideration.
By the start of the 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...
, he had amassed a fortune, and was both socially and politically popular. In 1859, he leased the largest theatre in St. Louis, and converted it into an opera house, and introduced the citizens of St. Louis to true classical drama. It was successful, though it closed when Boernstein went off to war in 1861.
In the months before 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...
's inauguration, a German militia was organized in St. Louis. Boernstein had shown himself so aggressive during this task, that he was made colonel of the 2nd Missouri. He marched with Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
to the capture of Camp Jackson. Soon tiring of war, he resigned after three months of service.
Europe again
Lincoln appointed Boernstein consul to BremenBremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
where he wrote two volumes of reminiscences. He settled permanently in Europe, and for many years was a correspondent for American papers.