Daniel Blumenthal (politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Daniel Blumenthal (born 1860 - died 1930) was born in Colmar, Alsace and died in Paris. He was the mayor of Colmar from 1905 to 1914. He was also formerly the Deputy from Strasbourg in the Reichstag and Senator for Alsace-Lorraine.

Daniel Blumenthal was condemned to death eight times and had sentences totaling five hundred years prison imposed upon him by the Imperial German government following his escape from Alsace to inform the world of the plight of Alsace and Lorraine under German rule.

He wrote a publication entitled Alsace-Lorraine – a study of the relations of the two provinces to France and to Germany, and a presentation of the just claims of their people, which was published in 1917, by C.P. Putnam's Sons in 1917. Daniel Blumenthal presented this publication to the United States Congress as means to gain American support for the freeing of Alsace and Lorraine from German rule.

Daniel Blumenthal married Lydia Knoeri (1861 – 1913) and was survived by his three children – Countess Lydia Tolstoy (1888 -1972), Jeanne Therese Stepanoff (1896 - ????) and Andre Blumenthal (1898 – 1956). His remains and those of his wife, daughter Lydia and son Andre rest in Metzeral cemetery in Alsace.

The descendants of Daniel Blumenthal now reside in Australia. The rue Daniel Blumenthal in Colmar is named in his honor.