| Henry Boernstein | |
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Engraving from a photograph by Brown |
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.
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His family moved from Hamburg, in 1813, to Lemburg, 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.[1] He was forced to flee Europe,[2] and left on December 10, 1848.
On landing in New Orleans, Louisiana,[3] 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.[3]
Boernstein introduced sensational methods to the Anzeiger. Mobs formed many times to “clean out” its offices.[2] The Anzeiger was early to announce support of the new Republican Party.[3]
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.[4] In Mysteries Boernstein describes "decadent" priests teaching at the Catholic sponsored St. Louis University.[4]
Boernstein represented the interests of secular and Protestant German immigrants through many trying periods of political warfare.[4] 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.[5]
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.[2] Soon tiring of war,[2] he resigned after three months of service.[6]
Lincoln appointed Boernstein consul to Bremen where he wrote two volumes of reminiscences.[7] He settled permanently in Europe, and for many years was a correspondent for American papers.[2]