August Paul Richter

Background

August Paul Richter was born on January 25, 1844, in the Brandenburg town of Maerkisch-Friedland, Germanic Confederation (now Mirosławiec, Poland).

Education

Shortly after entering the University of Berlin (now the Free University of Berlin) as a medical student August Richter joined the Prussian army to serve in the Royal Artillery during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. After migrating to the United States August Richter resumed his pursuit of a medical degree and graduated from the State Medical College (now Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) in Buffalo, New York, in 1876.

Career

After August Richter immigrated to the US in 1871 he took over a circulating library of German-language books and rented it to other immigrants. At that time he also worked as a reporter for the Arbeiter Union (New York City) and the Anzeiger für Paterson (Paterson, New Jersey).

From 1878 to 1888 August Richter established a medical practice striving to create a financial basis for becoming a journalist. He also wrote for a regional German-language newspaper, the Sternen Banner. August Richter also worked as a full-time employee of the influential newspaper Der Demokrat and became the editor in 1888.

After his wife deceased in 1904, August Richter started working on historical research on the importance of national politics.

August Richter retired in 1913 with his reputation at its peak. He began revising his manuscript, which represented 30 years of systematic research, for publication. He invested his life's savings to have the first volume of his manuscript which represented 30 years of systematic research published, in German, available for sale in 1917.

Politics

August Richter strongly advocated "personal liberty" that meant support for an individual's beliefs, the noninterference of government agencies in the lives of individuals, and support for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of liquor.

Membership

• Society for Ethical Culture , United States

• Central Turner Society , United States

Personality

In his habits, August Richter was quite rigid; after spending the morning on his newspaper duties, he would walk up the bluff overlooking downtown Davenport to the Cook Memorial Library and conduct hours of historical research on the early history of Davenport and Iowa.

Connections

Spouse:

Anna May Richter

Friend:

Karl Matthey

Karl Matthey was one of the owners of the Sternen Banner newspaper and one of the prominent leaders of the flourishing German population of Davenport, where Richter met many other intellectual refugees from the newly formed German Empire.

Friend:

Heinrich Matthey

Karl Matthey's brother Heinrich Matthey was a co-owner of the Sternen Banner newspaper that A. P. Richter worked for.

References

• Hudson, D., Bergman, M., & Horton, L. (Eds.) The biographical dictionary of Iowa
  2009