author
Friedrich Kapp
1824–1884
A lawyer, writer, and politician who moved between Germany and the United States, he wrote vividly about German immigration and public life on both sides of the Atlantic. His career joined scholarship with political action, giving his work an unusual firsthand energy.
1 Audiobook
Der Soldatenhandel deutscher Fürsten nach Amerika
by Friedrich Kapp
About the author
Born in Hamm, Prussia, in 1824, Friedrich Kapp studied law and became involved in the political upheavals of 1848. After the revolutions failed, he emigrated to the United States and settled in New York, where he worked as a lawyer and writer while taking an active interest in public affairs.
Kapp became known for writing about the German-American experience and helping turn the history of German immigration into a serious field of study. His books explored the lives, contributions, and political role of Germans in America, drawing on both research and his own experience as an immigrant.
He returned to Germany in 1870 and later served in the Reichstag as a National Liberal deputy. Alongside his political work, he continued writing history and biography, remaining a strong public voice until his death in Berlin in 1884.