Fritz Anneke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fritz Anneke
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | January 3, 1818 Dortmund, Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | December 8, 1872 (aged 54) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Place of burial |
Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
| Allegiance | Forty-Eighters United States |
| Service/ |
|
| Years of service | 1840s (Prussia) 1862–1863 (USV) |
| Rank | Colonel, USV |
| Commands held | 34th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Battles/wars | German revolutions of 1848–1849 American Civil War |
| Other work | Journalist, political activist |
Fritz Anneke (born January 3, 1818, died December 8, 1872) was a German revolutionary and newspaper editor. He believed in socialism, which is an idea about how society should be fair for everyone. In 1849, he moved to the United States with his family.
In the U.S., he became an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he worked as a business person and journalist. Fritz Anneke was married to Mathilde Franziska Anneke, who was also a famous activist. His older brother, Emil Anneke, became the first Republican Michigan Auditor General. Fritz's son, Percy Shelley Anneke, was well-known in Duluth, Minnesota, for starting the famous Fitger's Brewing Company.
Early Life and Revolution
The Anneke family came from a small village called Schadeleben in Germany. This area is known for its old mining regions. Like many families there, Anneke's ancestors worked in mining. His family moved to Dortmund when industrial coal mining began in the Ruhr district. His brother, Emil, was also a mining inspector before he joined the 1848 revolution.
Fritz Anneke became an artillery officer in the Prussian army. However, he was dismissed in 1846. This happened because he was involved in democratic activities. He also refused to take part in a duel. While in Münster, he met Mathilde Franziska von Tabuillot, who later became his wife.
Anneke was a key figure in the Communist movement in Cologne. He worked with famous thinkers like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. He spent most of 1848 in jail for his political actions. In 1849, he joined the revolutionary fights in the Palatinate and Baden. He was the commander of the artillery there. Carl Schurz, who later became a U.S. general, was his assistant.
After the revolutionaries lost at Rastatt, Anneke escaped to France. He and his wife found safety with their friend Moses Hess. Later, he worked as a reporter for U.S. newspapers in Europe. He even tried to join the Italian revolutionary movement led by Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Joining the Union Army
In 1862, Fritz Anneke returned to the USA. He became a colonel and took command of the 34th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. However, in 1863, he faced false accusations and was dismissed from the army. His regiment was then disbanded on September 9, 1863.
After this, he tried to rejoin the army, but he was not successful. His brother, Emil Anneke, who was a leading Republican in Michigan, supported him. Many of Anneke's friends from the 1849 German revolution became Union generals. These included Carl Schurz, August Willich, Ludwig Blenker, Franz Sigel, and Gustav Struve.
Later Life and Family
After the war, Fritz Anneke tried several business ventures, but they did not succeed. He and his wife, Mathilde, separated. Mathilde became a very important person in the U.S. movements to end slavery (called abolitionist) and to gain voting rights for women (called suffrage).
Fritz Anneke moved to Chicago. He died there on December 8, 1872, after an accident. He was short-sighted and fell into a construction pit. At that time, Chicago had poor lighting. The city was also full of such pits, as it was rebuilding after the Great Chicago Fire a year earlier.
Fritz's son, Percy Shelley Anneke, became famous in Duluth, Minnesota. He was a co-founder and owner of the well-known Fitger's Brewing Company. This company is now recognized as a U.S. National Historic Place.
