Belleville Zeitung
The Newspaper that Started a Revolution

Erin Conner
Belleville Township High School West, Belleville

Many Europeans came to America in the nineteenth century to escape oppressive governments, to seek religious emancipation, and to find employment. However, the Germans came for one thing— freedom. Unfortunately, people who keep to themselves are often misjudged, as were the Germans. Their attempt to publish a truthful account of Germans in America not only led to newspapers, but also contributed to the growth of many towns including Belleville, Illinois.

The seventy-four-year run of the Belleville Zeitung (pronounced "tsy-toong," which in German means newspaper) proved to give more than an economic boost. German writers were needed to help publish the newspaper, and the Zeitung brought German immigrants to Belleville. This helped to give the town a larger population with a strong workforce, and a history that leaves Belleville residents with a proud legacy of their ancestors.

German immigrants began settling in the area around Belleville in the early 1800s. However, it was during the 1830s that German immigrants arrived in large numbers. Many were college graduates and professors. Several of these new immigrants took advantage of the rich farmland in southern Illinois and became farmers. They were known as Latin Farmers. For the most part they kept to themselves. Because of this, no matter how hard they worked, the Germans were referred to as incompetent and lazy. In turn, the Germans decided that these opinions were made by ignorant and uneducated people. Many wanted to create a system by which the two sides could understand each other.

In 1836 a group of educated German immigrants decided to form a library, which eventually became the Belleville Public Library. They were led by Anton Schoff, Dr. Theodore Engelmann, and Gustave Koerner, who became a leader in the Illinois Republican Party and a lieutenant governor of Illinois. German newspapers were among some of the first publications to the library. Upon reading these newspapers, Engelmann was disturbed by the opinions of Germans about America. He and Koerner, who used the pen name Charles Neyfeld, began publishing the Westland in 1837. This book,

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published in several volumes, made Americans and Germans reconsider the way they looked at one another.

With the success of the Westland, Engelmann decided that the time was appropriate to establish a German newspaper. Therefore, in 1840 Engelmann established the first German newspaper in Illinois, Der Freiheitsbote fur Illinois (The Freedom Messenger for Illinois). Unfortunately, the paper lasted only five months, but Engelmann was determined. In 1844 Engelmann created a paper called the Belleville Beobachter ( Observer). When Engelmann was elected Deputy Circuit Clerk, he sold the paper to Bartholomeus Hauck, who moved it to Quincy. Engelmann convinced Hauck to return the paper to Belleville. On January 11, 1849, the first issue of the Belleville Zeitung appeared with Theodore Engelmann as editor. The Zeitung, which was printed in German, featured national news and news from Germany.

Engelmann retired in 1851. Koerner served as editor until 1853, when one of the oldest writers in the western United States, Dr. Wenzel, took over. On March 18, 1858, Hauck sold the Belleville Zeitung to Frederick Rupp, who was editor and owner of the Belleville Volksblat. The two papers merged and Franz Grimm took over as editor with Rupp as business manager. The Belleville Zeitung proved to immigrants that they could succeed in America. Other German newspapers appeared in Belleville, such as the Belleville Demokrat and the Freie Presse. Fred J. Kern, a German immigrant who had come to America looking for freedom, began an English-language newspaper, The Belleville News-Democrat, in 1859. The News-Democrat is still published.

The year 1860 brought a highly publicized election between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Because Koerner, a Republican, was still involved with the Zeitung, the paper favored Lincoln. Douglas was not liked by the Republicans because he supported the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Many felt that he supported slavery. He was also against funding public education. Therefore, many editorials appeared in support of Lincoln. Paradoxically, the Zeitung opposed black soldiers fighting for the Union saying they were "ignorant, barbarous, and treacherous."

Grimm, the Zeitung's editor, who had joined the Union Army and was killed in action, was succeeded by Ludwig Seybold and then Adelbert Loehr. In December 1863, Dr. Charles Neubert became managing editor. He and Rupp, now the owner, disagreed because Rupp accused Neubert of being "too extreme" and accused him of "deserting (Republican) party lines." The disagreement, which became public, affected the sales of the paper, and the printing of the Zeitung stopped. After eleven years, Dr. Neubert stepped down and was succeeded by Henry E. Miller. The paper reemerged again because of anti-Grant movements that captivated the German-Republicans, many of whom were against fellow Republican U. S. Grant. Rupp died on January 3, 1873, and the business was sold to Sebastian Fietsam. On June 22, 1874, half of the ownership of the paper was sold. Bernhard Hartmann replaced Miller as editor and was in turn replaced by Eugene Seeger on June 20, 1875.

In October 1877, the Zeitung was consolidated with the Stern Des Westens. L.W. Habercom and Curt Heinfelden were editors from 1877 to 1881. During this time the Zeitung's name was changed to Zeitung und Stern to bring back readers of the Stern. The Zeitung und Stern lasted until 1888, when a disagreement between owners led to separation between the two papers. The Belleville Zeitung reappeared in Belleville again, but in 1893, the Zeitung merged with the Post, a St. Louis newspaper. Although the paper remained German and was printed in Belleville, the Post und Zeitungh had its home base in St. Louis. From 1890 to about 1910, the Post und Zeitung enjoyed its circulation peak. During this time more German immigrants arrived. Unfortunately, many of the records from this time have been lost. The paper had several editors who were not noted.

During World War I, many efforts were made to stop circulation of German materials. The Zeitung was no exception. A sympathetic mayor asked Bellevillians to, "refrain from public discussion" of anti-German talk. The war, with its anti-German feeling, was too much for the paper to handle and it went out of business in 1923.

For seventy-four years, The Belleville Zeitung not only helped to provide news and strengthen the economy of Belleville and the surrounding areas by encouraging German immigrants, but awakened the Germans and Americans to each other's cultures. Today, as one translates the German words printed in the newspaper, lives and history are brought to life.—[From "Belleville Had 55 Newspapers in the Last 100 Years," Belleville NewsDemocrat, Oct. 15, 1959; Robert L. Gentsch, The Early History of Belleville, Illinois to 1850; BrinkMcDonough Publishing Co.; History of St. ClawCounty, Illinois; Thomas O. Jewett, The Belleville Germans; Mrs. Robert Mohrman, Reflections; Alvin Nebelsick, The History of Belleville; Martin Oefele, "The United States Colored Troops in the Light of German-American Press and Literature," http:/www.zusas.uni-halle.de/academics/conferences/oefele-abstract.htm]

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