VOLKSVEREIN
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VOLKSVEREIN
tano and Joseph Gorres, and was induced by them to
devote himself to the study of mysticism and legend,
which he continued to pursue during the rest of his
life. In 1838 he was made a government councillor
at Erfurt, and in 1858 he retired from active life.
For a long time a son of the Catholic Church at
heart, he entered it in 1855. He describes his inner
change in the fascinating writing on his conversion,
" Simeon, Wanderungen und Heimkehr eines christ-
lichen Forschers" (3 vols., 1862-3). He also wrote
a large number of pamphlets on religious, political,
and ecclesiastico-political questions of the' time.
Among the considerable number of large works
should be mentioned: the biographies of St. Brigitta
(4 vols., Ratisbon, 1856; 2nd ed., 1888), of St. Francis
de Sales (Schaffhausen, 1860; 2nd ed., 1887), of St.
Matilda (QuedMnburg, 1867) ; translationsfrom Augus-
tine, Petrarch, St. Theresa of Jesus, etc.; the histori-
cal compendium of Italian literature (1832-34), the
account of Spanish literature in the Middle Ages
(1846). He also wrote a number of original poems
and translations from the Spanish, Italian, and
Swedish.
Kehrein, BioffTaphisch-litterarisches Lexikon der kathoUschen deutschen Dichter des XIX. Jahrhunderls, II (Wurzburg, 1868-71), 225-28; Denkmal auf Volks Grab (Erfurt, 1869); Rosenthal, Convertitenbilder aus dem XIX. Jahrhundert, I (Schaffhausen, 1865), 854-94.
Klemens Loffler.
Volksverein (People's Union) for Catholic Germ.^nv, a large and important organization of German Catholics for the purpose of opposing heresies and revolutionary tendencies in the social world, and for the defence of Christian order in society.
History. — This association was the last one estab- lished by Ludwig Windthorst. After the close of the Kuhurkampf new problems confronted the Cathohe population of Germany. Owing to the political union of Germany and its protective commercial policy from 1879, German economic life was greatly strengthened, and trade and manufactures received an unheard-of development. The increase of manufac- turing on a large scale, the partial change of many country towns into manufacturing centres, the crowd- ing together of human beings in the manufacturing districts, all these changes made questions of social needs of increasing importance. Catholics felt strongly the necessity of protection against the revolu- tionary Social Democracy which was based upon undisguised materialism. The Social Democrats, in anticipation of the overthrow of the laws against Socialism, were making preparations for the establish- ment of a well-organized association throughout Germany, even among the Cathohc population. Windthorst, the leader of the German Cathohcs, saw clearly that it was not sufficient for the Centre party, the representative of German Catholics, to be the only champion of legislation in favour of the working- man; the public also must be won over to the support of social reform. At this time the Catholic people were especially inclined to listen to such proposals. The decree of the young Emperor William (February, 1890), the pope's letter to the Archbishop of Cologne (April, 1890), and the pastoral letter of the Prussian bishops issued at their meeting at Fulda had all been received with joy by the Catholics of Germany. For these reasons Windthorst thought a Cathohc social organization should be founded which was to include the whole of Germany. During the deliberations of the coniniittee of organization Windthorst demanded with all the force of his personal influence an organiza- tion that should oppose above all the Social Demo- crats; mf>reover, the end to be sought in questions of social economics should be the encouragement and exercise of right principles.
The draft of a constitut ion, which Windthorst wrote while ill, was adopted at the meeting held on 24 Oct.,
1890, for the establishment of tlie union at the Hotel
Ernst in Cologne. Notwithstanding his illness, Windt-
horst attended this meeting; on the evening of the
same day, the name having been agreed upon, the
Volksverein for Cathohc Germany was founded.
From the outset Windthorst had Munchen-Gladbach
in view as the chief centre of the organization. The
working-men's benefit society, of which the manu-
facturer Franz Brandts was president and Franz
Hitze, member of the Reichstag, was general secretary,
had existed in this towTi for ten years. At Windt-
horst's suggestion Brandts was chosen president, and
Karl Trimborn, lawyer, of Cologne, vice-president.
Dr. Joseph Drammer, of Cologne, was made secretary.
Windthorst himself accepted the honorary presidency
offered him, and up to his death in 1891 followed with
great interest all that concerned the new society.
Whenever necessary he interposed with advice and
action, so that the People's Union is justly called
Windthorst's legacy to the German Cathohcs.
The newly elected managing committee began work with energy. On 22 Nov., 1890, appeared the first appeal "To the Catholic People", which set forth the aims of the society and invited to membership. On 20 Dec. the second appeal was issued, which called upon all supporters of the Cathohc cause to work for the increase of the membership. A like appeal was sent in a circular letter to a large number of promi- nent Cathohcs of the empire. The German bishops were also requested to give their blessing and their influential aid to the union, a request which all most readily agreed to. A number of bishops officially called upon their diocesans to join the union. On 23 Dec. the pope sent an Apostolic blessing in a gracious letter to the managing committee of the union. Ow- ing to these measures the appeals of the association found a hearty welcome throughout Germany, and large numbers joined it. On 14 Feb., 1891, the union held its first public mass meeting at Cologne; at this session Archbishop Krementz of Cologne made the closing address. Other assembhes were held in other sections of the country. Thus Windthorst could be told shortly before his death that the society had secured its first hundred thousand members. Since then the People's Union has been established in all parts of Germany, though it is not equally strong everywhere. In the early years the eastern provinces of Prussia and Baden and Bavaria stood somewhat aloof from the movement. In 1891 it had 109,899 members; in 1901, 185,364; in 1911, 700,727; on 1 April, 1912, 729,800.
Organization and Work. — According to para- graph 1 of its by-laws the object of the Volksverein is the opposition of heresy and revolutionary tendencies in the social-economic world as well as the defence of the Christian order in society. This object is to be attained by the personal work of the members, by instructive lectures, and by the circulation of good printed matter. Every grown German Cathohc who pays one mark (25 cents) annually to the society is a member of the union and entitled to a vote. The Union is go\'erned by a board of directors of at least seven members, who are elected for one year by the general assembly; the president and vice-president are also, according to the by-laws, elected by the general assembly. The board of directors selects from its members the secretary and treasurer. The Volks- verein is not merely a general organization of German Catholics; it is also intended to form a local Catholic organization in the various districts. The directors of the local organizations, some .50,000 men, who form the maui strength of these local bodies, arc the i)ereon8 responsible for the distribution of the publications of the Union, the acquisition of new members, etc. In the individual communes the leading director is the manager; there is a district or departmental manager for every large number of connected communes.
