Katholische Volkszeitung Archive

The Katholische Volkszeitung was a weekly German-language newspaper that commenced publication in Baltimore, Maryland in 1860. Its publisher, the firm of the brothers Joseph and Christopher Kreuzer, ran a successful printing and publishing operation in the central business district of Baltimore. The Kreuzers continued a strong tradition of Catholic publishing in the city, which was home to the first Catholic diocese in the United States. The accelerating emigration of Catholics from Germany in the mid-nineteenth century created a market for German catechisms, devotional works, and eventually a newspaper that reached readers well beyond Baltimore. In 1874, John Thomas Scharf estimated that the paper had 24,000 subscribers. The inaugural editor of the Katholische Volkszeitung was John N. Schmidt (1835-1893) who added the management of the paper to his editorial duties after the death of Christopher Kreuzer in 1877.

As a newspaper catering to the needs and interests of recent immigrants, the Katholische Volkszeitung had a dual purpose. It provided general information to its readers, and it sought to explain the positions of the Catholic Church on both religious and secular matters. News from Europe helped readers stay connected with their homeland. Major events such as the unification of Germany in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 received prominent coverage. The paper also weighed in on local issues. Schmidt called attention to instances of discrimination against Catholics as well as anti-Catholic statements by politicians. The paper included temperance agitation among those issues that targeted Germans. At the same time, learning to become more American was a recurring theme. On the lighter side, the Katholische Volkszeitung published serialized fiction and kept readers informed of local entertainment sponsored by church-related organizations. Although expressly published to support the Catholic Church, the Katholische Volkseitung was produced for and by the laity.

In 1914, editor Jacob Jacobi announced that the Katholische Volkszeitung would cease publication. It was the victim of a declining need for German newspapers in a population for whom English was increasingly common. In addition, anti-German views were on the rise in the build-up to World War I. German church services disappeared in a show of patriotism, and by 1918, Baltimore's German Street was renamed by order of the City Council.