Events from the year 1870 in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Incumbents

National level

Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...

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William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

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Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of J ...

State level

Kingdoms

King of Bavaria King of Bavaria was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 until 1918, when the kingdom was abolished. It was the second time Bavaria was a kingdom, almost a thousand ...

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Ludwig II of Bavaria Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886) was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes called the Swan King or ('the Fairy Tale King'). He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the ...

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

– Kaiser William I *

King of Saxony This article lists dukes, electors, and kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 6th century to the end of the German monarchies in 1918. The electors of Saxony from John the Steadfast on ...

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John of Saxony , image = Photograph of John, King of Saxony (1801-1873).jpg , reign =9 August 1854 – 29 October 1873 , caption = Photograph of King John, , predecessor = Frederick Augustus II , successor =Albert , succe ...

King of Württemberg King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

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Charles of Württemberg Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

Grand Duchies

Grand Duke of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subse ...

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Frederick I Frederick I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I, Count of Zoller ...

Grand Duke of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (german: link=no, Großherzogtum Hessen und bei Rhein) was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Grand Duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 ...

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Louis III Louis III may refer to: * Louis the Younger, sometimes III of Germany (835–882) * Louis III of France (865–882) * Louis the Blind, Louis III, Holy Roman Emperor, (c. 880–928) * Louis the Child, sometimes III of Germany (893–911) * Louis III ...

Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin This list of dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg dates from the origins of the German princely state of Mecklenburg's royal house in the High Middle Ages to the monarchy's abolition at the end of World War I. Strictly speaking, Mecklenburg's p ...

– Frederick Francis II *

Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a territory in Northern Germany, held by the younger line of the House of Mecklenburg residing in Neustrelitz. Like the neighbouring Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, it was a sovereign member state ...

– Frederick William *

Grand Duke of Oldenburg 120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg 120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst This is a list of the counts, dukes, grand dukes, and prime ministers of Oldenburg. Counts of Oldenburg * 1088/1101–1108 Elimar I * 1108–1143 E ...

– Peter II *

Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (german: Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach) was a historical German state, created as a duchy in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, which had been in personal union since 1741. It was raised ...

– Charles Alexander

Principalities

Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe, also Lippe-Schaumburg, was created as a county in 1647, became a principality in 1807, a free state in 1918, and was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bück ...

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Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe Adolphus I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (''Adolf Georg''; 1 August 1817 – 8 May 1893) was a ruler of the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe. Biography He was born in Bückeburg to Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Ida of Wal ...

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany, with its capital at Rudolstadt. History Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands. Since th ...

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George Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Georg Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (23 November 1838 – 19 January 1890) was the penultimate sovereign prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Biography He was born in Rudolstadt the son of Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and his ...

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with its capital at Sondershausen. History Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county until 1697. In that year, it became a principality, which ...

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Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Günther Friedrich Karl II of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (24 September 1801 – 15 September 1889) was the ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen following his father's abdication in 1835 until his own death in 1880. After Schwarzburg-Sonder ...

Principality of Lippe Lippe (later Lippe-Detmold and then again Lippe) was a historical state in Germany, ruled by the House of Lippe. It was located between the Weser river and the southeast part of the Teutoburg Forest. It was founded in the 1640s under a separa ...

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Leopold III, Prince of Lippe Leopold III of Lippe (Paul Friedrich Emil Leopold; 1 September 1821 – 8 December 1875) was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe reigning from 1851 until his death. Early life and ascension Leopold III was born in Detmold the eldest child ...

Reuss Elder Line The Principality of Reuss-Greiz (german: Fürstentum Reuß-Greiz), called the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line (german: Fürstentum Reuß älterer Linie) after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of ...

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Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (28 March 1846 – 19 April 1902) was the reigning sovereign of Reuss-Greiz, a small principality of the German states, from 1859 until his death in 1902.Martin (1879), p. 173. Reign Heinrich succeeded as rei ...

Reuss Younger Line The Principality of Reuss-Gera (german: Fürstentum Reuß-Gera), called the Principality of the Reuss Junior Line (german: Fürstentum Reuß jüngerer Linie) after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of Re ...

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Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line (german: Heinrich XIV Fürst Reuß jüngere Linie; 28 May 183229 March 1913) was Prince Reuss Younger Line from 1867 to 1913. Early life Heinrich XIV was born at Coburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, sixth child o ...

Waldeck and Pyrmont The County of Waldeck (later the Principality of Waldeck and Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire and its successors from the late 12th century until 1929. In 1349 the county gained Imperial immediacy and in 1 ...

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George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont George Victor (14 January 1831 – 12 May 1893) was the 3rd sovereign Prince of the German state of Waldeck and Pyrmont. He was born in Bad Arolsen the son of George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg- ...

Duchies

Duke of Anhalt The Duchy of Anhalt (german: Herzogtum Anhalt) was a historical German duchy. The duchy was located between the Harz Mountains in the west and the river Elbe and beyond to the Fläming Heath in the east. The territory was once ruled by the House ...

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Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt , image = Friedrich I Anhalt.jpg , caption = Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt , succession = Duke of Anhalt , reign = 22 May 1871 – 24 January 1904 , coronation = , predecessor = Leopold IV , successor ...

Duke of Brunswick Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

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William, Duke of Brunswick '' , house = House of Brunswick-Bevern , father = Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , mother = Princess Marie of Baden , birth_date = , birth_place = Brunswick, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , death_date = , death_place = Si ...

Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (german: Sachsen-Altenburg, links=no) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilometer ...

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Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (German: Ernst I. Friedrich Paul Georg Nikolaus von Sachsen-Altenburg) (16 September 1826 in Hildburghausen – 7 February 1908 in Altenburg), was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg. He was the first son of Georg, Duke of Sax ...

Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, links=no ), was an Ernestine, Thuringian duchy ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present-d ...

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Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest II (german: Ernst August Karl Johann Leopold Alexander Eduard, link=no; 21 June 181822 August 1893) was Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 29 January 1844 to his death in 1893. He was born in Coburg to Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld ...

Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen (; german: Sachsen-Meiningen ) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine duchies, Ernestine line of the House of Wettin, Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day Germany, German state of Thuringia. Esta ...

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Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the ''Theaterherzog'' (theatre duk ...

Events

* 26 February – German company

Commerzbank Commerzbank AG () is a major German bank operating as a universal bank, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. In the 2019 financial year, the bank was the second largest in Germany by the total value of its balance sheet. Founded in 1870 in Hambur ...

is founded in Hamburg. * 10 March – The

Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...

is granted a banking licence by the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n government. * 16 July – In response to Bismarck's refusal to cede parts of the Rhineland to Emperor Napoleon III of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the near succession of a

Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenb ...

to the Spanish throne, and the

Ems Telegram The Ems Dispatch (french: Dépêche d'Ems, german: Emser Depesche), sometimes called the Ems Telegram, was published on 13 July 1870 and incited the Second French Empire to start the Franco-Prussian War and to declare war on the Kingdom of Prus ...

, France declares war on Prussia, beginning the Franco-Prussian War. * 19 July – Beginning of Franco-Prussian War * 4 August – Battle of Wissembourg: The first battle of the Franco-Prussian War begins when three Prussian-led German

army corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

surprise and get the better of the small French

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

of Wissembourg. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the French defenders fiercely resist and inflict three times their number in casualties.Hooper, p. 84 * 6 August –

Battle of Spicheren The Battle of Spicheren, also known as the ''Battle of Forbach'', was a battle during the Franco-Prussian War. The German victory compelled the French to withdraw to the defenses of Metz. The Battle of Spicheren, on 6 August, was the second o ...

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Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz (27 December 1796 – 2 August 1877) was a Prussian ''Generalfeldmarschall''. He was born at Eisenach and joined the army of Prussia during the War of Liberation. Over the Seven Weeks' War he led the V Corps again ...

soundly defeats a French army of 21,000, further driving the French towards the fortress city of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

. * 6 August –

Battle of Wörth The Battle of Wörth, also known as the Battle of Reichshoffen or as the Battle of Frœschwiller, refers to the second battle of Wörth, which took place on 6 August 1870 in the opening stages of the Franco-Prussian War (the first Battle of ...

* 6 August –

* 15 August – 28 September –

Siege of Strasbourg The siege of Strasbourg took place during the Franco-Prussian War, and resulted in the French surrender of the fortress on 28 September 1870. After the German victory at Wörth, troops from the Grand Duchy of Baden under Prussian General Aug ...

* 19 August – 27 October – Siege of Metz * 10 December – The Reichstag of the

North German Confederation The North German Confederation (german: Norddeutscher Bund) was initially a German military alliance established in August 1866 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was transformed in the subsequent year into a confederated st ...

renames the Confederation the "North German Confederation of the German Empire".

Science

Rudolf Clausius Rudolf Julius Emanuel Clausius (; 2 January 1822 – 24 August 1888) was a German physicist and mathematician and is considered one of the central founding fathers of the science of thermodynamics. By his restatement of Sadi Carnot's principle ...

proves the scalar virial theorem. *

Ludimar Hermann Ludimar Hermann (October 31, 1838 – June 5, 1914) was a German physiology, physiologist and phonetics, speech scientist who used the Thomas Edison, Edison phonograph to test theories of vowel production, particularly those of Robert Willis ( ...

observes the

Hermann grid illusion A grid illusion is any kind of grid that deceives a person's vision. The two most common types of grid illusions are the Hermann grid illusion and the scintillating grid illusion. Hermann grid illusion The Hermann grid illusion is an optical illus ...

Births

* 1 January –

Hermann Theodor Simon Hermann Theodor Simon (german: ˈziːmɔn, lang; 1 January 1870, in Kirn – 22 December 1918, in Göttingen) was a German physicist. Biography He studied physics at the Universities of Heidelberg and Berlin, earning his doctorate in 1894 under ...

, German physicist (died 1918) * 2 January –

Ernst Barlach Ernst Heinrich Barlach (2 January 1870 – 24 October 1938) was a German expressionist sculptor, medallist, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him c ...

, German sculptor and writer (died 1938) * 6 January –

Gustav Bauer Gustav Adolf Bauer (; 6 January 1870 – 16 September 1944) was a German Social Democratic Party leader and the chancellor of Germany from June 1919 to March 1920. He served as head of government for nine months. Prior to becoming head of gover ...

, German politician,

Chancellor of Germany The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the Ge ...

(died 1944) * 10 January –

Hans von Raumer Hans Friedrich Wilhem Ernst von Raumer (10 January 1870 – 3 November 1965) was a German politician of the German People's Party (DVP). He served as minister in two governments of the Weimar Republic and was also active as a representative of G ...

, German politician (died 1965) * 10 February –

Fritz Klimsch Fritz Klimsch (10 February 1870 – 30 March 1960) was a German sculptor, and the younger brother of the painter Paul Klimsch. He was one of the famous artists in the era of Weimar republic. Early life Klimsch was born on 10 February 1870 in ...

, German sculptor (died 1960) * 11 February –

Bill Drews Wilhelm Arnold Drews, known as Bill Drews (11 February 1870 – 17 February 1938), was a German lawyer and administrator. Bill Drews was the creator of the Prussian 1931 police administrative law, which became the model for all German police regula ...

, German lawyer (died 1938) * 12 February –

Hugo Stinnes Hugo Dieter Stinnes (12 February 1870 – 10 April 1924) was a German industrialist and politician. During the late era of the German Empire and early Weimar Republic, he was considered to be one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Europe. ...

, German entrepreneur (died 1924) * 21 March – Heinrich Waentig, German politician (died 1943) * 9 May –

Hans Baluschek Hans Baluschek (9 May 1870 – 28 September 1935) was a German painter, graphic artist and writer. Baluschek was a prominent representative of German Critical Realism, and as such he sought to portray the life of the common people with vivid fra ...

, German painter (died 1935) * 14 June –

Sophia of Prussia Sophia of Prussia (Sophie Dorothea Ulrike Alice, el, Σοφία; 14 June 1870 – 13 January 1932) was Queen consort of the Hellenes from 1913–1917, and also from 1920–1922. A member of the House of Hohenzollern and child of Frederick III, ...

, Prussian princess (died 1970) * 21 June –

Clara Immerwahr Clara Helene Immerwahr (; 21 June 1870 – 2 May 1915) was a German chemist. She was the first German woman to be awarded a doctorate in chemistry in Germany, and is credited with being a pacifist as well as a "heroine of the women's rights mov ...

, German chemist (died 1915) * 7 July –

Joseph Koeth Joseph Koeth (7 July 1870 – 22 May 1936) was a German military officer and politician. During World War I he served as head of the Kriegsrohstoffabteilung (War Raw Materials Department – KRA) of the Prussian Ministry of War created by Walthe ...

, German politician (died 1936) * 27 July –

Siegfried von Roedern Siegfried Friedrich Wilhelm Erdmann Graf von Roedern (born 27 July 1870 in Marburg, died 14 April 1954 in Bergen, Upper Bavaria), was a German politician. He served as Secretary in the Ministry for Alsace-Lorraine from 1914 to 1916, and as Federa ...

, German politician (died 1954) * 2 October – Joannes Baptista Sproll, German bishop of Roman-Catholic Church (died 1949)

Deaths

* 15 February –

Karl von Strotha Karl Adolf von Strotha (22 February 1786 in Frankenstein – 15 February 1870, in Berlin) was a Prussian officer and Minister of War from 1848 to 1850. Strotha was born into an officers' family and joined the Prussian infantry in 1805 and parti ...

, Prussian officer and Minister of War from 1848 to 1850 (born 1786) * 3 April –

Philipp Jaffé Philipp Jaffé (17 February 1819 – 3 April 1870) was a German historian and philologist. The Schwersenz (then Prussia) native, despite discrimination against his Jewish religion, was one of the most important German medievalists of the 19th c ...

, German historian and philologist (born 1819) * 4 April –

Heinrich Gustav Magnus Heinrich Gustav Magnus (; 2 May 1802 – 4 April 1870) was a notable German experimental scientist. His training was mostly in chemistry but his later research was mostly in physics. He spent the great bulk of his career at the University of Berl ...

, German scientist (born 1802) * 9 May –

Prince Frederick of Württemberg , image = Prinz Friedrich von Württemberg (1808-1870).jpg , caption = , reign = , coronation = , predecessor = , successor = , succession = , spouse = , issue = William II of Württemberg , house ...

, German nobleman and general in

kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...

(born 1808) * 12 May –

Hermann von Beckerath Hermann von Beckerath (13 December 1801 in Krefeld – 12 May 1870 also in Krefeld) was a banker and Prussian statesman. Biography He was born at Krefeld, in Rhenish Prussia. His youth was spent in learning the business of banking, after which he ...

, German banker and statesman (born 1801) * 1 September –

Joseph Anton von Maffei Joseph Anton von Maffei (4 September 1790 – 1 September 1870) was a German industrialist. Together with Joseph von Baader (1763–1835) and Theodor Freiherr von Cramer-Klett (1817–1884), Maffei was one of the three most important railway pione ...

, German industrialist (born 1790) * 14 September –

Carl August von Steinheil Carl August von Steinheil (12 October 1801 – 14 September 1870) was a German physicist, inventor, engineer and astronomer. Biography Steinheil was born in Ribeauvillé, Alsace. He studied law in Erlangen since 1821. He then studied astronomy i ...

, German physicist, inventor, engineer and astronomer (born 1801) * 14 October –

Karl Twesten Karl Twesten (April 22, 1820 in Kiel – October 14, 1870 in Berlin) was a German politician and author. Biography He was the son of German theologian August Detlev Christian Twesten. He became connected with the judicial service, and was one of ...

, German politician and writer (born 1820) * 19 December –

Lebrecht Blücher Dreves Lebrecht Blücher Dreves (12 September 1816 – 19 December 1870) was a German poet and translator of poetry from Hamburg. Biography The Prussian general Blucher was his baptismal sponsor, whence his name. At age nineteen he submitted a ...

, German poet (born 1816)

References

Bibliography

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Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:1870 In Germany Years of the 19th century in Germany