Conrad Krez (April 27, 1828 – March 9, 1897) was a German-American politician, military officer and poet.

Biography

Krez was born on April 27, 1828 in Landau, Palatinate, Germany, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. He attended the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and

Heidelberg University } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, B ...

. After the failed

Revolutions of 1848 in the German states In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

, Krez fled to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. In 1851, he moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and settled in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. The following year, he married Adolphine Stemmler. They had seven children. His son was Judge Paul T. Krez who was Sheboygan County judge and his grandson was

Frederick W. Krez Frederick W. Krez (October 22, 1899 – January 25, 1969) was an American politician and businessman. Born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Krez served in the United States Marine Corps during World War I. He went to Ripon College (Wisconsin), Ripon ...

who also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 1854, he and his family moved to

Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sheboygan () is a city in and the county seat of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 49,929 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populati ...

. Krez died on March 9, 1897 in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. He is buried at

Forest Home Cemetery Forest Home Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in the Lincoln Village neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons, politicians and social elite. Both the cemetery and ...

Political career

Krez was City Attorney of Sheboygan from 1856 to 1859 and District Attorney of

Sheboygan County, Wisconsin Sheboygan County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named after the Sheboygan River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 118,034. Its county seat is Sheboygan. The county was created in 1836 and organized in 1846. At t ...

from 1859 to 1862 and again from 1870 to 1876. Originally a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Krez became a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in 1872. In 1885, he was appointed U.S. Collector of Customs of Milwaukee by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

. He remained in that position until 1889. Krez was then a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

from 1891 to 1892 and City Attorney of Milwaukee from 1892 to 1894.

Military career

Krez joined the Union Army in 1862 during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He helped to form the 27th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment was placed in charge of said regiment. Krez was mustered out of the volunteers on August 29, 1865. On January 13, 1866,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Andrew Johnson nominated Krez for appointment to the grade of brevet

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of volunteers to rank from March 26, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 750.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krez, Conrad Bavarian emigrants to the United States Politicians from New York City Politicians from Sheboygan, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin Republicans Wisconsin Democrats People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army colonels Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni Heidelberg University alumni 1828 births 1897 deaths 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Milwaukee 19th-century American lawyers Wisconsin city attorneys