Dietz, Oswald

Engineer, freedom fighter

Born: 27.05.1823 in Wiesbaden

Died: 09.03.1898 in Cincinnati (USA)

Dietz studied engineering in Karlsruhe, Munich and Berlin and passed his civil engineering exams in 1848.

In the 1848/49 revolution, he was a co-founder of the "Republican Society" on the republican side alongside Georg Böhning, Friedrich Graefe and Karl Schapper, which first made its voice heard publicly on March 4, 1848 with a leaflet. It called for the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic. On the same day, Dietz also became captain of the 1st company of the Wiesbaden militia.

In May 1848, Dietz, Schapper and Graefe founded the Wiesbaden Workers' Association, which they represented at the 1st Congress of the "Democrats of Germany" in Frankfurt am Main in June 1848. The "Wiesbaden Democratic Association", founded on July 12, 1848, only existed for three days. Leading members were significantly involved in the serious unrest surrounding the vigilante group in Wiesbaden, which prompted the government to call in federal troops from the fortress in Mainz.

After the "uprising" had collapsed without bloodshed, the "troublemakers", including Dietz, were wanted by warrant. He initially fled to Idstein, where he tried in vain to organize a demonstration march to Wiesbaden. He also unsuccessfully sought support in Camberg. Dietz fled on to Strasbourg, took part in the Baden Uprising in 1849 and escaped to England after its suppression in 1850. There he joined the group around August Willich (1810-1878) and Karl Schapper within the League of Communists.

In 1852, he emigrated to the USA (Texas), where he further developed his social and socialist ideas. He also took part in the American Civil War.