Graefe, Friedrich

Physician, politician, botanist

born: 06.08.1815 in Wiesbaden

died: 06.12.1878 in Wiesbaden

Graefe studied medicine and philosophy in Berlin and Heidelberg. After gaining his license to practice medicine in 1840, the doctor turned down a state job.

During the revolution of 1848/49, he was a co-founder of the Republican Society. He also founded and led the workers' association in Wiesbaden together with Oswald Dietz. One of his meetings was the starting point of the July riots in Wiesbaden, when the board demanded the release of imprisoned artillery soldiers from the commander of the artillery, Colonel Heinrich von Hadeln. Graefe and Dietz were arrested, but freed in the course of the unrest. Both were subsequently wanted along with others. While Dietz was able to flee, Graefe hid with friends in Wiesbaden, turned himself in voluntarily a year later, but was then released from prosecution and has kept a low profile in politics ever since.

Graefe was considered one of the best experts on flora in the Duchy of Nassau.