Kappus, Christian Jakob

Educator, local historian

Born: 21.12.1882 in Weisel near Kaub

died: 04.04.1945 in Wiesbaden

Kappus attended the teacher training college in Usingen and then worked as a primary school teacher in Burg near Herborn. He then moved to Dausenau an der Lahn and finally to Wiesbaden. After longer stays in France and England, he passed his secondary school teacher's examination. Kappus took part in both the First and Second World Wars and was discharged from military service in 1943 as a major because he had reached the age limit.

In addition to his professional activities, he was interested in the history of his home town and the former sub-office of Kaub, as well as topics relating to Nassau's regional history. He joined the Nassauische Altertumskunde und Geschichtsforschung association early on. He contributed the essays on Johannes de Laspée and Joseph Kehrein to Volume I of the "Nassauische Lebensbilder". His main interest was dialect research. He worked on the German Language Atlas and the Hesse-Nassau Dictionary in Marburg.

In recognition of his achievements, he was made an honorary senator on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Philipps University there in 1927. Many of his historical manuscripts were handed over to the Wiesbaden State Archives and his articles on language and dialect research to the University of Marburg. He also worked on a memorial book of the Nassau fallen of the First World War, which he was almost able to complete. On April 2, 1945, he was assassinated and died two days later as a result.