Riehl, Wilhelm Heinrich von (ennobled 1883)

Journalist, writer, cultural historian

Born: 06.05.1823 in Biebrich

Died: 16.11.1897 in Munich

After attending Latin school in Wiesbaden and grammar school in Weilburg, Riehl studied theology at various universities, but became a journalist immediately after graduating.

In 1845, Riehl received his first permanent position at the "Frankfurter Oberpostamtszeitung", only to switch to the "Karlsruher Zeitung" almost two years later, where he was also given the editorship of the "Badischer Landtagsbote". In March 1848, the year of the revolution, he took over the editorship of the "Nassauische Allgemeine Zeitung" (NAZ). The NAZ was the mouthpiece of the liberal citizens of Wiesbaden and the official newspaper of the later Hergenhahn government. Together with his publisher August Schellenberg, he was a founding member of the "Association for Freedom, Law and Order", the party that supported the Hergenhahn government. Riehl was a member of the administrative commission of the Wiesbaden theater, which had replaced the ducal court directorship in 1848, and was the artistic director of the stage. In 1850, Riehl followed Georg von Cotta's call and joined the editorial staff of the "Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung".

Under the title "Nassau vom 4. März 1848 bis zum 4. März 1849", R. left behind a chronicle of the revolutionary year. Behind his novella "March Minister" is August Hergenhahn and "The Theater Child" is about the events at the Wiesbaden theater during the revolutionary years. He was elevated to the nobility in 1883.

Riehl received a professorship in Munich in 1854, initially for political economy and statistics and in 1859 for cultural history. He is considered one of the founders of scientific ethnology.