Der Wahrheitsfreund

{{Infobox newspaper

| name = Der Wahrheitsfreund

| logo =

| image =

| caption =

| type = Weekly (Wednesdays)

| format = {{convert|31|x|46|in|cm}}

| owners = Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati

| publisher = Benziger Brothers

| foundation = 1837

| ceased publication = 1907

| language = German

| headquarters = Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

| circulation = 14,400 (1875)

| sister newspapers = The Catholic Telegraph

| oclc = 631796295

}}

Der Wahrheitsfreund or Der Wahrheits-Freund ("The Friend of Truth") was the first German language Catholic newspaper in the United States,{{cite journal|first=Mary Agnes|last=McCann|title=The Most Reverend John Baptist Purcell, D.D., Archbishop of Cincinnati (1800-1883)|journal=The Catholic Historical Review|publisher=American Catholic Historical Association|volume=6|year=1920|issue=2|page=183|issn=0008-8080|jstor=25011687}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-hB6AAAAMAAJ&q=cincinnati+the+queen+city+clarke&pg=PA12 | title=Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788-1912, Volume 2 | publisher=The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company | year=1912 | access-date=2013-05-20 | author=Clark, S. J. | pages=12}} and one of many German-language newspapers in Cincinnati, Ohio during the nineteenth century. It was published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and proceeds went to the St. Aloysius Orphan Society.

History

At the time of the paper's first issue on July 20, 1837,{{cite book|first=Roger Antonio|last=Fortin|title=Faith and Action: a history of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, 1821–1996|location=Columbus, Ohio|year=2002|publisher=Ohio State University Press|isbn=0-8142-0904-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6WOJBt-xWcC&pg=PA82|quote=Under the editorship of [John] Henni, the first publication of Wahrheitsfreund was on July 20, 1837. Its surplus funds were regularly paid to the St. Aloysius Orphan Association. ... By midcentury it was one of four German language newspapers in Cincinnati.}} the Diocese of Cincinnati covered the entirety of Ohio and its English-language weekly, The Catholic Telegraph, had circulated for several years. The Wahrheitsfreund{{'s}} founder, vicar general John Henni, served as editor from its founding to his appointment as the first Bishop of Milwaukee in 1843.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Henni, John Martin 1805 - 1881|encyclopedia=Dictionary of Wisconsin History|publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2368&search_term=martin|access-date=2011-07-10|archive-date=2011-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610221444/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2368&search_term=martin|url-status=dead}} By 1875, the paper had 14,400 subscribers.{{cite book|title=Geo. P. Rowell & Co's American Newspaper Directory, containing Accurate lists of all the newspapers and periodicals published in the United States and Territories, and the Dominion of Canada, and British Colonies of North America, 1875|publisher=George P. Rowell & Company (UNT Digital Library)|location=New York City|year=1875|page=249|access-date=2011-07-10|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9259/m1/263/}} In 1907, the Wahrheitsfreund merged with Rev. Joseph Jessing's Ohio Waisenfreund (Ohio Orphan's Friend).{{cite encyclopedia|first=M. P.|last=O'Brien|title=Cincinnati, Archdiocese of (Cincinnatiensis)|encyclopedia=The Catholic encyclopedia: an international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic Church|volume=3|publisher=Encyclopedia Press|year=1913|page=774|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qrgTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA774|quote=In 1837 [the Rev. John Martin Henni] founded the 'Wahrheitsfreund', the first German Catholic paper in the United States. In 1907 it was merged with the 'Ohio Waisenfreund'.}}

Notable people

=Editors=

Most Rev. John Henni editor/publisher from 1837 to 1843
John James Maximilian Oertel editor from 1844 to 1846{{cite encyclopedia|first=Thomas F.|last=Meehan|title=John James Maximilian Oertel|encyclopedia=Catholic Encyclopedia|year=1913|url={{fullurle:s:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/John James Maximilian Oertel|oldid=2138007}}}}
Hermann Lehmann, publisher from 1846 to 1850
Joseph A. Hemann publisher from September 1850 to December 1865
H. Baumstark ({{circa|1877}}){{cite book|title=Geo. P. Rowell & Co's American Newspaper Directory, 1877|publisher=George P. Rowell & Company (UNT Digital Library)|location=New York City|year=1877|page=243|access-date=2011-07-10|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9257/m1/235/}}

=Writers=

Rev. Francis Xavier Pierz (1854–after 1862{{cite web|title=Notes|publisher=St. James Church|location=Jacobs Prairie, Minnesota|date=2010-04-07|access-date=2011-07-10|url=http://stjames.stclouddiocese.net/Notes.html}}) – missionary to the Ottawa and Ojibwa