April 23

© 1997, 1998 by Paul A. Schons

April 23, 1500

Birth of Johannes Stumpf in Bruchsal, Germany. Stumpf was one of the leading Swiss chroniclers of his age. His Gemeiner loblicher Eydgnoschafft Stetten, Landen und Völckeren chronikwirdiger Thaaten Beschreybung of 1547 to 1548 gives detailed information on that period in Switzerland.

April 23, 1708

Birth of Friedrich von Hagedorn in Hamburg, Germany. Hagedorn was an Anacreontic poet. His collections of Poems include Versuch in poetischen Fabeln und Erzählungen (1738) and Oden und Lieder (3 vols. 1742-1752).

April 23, 1796

Death Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel in Königsberg, Germany (now in Russia). Hippel was the mayor of Königsberg and a novelist. Among his works are Lebensläufe nach aufsteigender Linie (1781) and Über die Ehe (1774). Hippel was devoted to the ideas of Immanuel Kant.

April 23, 1875

Birth of Emil Welti in Zurzach, Switzerland. Welti served as president of the Swiss Confederation six times and also was at various times the head of the Department of the Army, the Postal Department, the telegraph system, the railway system and the Justice Department.

April 23, 1828

Birth of Albert in Dresden, Germany. Albert was the king of Saxony from 1873-1902. He was trained and experienced as an army officer when he came to power and continued to take an active role in military affairs. He was actively involved in the war with the Danes, the Seven Weeks' War and the Franco-Prussian war.

April 23, 1858

Birth of Max Planck in Kiel, Germany.

April 23, 1907

Birth of Fritz Wotruba in Vienna, Austria. Wotruba was a minimalist abstract sculptor working in Vienna.

April 23, 1990

In an election in Karl-Marx-Stadt over 75% of the voters vote to change the name of the city back to Chemnitz. The name had been changed on May 5, 1953 in honor of the 135th birthday of Karl Marx.