BAUMSTARK, REINHOLD. - Catholic publicist, born at Freiburg im Breisgau on 24 Aug. 1831 and died at Mannheim on 29 Jan. 1900. Disposed by his historical reflections, he converted from Protestantism to Catholicism in 1869. A deputy to the Baden diet (1869–70), he courageously fought for Catholics; but, having become an admirer of Bismarck, he fell out with the Catholic Centre, which he accused of antipatriotism. Greatly esteemed as a magistrate, he was president of the court in 1894 at Waldshut and in 1897 at Mannheim. A man of wide learning, though at times lacking in critical judgment.
Among his numerous works may be cited: Gedanken eines Protestanten über die päpstliche Einladung zur Wiedervereinigung mit der römisch-katholischen Kirche (s. l. 1868); Die kath. Kirchenpartei in Baden (Freiburg 1870); Unsere Wege zur katholischen Kirche (ibid. 1871, 2nd ed., in collaboration with his brother Ermanno); Der erste Deutsche Reichstag u. die Interessen der kath. Kirche (ibid. 1871); Die Wiederherstellung der kath. Seelsorge in Baden (ibid. 1880); Die Kirchenpolitik. Gesetze u. Verordnungen für die röm. - kath. Kirche im Grossherzogtum Baden von 1860 bis 1888 (ibid. 1888).