BAUMSTARK, REINHOLD. - Catholic publicist, born in Freiburg in Br. on 24 Aug. 1831 and died in Mannheim on 29 Jan. 1900. Prepared by his historical meditations, he converted from Protestantism to Catholicism in 1869. Deputy to the diet of Baden (1869-1870), he courageously defended Catholics; but, having become an admirer of Bismarck, he fell out with the Catholic Centre Party, which he accused of antipatriotism. Highly esteemed as a jurist, he served as president of the tribunal in 1894 at Waldshut and in 1897 at Mannheim. A man of wide erudition, though sometimes 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).