SONNENSCHEIN, CARL. - German sociologist, b. 15 July 1876 at Düsseldorf, ordained priest in 1900, d. 20 Feb. 1929 at Berlin. Son of artisans, Sonnenschein showed from his theological studies in Rome a lively interest in social questions and Christian democracy, and a keen enthusiasm for the student movement.
On his return to Germany, in the various places of his ministry (Aquigrana, Cologne-Nippes, Eberfeld, Munich-Gladbach) he promoted a new vision of political and social problems, becoming a pioneer of a new method of intensive apostolate in large cities. At Munich-Gladbach in 1907 he founded the Sekretariat sozialer Studentenarbeit to provide students with solid social formation through social circles, various courses organized in university cities, congresses during vacation periods, his journal Die sozialen Studentenblätter, and a Student Library, not forgetting works of charity, especially for student soldiers during the war. After the First World War he moved to Berlin. Though personally poor, he succeeded in founding the Allgemeines Arbeitsamt and the Kreis der katholischen Künstler for artists; he opened a Catholic reading room; founded a people’s higher school and various other cultural and charitable institutions, and directed the Catholic journal Das katholische Kirchenblatt für Berlin, in which appeared his famous Notizen, acute observations on various current problems. Not always understood, sometimes even justly criticized, Sonnenschein remains a true pioneer of social apostolate and of new methods of priestly ministry in large cities.
Writings: Aus dem letzten Jahrzehnt des italienischen Katholizismus (1906); Kann der moderne Student sozial arbeiten? (1908-10); Die sozialstudent. Bewegung (1909-1910); Der stille Wert der gewerkschaft. Arbeit (1909; 3rd ed. 1910); Ideelle Werte der christl. Gewerkschaftsbewegung (1910); Die student. Wohnungsfrage (1911); Die Notwendigkeit der geistigen Bildung des Arbeiterstandes (1911); Bonn am Rhein (1912); Wir und die Gemeinden (1912); Wie Studenten wohnen (1913); Notizen, Weltstadtbeschäftigungen (10 notebooks, 1925-29); Sonntagsverein, Erklärungen (1928).