STOECKER, ADOLF. - German politician and sociologist, Protestant, b. 11 Nov. 1835 at Halberstadt,
d. 8 Feb. 1909 at Gries near Bolzano. A Protestant pastor, he was court preacher in Berlin from 1874 to 1889, a member of the Prussian Council (Landtag) from 1879 to 1898, and a member of the Reichstag from 1881 to 1893 and from 1898 to 1908.
A resolute opponent of liberalism and Marxism, he organized the Protestant social movement, seeking to preserve the great cities from the decline of religious life. A powerful political orator, he fought against Jewish influence in political life. In 1895 he founded the Christian Social Party, and in 1897 the Free Ecclesiastical Conference. From 1892 he was editor of the religious newspaper of German Protestants, Die deutsch-evangelische Kirchenzeitung.
Principal writings: Christlich-Sozial (2nd ed., Berlin 1890); 13 Jahre Hofprediger u. Politiker (6th ed., ibid. 1895); Reden u. Aufsätze (ibid. 1913); Reden im Reichstag (ibid. 1914).