WERTHMANN, LORENZ. - Priest, founder and first president of German Caritas, b. 1 Oct. 1858 at Geisenheim, d. 10 Apr. 1921 at Friburgo in Br.
Having surrounded himself with collaborators, in 1886 he began to publish the journal Caritas and to organize the Caritastage (22 during his lifetime), major Caritas congresses in various cities of Germany. The Caritas Union was founded on 9 Nov. 1897. In 1915 the Caritasverband was approved by the Conference of German Bishops at Fulda as the official organization that was to have its associations in all the dioceses of Germany. A skilled organizer, W. sought to perfect the structure of his Union, also devising the foundation of specialized organizations in the various branches of charitable activity. His work also influenced similar associations in the neighboring countries.
BIBL. C. Noppel, Prälat Dr. L. W., in Stimmen der Zeit, 101 (1921), pp. 402-403; W. Liese, L. W. und der Deutsche Caritasverband. Friburgo in Br. 1929; J. Beeking, s. V. in Stantlexikon, V (1932), cols. 1224-27. Jaroslav Škarvada