German populist politician who became one of the first to successfully exploit anti-Semitism as a political issue in the country. A librarian by profession, he initially studied law at the University of Marburg but dropped it for Volkskunde and became a noted folklorist.
In 1887 he published a pamphlet, Die Juden – die Könige unserer Zeit (The Jews – the kings of our times), in which he attacked the Jews for their perceived dominance over German life. Although his conclusions had been based on erroneous data, he presented a populist appeal to the peasantry, which along with his natural charisma and good looks, made him very popular and saw him dubbed the “Hessian peasant-king” by his supporters.
Also in 1887 he became the first independent anti-semite to be elected to the Reichstag. Böckel was elected to the Reichstag on a platform of both anti-Semitism and support for the establishment of peasant co-operatives. His slogan was Gegen Junker und Juden (Against Barons and Jews), indicating his nature as an opponent of both the Jews and the big landowners.
Initially an independent, at the start of the 1890s he formed his own group, the Antisemitische Volkspartei. In 1893 the Antisemitische Volkspartei merged with Oswald Zimmermann’s followers under the name German Reform Party.
He lost his seat in the 1903 election but returned in 1907 when the independent anti-semites had an unexpected growth in support. However he had grown disillusioned with the democratic process, whilst his reputation had been damaged by fathering an illegitimate child, and he left politics in 1909.
He died in poverty on 17 September 1923 in Michendorf, aged 64.
Link to Wikipedia biography