Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt German shoemaker, ex-prisoner, swindler Date of Birth: 13.02.1849 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt
2. Early Life and Criminal Activities
3. The Köpenick Affair
4. Aftermath and Public Opinion
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt

Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt, also known as 'The Captain of Köpenick', was a German cobbler, former prisoner, and fraudster. He gained his nickname by successfully impersonating a Prussian military officer in 1906. Voigt was born in Tilsit, Prussia.

Early Life and Criminal Activities

In 1863, at the age of 14, Friedrich was first sent to prison for theft, serving a 14-day sentence. As a result, he was expelled from school. His civilian profession was that of a cobbler, a skill he learned from his father. However, Voigt was unable to make an honest living and, between 1864 and 1891, he repeatedly broke the law, resulting in a total of 25 years in prison.

The Köpenick Affair

After serving his last sentence for robbing a judicial treasury, which ended on February 12, 1906, it was extremely difficult for Voigt, as a former convict, to reintegrate into society. He wandered around the country for some time before finding refuge with his sister in Rixdorf, near Berlin. Eventually, Friedrich managed to return to his cobbler profession, but on August 24, 1906, the police expelled him from Berlin as an undesirable person due to his criminal reputation.

Officially, Voigt was forced to go to Hamburg, but he remained in Berlin illegally. He prepared for his infamous Köpenick affair, which took place on October 16, 1906. Voigt acquired a worn-out military uniform and tested its effectiveness and plausibility by approaching random soldiers. Satisfied with the results, he executed his plan.

Impersonating a Prussian captain, Friedrich went to the nearest barracks and stopped four grenadiers and a sergeant, ordering them to follow him. They complied without question. Voigt sent the sergeant to report to the authorities and added six more soldiers to his improvised squad at the nearest shooting range. They all traveled by train to Köpenick, a town east of Berlin.

Upon arrival, Friedrich went straight to the town hall, ordering his soldiers to guard the exits and the local police to maintain order and prevent anyone from contacting Berlin for an hour. Inside the town hall, Voigt found the treasurer and the mayor, both of whom were promptly arrested for accounting irregularities. He confiscated 4002 marks and 37 pfennigs from the arrested officials. Voigt left a receipt signed with the name of the chief of one of the prisons he had stayed in. He then demanded two wagons and instructed the grenadiers to escort the arrested individuals to Neue Wache in Berlin. The remaining soldiers were given orders to continue guarding the area for half an hour before returning to the train station. Meanwhile, Voigt took advantage of the chaos and escaped, changing into civilian clothes.

Aftermath and Public Opinion

It took some time for the German press and military authorities to fully grasp the audacity of what had happened. While the general public found the story amusing, the military officers initiated a comprehensive investigation. Voigt was arrested on October 26, and on December 1, he was sentenced to four years in prison for fraud, impersonating an officer, and unlawful detention. However, public opinion was clearly on Friedrich's side. He was released on August 16, 1908, amid rumors that Kaiser Wilhelm II himself had a hand in his liberation, finding amusement in the whole affair.

The British press also closely followed Voigt's case, seeing it as a confirmation of prevailing stereotypes about Germans. Many noted that the Kaiser had instilled a deep respect for the military among the German people, making military uniforms almost sacred, which Voigt skillfully exploited. It was also observed that none of the participants in the affair suspected anything amiss.

Later Years and Legacy

Voigt quickly realized he could capitalize on his sudden fame. Just four days after his release, a wax figure replica of him appeared in the waxworks museum on Unter den Linden. Later, the real 'Captain of Köpenick' arrived at the museum to distribute autographs, but he was promptly ejected by the authorities. Friedrich also took to the stage, and his story became the basis for a relatively popular play. He toured the country, largely unconcerned about the restrictions placed upon him.

In 1909, Voigt published a book called 'How I became the Captain of Köpenick' in Leipzig, which received warm reception. He attempted to tour in the United States, but the authorities initially denied him a visa, though he eventually traveled there via Canada. In 1909, Friedrich Voigt settled in Luxembourg, where he worked as a waiter and cobbler. He was financially supported by a wealthy widow from Berlin.

After World War I, due to inflation, Voigt lost almost all his wealth. He died in Luxembourg in 1922. In Germany, Friedrich Voigt was not seen as a criminal but rather as a victim of a heartless bureaucratic system and abuse of power by authorities. Like many former prisoners of that time, Voigt was trapped in a vicious cycle, as he was denied residency as an officially unemployed person and could not find work without residency status.