Born Johannes Franz Miquel at
Neuenhaus,
Kingdom of Hanover on 19 February 1828 as a descendant from a
French family that had emigrated during the
French Revolution, Miquel learnt law at the universities of
Heidelberg and
Göttingen. He studied the writings of
Karl Marx and became a member of the illegal
Communist League until 1852. Miquel was in close correspondence with Marx and active in the
Revolutions of 1848–1849. In 1850 he settled down to practise as an advocate at Göttingen and began to distance himself from the
communist labour movement. He acquired a reputation as an able lawyer and rising politician, especially for his knowledge of financial questions. He was one of the founders of the
German National Association, and in 1863 In June 1901, the rejection of a canal bill led to a crisis, and he was obliged to send in his resignation. His health was already failing, and he died on 8 September of the same year at his house in Frankfurt. The German Emperor conferred upon him the
patent of nobility (enabling him to adopt the
von in front of his last name) on 27 January 1897, and conferred upon him the
Order of the Black Eagle. ==Orders and decorations==