On Saturday, the world's foremost authority on the life of German pioneer Friedrich List traveled 4,000 miles on a cultural trip to America.

On Tuesday, he arrived in Tamaqua and delivered this message: the vital railroad that sparked your town's growth is one of List's crowning achievements.Dr. Eugen Wendler, professor emeritus at Reutlingen University, has studied the life of List for the past 43 years, publishing 15 books and founding Germany's Friedrich List Institute for Current Economic Studies.Wendler's first-ever trip to America coincides with the 225th anniversary of List's birth and the release of Wendler's newest biography: Friedrich List (1789-1846) A Visionary Economist with Social Responsibility," a 278-page hardcover.The visit was coordinated by Tom McMahon, former mayor, city of Reading, a sister city to Wendler's town of Reutlingen since 1996. McMahon joined Wendler in the Tamaqua trip and had visited the town several weeks ago to make preliminary arrangements.List's presence in America saw him take up farming in Harrisburg and then journalism in Reading. In 1826, he became editor of the Readinger Adler, a popular German-language newspaper, forerunner to today's Reading Eagle.Wendler, 75, presented a PowerPoint overview of List's life during an afternoon session at the Tamaqua Public Library, an event arranged by Eric Zizelmann and Gayle Heath of the library.Railroad pioneerList lived in the U.S. for only seven years, said Wendler, but in that time he met seven U.S. presidents or former presidents. He left an indelible mark, said Wendler, most notably, with his founding of the Little Schuylkill Coal and Navigation Railroad, connecting Tamaqua's anthracite coal to the Schuylkill Canal at Port Clinton.List traveled over 3,000 miles to secure financial backers for his idea of a railroad. Bolstered by funds from Thomas Biddle and Co., Philadelphia, List raised $700,000 to build Tamaqua's railroad. An astute businessman, he purchased 20,000 acres of land in and around Tamaqua to make it happen.The rail line is regarded as the first railroad in America to transport coal using a steam engine and was the result of an 1825 business boom in Tamaqua area."On June 1, 1829, ground was broken," said Wendler. "On Nov. 8, 1831, the 22-mile stretch was completed."Surveyed by Moncure Robinson, the railroad is an engineering marvel, particularly for the manner in which it traverses rugged, mountainous terrain."It crosses the river 17 times between here and Port Clinton," said Wendler, assisted by interpreter Donna Blagg, who translated Wendler's book into English. The book also is being translated into Chinese.The railroad was built to use steam engines, as opposed to human or animal power. It could carry 3-ton loads twice a day, taking 2.5 hours for each trip to Port Clinton.The railroad and canal allowed coal to reach the fertile Philadelphia market and provided impetus for growth of coal region towns."In Port Clinton, they even changed the course of the river for the canal," said attendee Dr. Peter Yasenchak, director of research, Schuylkill County Historical Society.List's legacyList leaves a legacy as a visionary economist with an eye to social responsibility, according to Wendler.The Tamaqua visit and Wendler's new book captured the fancy of those on hand for the presentation.West Penn resident Judy Kellner was the first in Tamaqua to purchase the book.Another resident, Jean Novack, said she was intrigued by the talk."I just moved here from Las Vegas," said Novack. "I live right near the river. I never realized all of this. It's interesting."In conclusion, Wendler said List was very much ahead of his time.His book describes List as a prophet of social market and national economy. But, it says, he also was "a liberal and a democrat who promoted an extended representative democracy, including respect for human rights and civil liberties to accompany industrial development."In the end, List lived a busy, tumultuous life in political exile from his own country.He was an overachiever who, at age 56, took his own life by gunshot after suffering depression.A large, granite monument in Kufstein, Austria, contains a verse in tribute, calling List a "A hero whose vision reached more than afar. A sower, whose home was a tent made of stars."After leaving Tamaqua, Wendler was expected to make a presentation at the Berks County Historical Society before leaving to see New York City before returning to Germany.