John Motz

John Motz (born Johannes Motz; 5 June 1830 – 29 October 1911) was a Canadian politician, German-language newspaper proprietor, sheriff and tailor. Born near Mühlhausen in the Province of Saxony, Prussia (today part of Thuringia, Germany), he immigrated to Berlin, Canada West (now Kitchener, Ontario) in 1848. In 1859, he and fellow immigrant Friedrich Rittinger founded the Berliner Journal, a German-language newspaper based in Berlin. Motz served as its editor for the next forty years before retiring in 1899, becoming the honorary sheriff of Waterloo County, a position he held until his death in 1911.

Motz was engaged in local politics and the community. He was first elected to public office in 1870, serving on the Berlin Town Council. He was elected mayor of Berlin in July 1880 following the death of mayor Louis Breithaupt. Motz won re-election in January 1881. In his role as Journal editor, he denounced the anti-liberal trends of late-19th century Germany while promoting German culture and customs locally, including advocating for the teaching of German in Ontario schools and overseeing the dedication of a bust of Kaiser Wilhelm I in Berlin's Victoria Park.