Kaufmann came from a prominent local family, whose members had served in both the city government and service of the former Elector of Cologne. He was also related to the painters Andreas and Karl Müller.
At the University of Bonn, he studied law, languages, and history. In 1844, Kaufmann was appointed to teach Prince Karl von Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, who made him keeper of the Wertheim archives in 1850. Kaufmann would retain this post until his death.
Poetry Collections
Gedichte (1852)
Mainsagen (1853)
Unter den Reben (1871)
Research and Folklore
Research for Karl Simrock's Legends of the Rhine
Collected local legends of the Main
Mythoterpe, ein Mythen-, Sagen- und Legendenbuch with poet Georg Friedrich Daumer;
Researched information for Cæsarius von Heisterbach
Translated Wunderbare Geschichten aus den Werken des Cæsarius von Heisterbach
Biographie des belgischen Dominikaners Thomas von Chantimpre (posthumous)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.