Adolf Stoecker
Encyclopedia
Adolf Stoecker was the court chaplain
to Kaiser Wilhelm II, a politician, and a German Lutheran theologian
who founded one of the first Christian
Social Gospel
political parties in Germany, the Christian Social Party
.
, Province of Saxony
.
A staunch Protestant, Stoecker was a believer in German cultural Protestantism. His theology was combined with a political philosophy which believed that German culture was being corrupted by materialistic economic dogma. A favorite theme in his sermons and speeches was that the new capitalist system was allowing the rapid centralized accumulation of capital in a small group of individuals, thereby increasing wealth disparities, upsetting social order, and de-Christianizing the German nation. Upset with the dislocating socio-economic effects brought on by rapid industrialization and the new capitalist system, he called for German society to rededicate itself to Christian faith and return to Germanic rule in law and business. Overtime he increasingly laid blame on this cultural change on Jewish capitalists, becoming one of the early investigators of Jewish conspiracy theories, and so becoming one of the early leaders of modern anti-semitic philosophy.
As Parliamentary democracy spread throughout Germany, and in particular Prussia, Stoecker saw the need for mobilizing grass-roots support for his reforming agenda. In 1878, Stoecker founded the Christian Social Party
(CSP). In keeping with the sectarian lines in politics then prevalent throughout Europe, and focused on restoring a Christian and progressive orientation in society, the party was exclusively Christian. The early strategy of the party was in combating the influence of materialistic radical Marxist Social Democracy
among workers. However, by the 1870s, the anti-nationalist and anti-Christian movement of the First Communist International
and leftist Socialists had already had nearly three decades of organizational development within the broad socialist movement. Additionally, the party's Christian and Nationalist message as well as its ties to the royal court, caused it to be considered a significant threat to the left. As a result, its efforts at organizing a Christian Socialist Progressive movement within socialism was met with bitter resistance. Consequently the party at first enjoyed little success, and in the 1878 elections it obtained less than 1% of the vote.
However, as its representatives within the socialist movement become more and more openly persecuted, investigation by Stoecker showed a predominant Jewish Communist and Anti-Christian element was behind the attacks. Stoecker therefore began openly discussing his conclusions of there existing a Jewish conspiracy. To his initial surprise, he found his message resonated strongly with his audience of workers. Thus, while antisemitism was a minor theme in the party's early stages, Stoecker saw that the party gained in popularity after it adopted a more aggressive antisemitic agenda. In turn, with increasing backing and a larger audience, he used the party as a platform to attack Jews and publicize his findings and solutions.
Stoecker believed that Jewish Emancipation
and integration
had worsened the effects of the new capitalist system by allowing Jewish capital to increase its holdings and influence. Stoecker proposed that Jews' innate anti-Christianity and foreign origin made it impossible for them being properly integrated without secularizing the rest of society and watering down German national values. In Stoecker's opinion this only aggravated the problems caused by capital centralization and rapid industrialization. Therefore, Stoecker proposed first severely limiting the civil rights
of Jews in Germany and returning them to a position where their ability to use their wealth in influencing the new Parliamentary democracy would be limited, so allowing a chance for Parliamentary democracy to reform the new social order back towards traditional German values. In September 1879, he delivered a speech entitled "What we demand of modern Jewry", in which he spelled out several demands of German Jews, among them:
While Stoecker's speeches and his organizing gave the CSP great successes in his region, the CSP never united behind his agenda, especially in regards to making the discussion of the Jewish question a central tenet. Furthermore, his successes in Prussia, where the landed aristocracy remained powerful, were viewed with concern, given his mobilization of the industrial working classes. Additionally, his proximity to the royal court, which relied upon significant Jewish financial support was seen as upsetting and embarrassing to the ruling court. Given that his support in the Reichstag relied heavily on this conservative aristocratic support, his position was tenuous. Thus, when the Conservative Party
withdrew its support from Adolf Stoecker he was forced from the coalition government and eventually lost his seat.
Stoecker continued to draw significant crowds because of his Christian Social Gospel and Jewish Question sermons and speeches, remaining an influential figure both in the socialist movement and the growing anti-Semitic movement. Stoecker died on February 2, 1909 in Bozen Gries, Germany.
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to Kaiser Wilhelm II, a politician, and a German Lutheran theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
who founded one of the first Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Social Gospel
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada...
political parties in Germany, the Christian Social Party
Christian Social Party (Germany)
The Christian Social Party was a right-wing political party in the German Empire, founded in 1878 by Adolf Stoecker as the Christlichsoziale Arbeiterpartei . The party combined a strong Christian and conservative programme with progressive ideas on labour, and tried to provide an alternative for...
.
Life
Stoecker was born in HalberstadtHalberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
, Province of Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
.
A staunch Protestant, Stoecker was a believer in German cultural Protestantism. His theology was combined with a political philosophy which believed that German culture was being corrupted by materialistic economic dogma. A favorite theme in his sermons and speeches was that the new capitalist system was allowing the rapid centralized accumulation of capital in a small group of individuals, thereby increasing wealth disparities, upsetting social order, and de-Christianizing the German nation. Upset with the dislocating socio-economic effects brought on by rapid industrialization and the new capitalist system, he called for German society to rededicate itself to Christian faith and return to Germanic rule in law and business. Overtime he increasingly laid blame on this cultural change on Jewish capitalists, becoming one of the early investigators of Jewish conspiracy theories, and so becoming one of the early leaders of modern anti-semitic philosophy.
As Parliamentary democracy spread throughout Germany, and in particular Prussia, Stoecker saw the need for mobilizing grass-roots support for his reforming agenda. In 1878, Stoecker founded the Christian Social Party
Christian Social Party (Germany)
The Christian Social Party was a right-wing political party in the German Empire, founded in 1878 by Adolf Stoecker as the Christlichsoziale Arbeiterpartei . The party combined a strong Christian and conservative programme with progressive ideas on labour, and tried to provide an alternative for...
(CSP). In keeping with the sectarian lines in politics then prevalent throughout Europe, and focused on restoring a Christian and progressive orientation in society, the party was exclusively Christian. The early strategy of the party was in combating the influence of materialistic radical Marxist Social Democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
among workers. However, by the 1870s, the anti-nationalist and anti-Christian movement of the First Communist International
International Workingmen's Association
The International Workingmen's Association , sometimes called the First International, was an international organization which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist political groups and trade union organizations that were based on the working class...
and leftist Socialists had already had nearly three decades of organizational development within the broad socialist movement. Additionally, the party's Christian and Nationalist message as well as its ties to the royal court, caused it to be considered a significant threat to the left. As a result, its efforts at organizing a Christian Socialist Progressive movement within socialism was met with bitter resistance. Consequently the party at first enjoyed little success, and in the 1878 elections it obtained less than 1% of the vote.
However, as its representatives within the socialist movement become more and more openly persecuted, investigation by Stoecker showed a predominant Jewish Communist and Anti-Christian element was behind the attacks. Stoecker therefore began openly discussing his conclusions of there existing a Jewish conspiracy. To his initial surprise, he found his message resonated strongly with his audience of workers. Thus, while antisemitism was a minor theme in the party's early stages, Stoecker saw that the party gained in popularity after it adopted a more aggressive antisemitic agenda. In turn, with increasing backing and a larger audience, he used the party as a platform to attack Jews and publicize his findings and solutions.
Stoecker believed that Jewish Emancipation
Jewish Emancipation
Jewish emancipation was the external and internal process of freeing the Jewish people of Europe, including recognition of their rights as equal citizens, and the formal granting of citizenship as individuals; it occurred gradually between the late 18th century and the early 20th century...
and integration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
had worsened the effects of the new capitalist system by allowing Jewish capital to increase its holdings and influence. Stoecker proposed that Jews' innate anti-Christianity and foreign origin made it impossible for them being properly integrated without secularizing the rest of society and watering down German national values. In Stoecker's opinion this only aggravated the problems caused by capital centralization and rapid industrialization. Therefore, Stoecker proposed first severely limiting the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
of Jews in Germany and returning them to a position where their ability to use their wealth in influencing the new Parliamentary democracy would be limited, so allowing a chance for Parliamentary democracy to reform the new social order back towards traditional German values. In September 1879, he delivered a speech entitled "What we demand of modern Jewry", in which he spelled out several demands of German Jews, among them:
- that Jews renounce their ambition to financially control Germany,
- that the Jewish press cease its bigoted attacks on German culture and become more tolerant
- that quotasJewish quotaJewish quota was a percentage that limited the number of Jews in various establishments. In particular, in 19th and 20th centuries some countries had Jewish quotas for higher education, a special case of Numerus clausus....
be placed on the number of Jews in certain professions and universities, especially those with overt Christian missions.
While Stoecker's speeches and his organizing gave the CSP great successes in his region, the CSP never united behind his agenda, especially in regards to making the discussion of the Jewish question a central tenet. Furthermore, his successes in Prussia, where the landed aristocracy remained powerful, were viewed with concern, given his mobilization of the industrial working classes. Additionally, his proximity to the royal court, which relied upon significant Jewish financial support was seen as upsetting and embarrassing to the ruling court. Given that his support in the Reichstag relied heavily on this conservative aristocratic support, his position was tenuous. Thus, when the Conservative Party
German Conservative Party
The German Conservative Party was a right-wing political party of the German Empire, founded in 1876.- Policies :It was generally seen as representing the interests of the German nobility, the East Elbian Junkers and the Evangelical Church of the Prussian Union, and had its political stronghold...
withdrew its support from Adolf Stoecker he was forced from the coalition government and eventually lost his seat.
Stoecker continued to draw significant crowds because of his Christian Social Gospel and Jewish Question sermons and speeches, remaining an influential figure both in the socialist movement and the growing anti-Semitic movement. Stoecker died on February 2, 1909 in Bozen Gries, Germany.
See also
- Berlin movementBerlin movementThe Berlin movement was an anti-Semitic intellectual and political movement in the German Empire in the 1880s. The movement was a collection of unassociated individuals and organizations....
- Evangelical Social CongressEvangelical Social CongressThe Evangelical Social Congress was a social-reform movement of German evangelists founded in Whitsuntide in 1890.Various groups were united in the Congress, although, in the end, the Congress failed to set forth a united programme of "Christian socialism" .The Congress never carried a...
- History of the Jews in GermanyHistory of the Jews in GermanyThe presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...