Eugene Dietzgen
Encyclopedia
Eugene Dietzgen was the first son of socialist philosopher Joseph Dietzgen
, born in Germany
.
to educate himself in Russian as well as learn his father's business of tannery. They both returned in 1868.
In 1881, Eugene's father Joseph sent him to America in order to escape the draft of the Kaiser
as well as to hide some of his father's socialist literature. Eugene had to safeguard his father's literature because it had already landed Joseph in jail a few years before. Eugene was only 19 years old when he arrived in New York City
. He started to work for a German drafting company, but eventually moved to Chicago
and started the Eugene Dietzgen Drafting Company, which is still in operation today under different management.
At the time Eugene was heavily influenced by his father, one of Karl Marx
's favorite philosophers on socialist theory. As a result, Eugene was very working-class conscious and provided his factory workers with many amenities not found in the mid 19th century. Some of these amenities include separate bathrooms for men and women, open windowsills with flowers decorating the air, and a general atmosphere of a healthy working community. The original building still stands at 218 23rd Street, Chicago.
Eugene's first wife could not bear him children, so he got divorced and moved to Zurich, Switzerland, in 1912. There he met his second wife, Jansen, and they had a total of six children: three boys and three girls.
Joseph Dietzgen
Joseph Dietzgen was a German socialist philosopher, Marxist and journalist. Joseph was born in Blankenberg in the Rhine Province of Prussia. He was the first of five children of father Johann Gottfried Anno Dietzgen and mother Anna Margaretha Lückerath . He was, like his father, a tanner by...
, born in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Early life
At age two he was taken with his father to Tsarist RussiaRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
to educate himself in Russian as well as learn his father's business of tannery. They both returned in 1868.
In 1881, Eugene's father Joseph sent him to America in order to escape the draft of the Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
as well as to hide some of his father's socialist literature. Eugene had to safeguard his father's literature because it had already landed Joseph in jail a few years before. Eugene was only 19 years old when he arrived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He started to work for a German drafting company, but eventually moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and started the Eugene Dietzgen Drafting Company, which is still in operation today under different management.
At the time Eugene was heavily influenced by his father, one of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
's favorite philosophers on socialist theory. As a result, Eugene was very working-class conscious and provided his factory workers with many amenities not found in the mid 19th century. Some of these amenities include separate bathrooms for men and women, open windowsills with flowers decorating the air, and a general atmosphere of a healthy working community. The original building still stands at 218 23rd Street, Chicago.
Eugene's first wife could not bear him children, so he got divorced and moved to Zurich, Switzerland, in 1912. There he met his second wife, Jansen, and they had a total of six children: three boys and three girls.