Graswurzelrevolution
Encyclopedia
Graswurzelrevolution is an anarcho-pacifist
magazine founded in 1972 by Wolfgang Hertle in West Germany
. It focuses on social equality
, anti-militarism and ecology
. The magazine is considered the most influential and long-lived anarchist publication of the German post-war period
. It is classified by the Verfassungsschutz as left-wing extremist.
According to social scientist Ralf Vandamme, graswurzelrevolution is "the main voice of the grassroots democratic activists."
"The group that has most consistently tried to build a social rhizome and comes closest to anarchist ethics is the so-called Non-violent Action. It is not by coincidence that this group's newspaper, a magazine with a relatively wide distribution, is called graswurzelrevolution." Horst Stowasser
The zero issue of graswurzelrevolution (GWR) [Grass Roots Revolution] was published in the summer of 1972 in Augsburg
, Bavaria
. The "monthly magazine for a non-violent, anarchist society" was inspired by "Peace News" (published since 1936 by War Resisters International (WRI) in London
), the German-speaking "Direkte Aktion" ("newspaper for anarchism and non-violence"; published from 1965 to 1966 by Wolfgang Zucht and other non-violent activists in Hanover) and the French-speaking "Anarchisme et Nonviolence" (published in Switzerland
and France
from 1964 to 1973).
Distributed throughout Germany, the paper describes itself as follows:
"graswurzelrevolution means a fundamental social revolution which intends to abolish all forms of violence and domination by building up power from below. We fight for a world which no longer discriminates against people on the grounds of their gender or sexual orientation, their language, origin, convictions, disabilities, or based on racist or anti-Semitic prejudice. Our aim is to replace hierarchies and capitalism by a self-organized, socialist economic order and to replace the state by a federalist and grassroots democratic society. Up to now, our work has been focussed on anti-militarist and ecological areas. As far as possible, our aims should be reflected and applied in our forms of struggle and organisation. In order to drive back and destroy structures of domination and violence, we use non-violent forms of action. This is the way in which the anarchist paper graswurzelrevolution, since 1972, has been striving to broaden and develop the theory and practice of non-violent revolution."
1999/2000: The coordinating editors of the publication Graswurzelrevolution No. 239 (April 1999) are the subjects of a criminal investigation according to § 111 of the Criminal Code, along with ninety persons who signed an appeal to boycott and desert the war in Yugoslavia. The GWR had already been investigated multiple times for the incitation of direct actions – e.g. for the article printed in GWR No. 110 (Dec. 1986) entitled ‘When the Utility Pole Falls… - Reflections upon Sabotage as a Direct, Non-Violent Action’.
It is the newspaper’s declared aim to point out the connection between non-violence and anarchism and to contribute to “the pacifist movement becoming libertarian socialist and the anarchist movement becoming non-violent in their form of fighting”.
Since GWR No.52/1981 the periodical has been published monthly with a break in summer from July to August. Before that it came out every two to three months. Since 1989 it has come with an eight-page supplement of “libertarian book pages” every October. It has been published by different editors in Augsburg (1972 – 73), Berlin (1974 – 76), Göttingen (1976 – 78), Hamburg (1978 – 88), Heidelberg (1988 – 92), Wustrow (1992 – 95), Oldenburg (1995 – 99) and Münster (since the beginning of 1999). In the process the different editorial collectives each determined their own style. 2009 is GWR’s 38th year of publication, with circulations between 3.500 and 5.000 copies.
Anarcho-pacifism
Anarcho-pacifism is a tendency within the anarchist movement which rejects the use of violence in the struggle for social change. The main early influences were the thought of Henry David Thoreau and Leo Tolstoy while later the ideas of Mohandas Gandhi gained importance...
magazine founded in 1972 by Wolfgang Hertle in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. It focuses on social equality
Social equality
Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
, anti-militarism and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. The magazine is considered the most influential and long-lived anarchist publication of the German post-war period
History of Germany since 1945
As a consequence of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II Germany was split between the two global blocs in the East and West, a period known as the division of Germany. While seven million prisoners and forced laborers left Germany, over 10 million German speaking refugees arrived there from...
. It is classified by the Verfassungsschutz as left-wing extremist.
According to social scientist Ralf Vandamme, graswurzelrevolution is "the main voice of the grassroots democratic activists."
"The group that has most consistently tried to build a social rhizome and comes closest to anarchist ethics is the so-called Non-violent Action. It is not by coincidence that this group's newspaper, a magazine with a relatively wide distribution, is called graswurzelrevolution." Horst Stowasser
The zero issue of graswurzelrevolution (GWR) [Grass Roots Revolution] was published in the summer of 1972 in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. The "monthly magazine for a non-violent, anarchist society" was inspired by "Peace News" (published since 1936 by War Resisters International (WRI) in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), the German-speaking "Direkte Aktion" ("newspaper for anarchism and non-violence"; published from 1965 to 1966 by Wolfgang Zucht and other non-violent activists in Hanover) and the French-speaking "Anarchisme et Nonviolence" (published in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1964 to 1973).
Distributed throughout Germany, the paper describes itself as follows:
"graswurzelrevolution means a fundamental social revolution which intends to abolish all forms of violence and domination by building up power from below. We fight for a world which no longer discriminates against people on the grounds of their gender or sexual orientation, their language, origin, convictions, disabilities, or based on racist or anti-Semitic prejudice. Our aim is to replace hierarchies and capitalism by a self-organized, socialist economic order and to replace the state by a federalist and grassroots democratic society. Up to now, our work has been focussed on anti-militarist and ecological areas. As far as possible, our aims should be reflected and applied in our forms of struggle and organisation. In order to drive back and destroy structures of domination and violence, we use non-violent forms of action. This is the way in which the anarchist paper graswurzelrevolution, since 1972, has been striving to broaden and develop the theory and practice of non-violent revolution."
1999/2000: The coordinating editors of the publication Graswurzelrevolution No. 239 (April 1999) are the subjects of a criminal investigation according to § 111 of the Criminal Code, along with ninety persons who signed an appeal to boycott and desert the war in Yugoslavia. The GWR had already been investigated multiple times for the incitation of direct actions – e.g. for the article printed in GWR No. 110 (Dec. 1986) entitled ‘When the Utility Pole Falls… - Reflections upon Sabotage as a Direct, Non-Violent Action’.
It is the newspaper’s declared aim to point out the connection between non-violence and anarchism and to contribute to “the pacifist movement becoming libertarian socialist and the anarchist movement becoming non-violent in their form of fighting”.
Since GWR No.52/1981 the periodical has been published monthly with a break in summer from July to August. Before that it came out every two to three months. Since 1989 it has come with an eight-page supplement of “libertarian book pages” every October. It has been published by different editors in Augsburg (1972 – 73), Berlin (1974 – 76), Göttingen (1976 – 78), Hamburg (1978 – 88), Heidelberg (1988 – 92), Wustrow (1992 – 95), Oldenburg (1995 – 99) and Münster (since the beginning of 1999). In the process the different editorial collectives each determined their own style. 2009 is GWR’s 38th year of publication, with circulations between 3.500 and 5.000 copies.