Lore Agnes
Encyclopedia
Lore Agnes was a German
politician. A house-wife from Düsseldorf
, Agnes was a leading figure in the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) and the socialist women's movement in the city. She was a member of parliament 1919-1933.
Agnes was the daughter of a coal miner from Bochum. She moved to Düsseldorf in 1906. As a socialist women's activist, she founded a Domestic Workers' Association.
At the 1913 Jena
congress of the SPD, Agnes belonged to the radical anti-militarist grouping, and supported Rosa Luxemburg
's call for general strike action. After the SPD split, Agnes became a leading personality in the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
(USPD). She was jailed in 1914, after having given an anti-war speech at an International Women's Day
meeting. In her speech she had called on the women of Germany to organize resistance against the war.
At the time of the outbreak of the November Revolution, Agnes and other left leaders from Düsseldorf were jailed. Agnes belonged to the group that was freed as revolutionaries stormed the prison, and she immediately became a leading organizer of the revolution in Düsseldorf. She was put in charge of issues relating to food, health and welfare on behalf of the Düsseldorf council
.
Agnes was elected to the Weimar National Assembly
in the 1919 election
as a candidate of the USPD from the Electoral District no. 22 (Düsseldorf-East). The USPD had won 18.7% of the votes in that Electoral District, in which Agnes had headed the list of the party.
When the USPD split, Agnes sided with the rightwing tendency, that rejoined the SPD. As a SPD Reichstag
member, Agnes represented a moderate leftist standpoint within the party. She was a member of the Reichtag presidium from 1922 onwards. She was also a member of the Düsseldorf municipal council until 1928.
At the age of 68, Agnes was arrested by Gestapo
.
In 1945, she again became a member of the Düsseldorf municipal council. She remained a member of the Women's Commission of SPD until her death.
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...
politician. A house-wife from Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Agnes was a leading figure in the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) and the socialist women's movement in the city. She was a member of parliament 1919-1933.
Agnes was the daughter of a coal miner from Bochum. She moved to Düsseldorf in 1906. As a socialist women's activist, she founded a Domestic Workers' Association.
At the 1913 Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
congress of the SPD, Agnes belonged to the radical anti-militarist grouping, and supported Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
's call for general strike action. After the SPD split, Agnes became a leading personality in the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany was a short-lived political party in Germany during the Second Reich and the Weimar Republic. The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of left wing members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany...
(USPD). She was jailed in 1914, after having given an anti-war speech at an International Women's Day
International Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
meeting. In her speech she had called on the women of Germany to organize resistance against the war.
At the time of the outbreak of the November Revolution, Agnes and other left leaders from Düsseldorf were jailed. Agnes belonged to the group that was freed as revolutionaries stormed the prison, and she immediately became a leading organizer of the revolution in Düsseldorf. She was put in charge of issues relating to food, health and welfare on behalf of the Düsseldorf council
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
.
Agnes was elected to the Weimar National Assembly
Weimar National Assembly
The Weimar National Assembly governed Germany from February 6, 1919 to June 6, 1920 and drew up the new constitution which governed Germany from 1919 to 1933, technically remaining in effect even until the end of Nazi rule in 1945...
in the 1919 election
German election, 1919
The German elections of January 19, 1919 were the first of the new Weimar Republic following World War I and the Revolution of 1918–19. It was also the first German election according to the system of proportional representation and women's suffrage...
as a candidate of the USPD from the Electoral District no. 22 (Düsseldorf-East). The USPD had won 18.7% of the votes in that Electoral District, in which Agnes had headed the list of the party.
When the USPD split, Agnes sided with the rightwing tendency, that rejoined the SPD. As a SPD Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
member, Agnes represented a moderate leftist standpoint within the party. She was a member of the Reichtag presidium from 1922 onwards. She was also a member of the Düsseldorf municipal council until 1928.
At the age of 68, Agnes was arrested by Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
.
In 1945, she again became a member of the Düsseldorf municipal council. She remained a member of the Women's Commission of SPD until her death.