Marie-Louise Berneri
Encyclopedia
Marie Louise Berneri was an anarchist activist and author. She was involved with the short-lived publication, Revision, with Luis Mercier Vega and was a member of the group that edited Revolt, War Commentary, and the Freedom newspaper
, which is still being published by the Freedom Bookstore in London. She also wrote Journey Through Utopia and Neither East Nor West.
She was born in Arezzo
, Italy
, the elder daughter of Camillo
& Giovanna Berneri. The family went into exile in 1926 for resisting Mussolini
. In 1936 her father went to Spain, to fight against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War
. He was assassinated by communists in 1937. Marie visited Barcelona twice, the second time after her father's murder. Around this time she was living in France and studying psychology
at the Sorbonne
.
She married Vernon Richards
, also an active anarchist with many of the same groups and publications as she. In April 1945 she was one of the four editors of War Commentary which she had helped to found, who were tried for incitement to disaffection
. Because her husband was a co-defendant she was acquitted on a legal technicality that allows that a wife cannot conspire with her husband. When her three comrades were imprisoned she took on the main responsibility for maintaining the paper into the postwar period.
She attended the first post-war international anarchist conference in Paris, 1948 as a member of the British delegation. Her mother and sister Giliane Berneri also attended as members of the Italian and French delegations. Berneri wrote several books, include the
anti-Stalinist Workers in Stalin's Russia (1944) and a study of utopias
, Journey Through Utopia (1950).
Berneri
was also one of the first people in Britain to promote the ideas of Wilhelm Reich
.
Marie-Louise Berneri died, along with her baby, during childbirth, 13 April 1949 at the age of 31.
George Woodcock
& Ivan Avacumovic dedicated their biography of Peter Kropotkin
, The Anarchist Prince (1950) to Marie-Louise Berneri, "a true disciple of Kropotkin."
Freedom newspaper
Freedom is a London-based anarchist newspaper published fortnightly by Freedom Press.The paper was started in 1886 by volunteers including Peter Kropotkin and Charlotte Wilson and continues to this day as an unpaid project. Originally, the subtitle was "A Journal of Anarchist Socialism." The title...
, which is still being published by the Freedom Bookstore in London. She also wrote Journey Through Utopia and Neither East Nor West.
She was born in Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the elder daughter of Camillo
Camillo Berneri
Camillo Berneri was an Italian professor of philosophy, anarchist militant, propagandist and theorist....
& Giovanna Berneri. The family went into exile in 1926 for resisting Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. In 1936 her father went to Spain, to fight against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. He was assassinated by communists in 1937. Marie visited Barcelona twice, the second time after her father's murder. Around this time she was living in France and studying psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
.
She married Vernon Richards
Vernon Richards
Vernon Richards was an Anglo-Italian anarchist, editor, author and companion of Marie-Louise Berneri.He was born Vero Recchioni in London in 1915. He was educated at Emanuel School, and King's College London, where he trained as a civil engineer...
, also an active anarchist with many of the same groups and publications as she. In April 1945 she was one of the four editors of War Commentary which she had helped to found, who were tried for incitement to disaffection
Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934
The Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made it an offence to endeavour to seduce a member of HM Forces from his "duty or allegiance to His Majesty", thus expanding the ambit of the law....
. Because her husband was a co-defendant she was acquitted on a legal technicality that allows that a wife cannot conspire with her husband. When her three comrades were imprisoned she took on the main responsibility for maintaining the paper into the postwar period.
She attended the first post-war international anarchist conference in Paris, 1948 as a member of the British delegation. Her mother and sister Giliane Berneri also attended as members of the Italian and French delegations. Berneri wrote several books, include the
anti-Stalinist Workers in Stalin's Russia (1944) and a study of utopias
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
, Journey Through Utopia (1950).
Berneri
was also one of the first people in Britain to promote the ideas of Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry...
.
Marie-Louise Berneri died, along with her baby, during childbirth, 13 April 1949 at the age of 31.
George Woodcock
George Woodcock
George Woodcock was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet, and published several volumes of travel writing. He founded in 1959 the journal Canadian Literature, the first academic journal specifically...
& Ivan Avacumovic dedicated their biography of Peter Kropotkin
Peter Kropotkin
Prince Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin was a Russian zoologist, evolutionary theorist, philosopher, economist, geographer, author and one of the world's foremost anarcho-communists. Kropotkin advocated a communist society free from central government and based on voluntary associations between...
, The Anarchist Prince (1950) to Marie-Louise Berneri, "a true disciple of Kropotkin."
External links
- See Marie-Louise Berneri, from The Anarchist Encyclopedia at Recollection Books