Mark Rein (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Mark Rafailovich Rein was a socialist journalist. His father was the Menshevik
leader Rafail Abramovich (Rein)
.
, Lithuania
(then Vilna in the Russian empire). His father was a prominent leader of the Menshevik faction of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (RSDRP). In 1911, as a small child, Mark Rein left Russia with his parents, who were escaping from the tsarist police. In 1917 he returned to Russia with his parents; his father played a role in the events of the Revolution of 1917. In 1920, aged 11, Mark Rein left Russia again with his parents. He lived mostly in Berlin
and Paris
. As a young man he became a member of the Menshevik RSDRP, the German Social Democratic Party and the Swedish Social Democratic Party
. In 1932 he graduated from the Berlin Polytechnic. He worked as a journalist for several socialist papers. He was more sympathetic to the Soviet Union
than his father, and for awhile supported the idea of a unification of social-democratic and communist parties. In 1936 he went to Spain to support the Republican, anti-fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War
. On April 9, 1937, he was kidnapped in Barcelona by agents of the Soviet secret service OGPU. He was spirited to Russia, apparently with the intention of using him in the show trial of Alexey Rykov and Nikolai Bukharin
. He was supposed to connect the accused in the third Moscow Trial
in 1938 to the exiled Menshevik leadership. The kidnapping was apparently organised by A.M. Orlov, who supervised the kidnapping and execution of left-wing opponents of Stalin
in Spain during the Civil War and later defected to the USA. In spite of frantic efforts by Rafail Abramovich and western socialist supporters, he was never seen alive again and is thought to have been murdered by the OGPU.
Menshevik
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
leader Rafail Abramovich (Rein)
Raphael Abramovitch
Raphael Rein Abramovich was a Russian socialist, a member of the General Jewish Workers' Union in Lithuania, Poland and Russia and a leader of the Menshevik wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party .-Life:...
.
Biography
Mark Rafailovich Rein was born in 1909 in VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
(then Vilna in the Russian empire). His father was a prominent leader of the Menshevik faction of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (RSDRP). In 1911, as a small child, Mark Rein left Russia with his parents, who were escaping from the tsarist police. In 1917 he returned to Russia with his parents; his father played a role in the events of the Revolution of 1917. In 1920, aged 11, Mark Rein left Russia again with his parents. He lived mostly in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. As a young man he became a member of the Menshevik RSDRP, the German Social Democratic Party and the Swedish Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
. In 1932 he graduated from the Berlin Polytechnic. He worked as a journalist for several socialist papers. He was more sympathetic to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
than his father, and for awhile supported the idea of a unification of social-democratic and communist parties. In 1936 he went to Spain to support the Republican, anti-fascist forces during 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...
. On April 9, 1937, he was kidnapped in Barcelona by agents of the Soviet secret service OGPU. He was spirited to Russia, apparently with the intention of using him in the show trial of Alexey Rykov and Nikolai Bukharin
Nikolai Bukharin
Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin , was a Russian Marxist, Bolshevik revolutionary, and Soviet politician. He was a member of the Politburo and Central Committee , chairman of the Communist International , and the editor in chief of Pravda , the journal Bolshevik , Izvestia , and the Great Soviet...
. He was supposed to connect the accused in the third Moscow Trial
Moscow Trials
The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge of the 1930s. The victims included most of the surviving Old Bolsheviks, as well as the leadership of the Soviet secret police...
in 1938 to the exiled Menshevik leadership. The kidnapping was apparently organised by A.M. Orlov, who supervised the kidnapping and execution of left-wing opponents of Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
in Spain during the Civil War and later defected to the USA. In spite of frantic efforts by Rafail Abramovich and western socialist supporters, he was never seen alive again and is thought to have been murdered by the OGPU.
Sources
- Papers of Mark Rein. International Institute of Social History.
- Rafail Abramovich Papers. International Institute of Social History.
- 'The Case of Mark Rein.' Socialist Appeal Vol. I No. 11 Saturday October 23, 1937.
- Krivitsky, W.G., I Was Stalin's Agent. New York, 1940, p. 193 ff.
- Orlov, A.M., The Secret History of Stalin's Crimes. New York, 1953.