Paul Frölich
Encyclopedia
Paul Frölich was a journalist
and left wing political activist who was a founding member of the Communist Party of Germany
and founder of the party's paper, Die Rote Fahne. A Communist Party deputy in the Reichstag
on two occasions, Frölich was expelled from the Party in 1928, after which he joined the organized German Communist Opposition movement. Frölich is best remembered as a biographer of Rosa Luxemburg
.
into a German working class family. He was the second child of eleven. As a young man he studied history and social science at the Leipzig Workers' School.
Frölich joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) in 1902.
Frölich's common-law wife from the 1920s was the communist Rosi Wolfstein (1888-1987). The pair were formally married in 1948.
From 1916 to 1918, Frölich and Johann Knief together edited a political weekly called Arbeitrpolitik (Worker's Politics) which emerged as the voice of revolutionary socialism
in Bremen
.
Frölich was a representative of the Bremen left-wing at the April 1916 Kienthal Conference
, a gathering of international socialists held at Kienthal, Germany.
In 1918, Frölich founded the newspaper Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag) in Hamburg
. This was later to become the official organ of the Communist Party of Germany
(KPD), which Frölich helped to establish at the end of December 1918. During this period, Frölich sometimes wrote under the pseudonym
"Paul Werner."
The founding congress of the KPD elected Frölich to its governing Central Committee. He was re-elected to this position by the 1920 Congress of the KPD, but at the end of the year he was squeezed off the body as a result of a merger of that organization with the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
(USPD).
Following the 1921 departure of a faction led by Paul Levi
, Frölich rejoined the Central Committee of the KPD.
Frölich was a delegate of the KPD to the 3rd World Congress of the Comintern, held in Moscow
in the summer of 1921. Frölich was selected by the congress as the representative of the KPD to the Executive Committee of the Communist International
(ECCI).
Frölich was elected as a Communist Party deputy to the Reichstag
, serving in that capacity from 1921 to 1924 and again in 1928.
Frölich was expelled from the KPD in December 1928, ostensibly as a supporter of so-called "Right-wing" conciliation. Thereafter, he joined the Communist Party Opposition
(KPD-O), and in 1932 helped to establish the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany
(SAP).
in 1933, Frölich was imprisoned, remaining in custody in a concentration camp in Lichtenberg
until December of that year.
Following his release, Frölich emigrated to France
, settling in Paris
in February 1934.
Following the 1940 fall of France to the fascists
, Frölich hurriedly emigrated again, this time to the United States, where he remained until after the conclusion of World War II
.
Frölich returned to West Germany
in 1950, where he spent the last years of his life.
. He was 78 years old at the time of his death.
Frölich is best remembered as a pioneer biographer of the assassinated
Communist Rosa Luxemburg
, with his book on her translated into a number of languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian, Slovenian, Korean, Greek, Hebrew, and Japanese. A new edition of this work appeared in English in 2010, published by the radical Chicago publisher Haymarket Books
.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and left wing political activist who was a founding member of the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
and founder of the party's paper, Die Rote Fahne. A Communist Party deputy in the Reichstag
Reichstag
Reichstag may refer to:*Reichstag – the diets or parliaments of the Holy Roman Empire, of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, and of Germany from 1871 to 1945** Reichstag ** Reichstag...
on two occasions, Frölich was expelled from the Party in 1928, after which he joined the organized German Communist Opposition movement. Frölich is best remembered as a biographer of Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
.
Early years
Paul Frölich was born 7 August 1884 in LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
into a German working class family. He was the second child of eleven. As a young man he studied history and social science at the Leipzig Workers' School.
Frölich joined 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) in 1902.
Frölich's common-law wife from the 1920s was the communist Rosi Wolfstein (1888-1987). The pair were formally married in 1948.
Political career
Frölich worked as a journalist during the first decade of the 20th Century, writing for the Hamburger Echo from 1910 to 1914 and for the Bremer Bürgerzeitung from 1914 to 1916.From 1916 to 1918, Frölich and Johann Knief together edited a political weekly called Arbeitrpolitik (Worker's Politics) which emerged as the voice of revolutionary socialism
Revolutionary socialism
The term revolutionary socialism refers to Socialist tendencies that advocate the need for fundamental social change through revolution by mass movements of the working class, as a strategy to achieve a socialist society...
in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
.
Frölich was a representative of the Bremen left-wing at the April 1916 Kienthal Conference
Kienthal Conference
The Kienthal Conference was held from April 24 to 30, 1916. Like its 1915 predecessor in Zimmerwald, it was an international conference of socialists who opposed the First World War.- Background :...
, a gathering of international socialists held at Kienthal, Germany.
In 1918, Frölich founded the newspaper Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag) in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. This was later to become the official organ of the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
(KPD), which Frölich helped to establish at the end of December 1918. During this period, Frölich sometimes wrote under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Paul Werner."
The founding congress of the KPD elected Frölich to its governing Central Committee. He was re-elected to this position by the 1920 Congress of the KPD, but at the end of the year he was squeezed off the body as a result of a merger of that organization with 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).
Following the 1921 departure of a faction led by Paul Levi
Paul Levi
Paul Levi was a German Jewish Communist political leader. He was the head of the Communist Party of Germany following the assassination of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1919.-Early years:...
, Frölich rejoined the Central Committee of the KPD.
Frölich was a delegate of the KPD to the 3rd World Congress of the Comintern, held in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in the summer of 1921. Frölich was selected by the congress as the representative of the KPD to the Executive Committee of the Communist International
Executive Committee of the Communist International
The Executive Committee of the Communist International, commonly known by its acronym, ECCI, was the governing authority of the Comintern between the World Congresses of that body...
(ECCI).
Frölich was elected as a Communist Party deputy to the Reichstag
Reichstag
Reichstag may refer to:*Reichstag – the diets or parliaments of the Holy Roman Empire, of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, and of Germany from 1871 to 1945** Reichstag ** Reichstag...
, serving in that capacity from 1921 to 1924 and again in 1928.
Frölich was expelled from the KPD in December 1928, ostensibly as a supporter of so-called "Right-wing" conciliation. Thereafter, he joined the Communist Party Opposition
Communist Party Opposition
The Communist Party of Germany was a communist opposition organisation established at the end of 1928 and maintaining its existence until 1939 or 1940...
(KPD-O), and in 1932 helped to establish the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany
Socialist Workers' Party of Germany
The Socialist Workers' Party of Germany was a political party in Germany. It was formed by a left-wing party with around 20,000 members which split off from the SPD in the autumn of 1931. In 1931 the remnants of USPD merged into the party, and in 1932 some Communist Party dissenters joined the...
(SAP).
Imprisonment and emigration
Following the rise to power of Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1933, Frölich was imprisoned, remaining in custody in a concentration camp in Lichtenberg
Lichtenberg
Lichtenberg is the eleventh borough of Berlin, Germany. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it absorbed the former borough of Hohenschönhausen.-Overview:...
until December of that year.
Following his release, Frölich emigrated to 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...
, settling in 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...
in February 1934.
Following the 1940 fall of France to the fascists
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, Frölich hurriedly emigrated again, this time to the United States, where he remained until after the conclusion of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Frölich returned to 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....
in 1950, where he spent the last years of his life.
Death and legacy
Paul Frölich died on 16 March 1953 in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. He was 78 years old at the time of his death.
Frölich is best remembered as a pioneer biographer of the assassinated
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
Communist Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
, with his book on her translated into a number of languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian, Slovenian, Korean, Greek, Hebrew, and Japanese. A new edition of this work appeared in English in 2010, published by the radical Chicago publisher Haymarket Books
Haymarket Books
Haymarket Books is a non-profit left-wing book publisher and distributor. It is published by the Center for Economic Research and Social Change...
.
Works
- Die politik des Hamburger arbeiterrats ("The Politics of the Hamburg Workers"). Berlin : G. Schumann, c. 1919.
- Keinen Pfennig den Fürsten! (Not a Penny for the Prince!) Berlin: Vereinigung Internationaler Verlagsanstalten, c. 1919.
- Der Weg zum Sozialismus ("The Way to Socialism"). Hamburg: Kommunistische Arbeiterzeitung, 1919.
- Die Bayerische Räterepublik. Tatsachen und Kritik ("The Bavarian Soviet Republic: Facts and Criticism"). Leipzig: Franke, 1920.
- Taktik und Organisation der revolutionären Offensive: Die Lehren der März-Aktion ("Tactics and Organization of the Revolutionary Offensive: Lessons of the March Action"). Leipzig : Frankes Verlag, 1921.
- Wider den weissen Mord ("Against White Murder"). Berlin: Vereinigung Internationaler Verlagsanstalten, 1922.
- Der Steuerbote nimmt dein Brot! : Ein Kapitel indirekte Steuern ("The Tax Collector Takes Your Bread! A Chapter on Indirect Taxes"). Berlin: Vereinigung Internationaler Verlags-Anstalten, 1922.
- 1848: Ein Lesebuch für Arbeiter ("1848: A Reading Book for Workers"). Berlin : Vereinigung Internationaler Verlags-Anstalten, 1923.
- 10 Jahr Krieg und Bürgerkrieg ("Ten Years of War and Civil War"). Berlin: Vereinigung Internationaler Verlags-Anstalten, 1924. —Memoir.
- Die deutsche Sozialdemokratie: 14 Jahre im Bunde mit dem Kapital ("German Social Democracy: 14 Years in League with Capital"). With A. Schreiner. Berlin: 1925.
- "Introduction" to Speeches of Georges Jacques Danton. New York: International Publishers, 1928.
- Rosa Luxemburg: Her Life and Work. [1928] Edward Fitzgerald, trans. London: Victor Gollancz, 1940.
- Illustrierte Geschichte der deutschen Revolution ("Illustrated History of the German Revolution"). Berlin : Internationalen Arbeiter-Verlag, 1929.
External links
- Photographic Portrait of Paul Frölich by August Sander (1929), J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California.