Ferdinand Lassalle - Early life, Return to Berlin, Founding of the ADAV, Death, Publications

Social Democrat, born in Wroc?aw, SW Poland (formerly Breslau, Prussia). In Berlin (1844–5) he championed the cause of Countess Sophie Hatzfeld's divorce before 36 tribunals, earning financial independence. He took part in the revolution of 1848, during which he met Marx, and for an inflammatory speech got six months in prison. He founded the Universal German Working-Men's Association (the forerunner of the Social Democratic Party) to agitate for universal suffrage. He died shortly after a duel with Count Racowitza of Wallachia over the hand of Helene von Domiges.

Ferdinand Lassalle (April 11, 1825, Breslau, then in the Kingdom of Prussia, today in Poland—August 31, 1864 in Geneva), was a German jurist and socialist political activist.

Early life

Lassalle came from a prosperous Jewish family; Lassalle himself, however, had other plans and got himself transferred to university, first in Wrocław and afterwards in Berlin. Lassalle attached himself to the countess's cause, made special study of law, and, after bringing the case before thirty-six tribunals, reduced the count to a compromise on terms favourable to his client.

The court case, which lasted ten years, gave rise to some scandal, especially that of the Cassettengeschichte (Casket Affair), which pursued Lassalle all the rest of his life. Two of Lassalle's comrades succeeded in carrying off the casket, which contained jewels, from the baroness's room at a hotel in Cologne.

Lassalle took part in the revolutions of 1848-49; Until 1859 Lassalle resided mostly in the Rhineland, dealing with the suit of the countess, and finishing the work on Heraclitus.

Return to Berlin

In 1859 Lassalle returned to Berlin, entering the city disguised as a carter, and, through the influence of Alexander von Humboldt with the king, got permission to stay there. In 1861 Lassalle published System der erworbenen Rechte (System of Acquired Rights) on this subject.

Founding of the ADAV

In early 1862, the struggle had begun between Otto von Bismarck and the liberals in Prussia. Lassalle believed that the liberal politician Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch's co-operative schemes on the principle of self-help were utterly inadequate to improve the condition of the working classes. Lassalle himself had a fashionable, extravagant lifestyle, but now he threw himself into a new career as a political agitator, travelling around Germany, giving speeches and writing pamphlets, in an attempt to organise and rouse the working class.

Although Lassalle was a member of the Communist League, his politics were strongly opposed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marx and Engels thought that Lassalle was not a true Communist as he directly influenced Bismarck's government (in secret albeit) on the issue of universal suffrage, among others.

Lassalle was the first man in Germany, the first in Europe, who succeeded in organising a party of socialist action. Nevertheless, if he had not unfortunately been born a Jew, Lassalle could also be hailed as a forerunner in the vast halls where National Socialism is acclaimed to-day...When in 1866 Bismarck founded the Confederation of Northern Germany on a basis of universal suffrage, he was acting on advice which came directly from Lassalle.

As a result, when Lassalle founded the Allgemeiner Deutscher Arbeiterverein (General German Workers' Association, ADAV) on May 23, 1863, Marx's supporters in Germany did not join it. Lassalle was the first president of the ADAV, which was the first German labour party, from 23 May 1863 to 31 August 1864.

The SDP was formed in 1875, when the ADAV merged with the SDAP (Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany), to a great extent due to Lassalle's efforts. Lassalle wanted to participate in German politics.

Death

In Berlin, Lassalle had met a young woman, Hélène von Dönniges, and in the summer of 1864 they decided to marry. Hélène was imprisoned in her own room, and soon, apparently under pressure, renounced Lassalle in favour of another admirer, Count von Racowitza. Lassalle was mortally wounded, and he died on August 31.

Publications

Die Philosophie Herakleitos des Dunklen von Ephesos (Berlin, 1858) (The philosophy of Heraclitus the Dark Philosopher of Ephesus) Franz von Sickingen (1859) Über Verfassungswesen (On constitutional systems) Arbeiterprogramm (Workers' programme) Offenes Antwortschreiben an das Zentralkomitee zur Berufung eines Allgemeinen Deutschen Arbeiter-Kongresses zu Leipzig (Open letter answering the Central Committee on the convening of a General German Workers' Congress in Leipzig) Zur Arbeiterfrage (On the labour issue) Arbeiterlesebuch (Reading book for workers) Herr Bastiat-Schulze von Delitzsch, der ökonomische Julian, oder Kapital und Arbeit. (Mr Bastiat-Schulze von Delitzsch, the Julian of Economy, or Capital and Labour)