Leo Jogiches

Jogiches, Leo (1867-1919)

Born in Russia, Jogiches was an early socialist agitator for workers in his home, Lithuania. In 1890 he escaped prison by fleeing the country and emigrated to Switzerland where he began a long political and personal relationship with Rosa Luxemburg and they fell in love with each other.

Jogiches was a member of the Spartacus League, A revolutionary left-wing organisation of the German Social Democratic Party, formed at the beginning of World War I by Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg, Franz Mehring and others. In January 1, 1919 the League became the Communist Party of Germany. The Spartacus League led the German revolution of 1918-19, which failed, after which Luxemburg and Liebknecht were brutaly murdered. Jogiches was also murdered while trying to investigate the assassination of Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.