The new time

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The new time. Revue des intellectual and public life (from 1901 “Wochenschrift der deutschen Sozialdemokratie”) was the SPD's most important theoretical journal from 1883 to 1923. It was founded and directed until 1917 by Karl Kautsky and Emanuel Wurm . Before the First World War , the magazine was the scene of important theoretical debates on Marxism and Scientific Socialism in Germany. After Kautsky and Wurm left the SPD in 1917, the eminent Marxist theorist, ethnologist and lecturer at the SPD party school , Heinrich Cunow , took over as editor-in-chief.

Die Neue Zeit (title page of the first year 1883)

history

The first edition appeared on January 1, 1883 with the subtitle Revue des intellectual and public life, which was deliberately apolitical in view of the Socialist Law . The magazine initially appeared as a monthly, since October 1890 it has appeared weekly. The printer and publisher was Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Dietz in Stuttgart . Heinrich Braun and Karl Kautsky were co-owners . In 1896 it was about 32 pages. A booklet cost 25 pfennigs and an annual subscription 13 marks.

In 1901 the magazine became officially party-owned. In 1908 the magazine was expanded to include a monthly feature section. In addition, there were additions to the printing of longer articles once a quarter.

As a theoretical magazine, the circulation of the newspaper remained small, even if it increased significantly. The number of subscribers rose from 2,300 in October 1883 to 9,000 in 1910. During the First World War, the circulation fell sharply and in 1921 was only 3,600 copies. Economically, the magazine has long been a subsidy company, despite its importance for the internal party discourse. As a result of hyperinflation , the paper had to stop its publication in 1923.

During the socialist law

The founding of the magazine was decided in October 1882 by August Bebel , Wilhelm Liebknecht , Karl Kautsky and JHW Dietz. The program article came from Liebknecht. It said:

“ To awaken this awareness, to initiate this understanding, we will work towards this with all our forces. [...] We will do our own thing to enlighten and educate the masses about the nature of the state and society and about the world-shattering problems which are the signature of the 19th century and which demand their solution with increasing impetus, and as broadly as possible To spread socio-political knowledge to circles [...] In order to raise the people to the height of their task, everything worth knowing in all areas of knowledge must be made accessible to them. [...] How many of our workers, artisans and farmers know Shakespeare, Lessing, Schiller and Göthe? know a Raphael, Mozart, Beethoven? know the writings of Humboldt and Darwin? [...] The science of bringing knowledge to the people, that is the alpha and omega of our program. "

In the beginning, the aim was to be an open forum for critics.

“ Our page is therefore open to every opponent who is serious about the matter, and the editors will never pay homage to the ridiculous fiction of infallibility to pretend to be the truth in general possession; it has taken as its model those wise men who saw it as his calling to be the midwife of truth. "

The New Age succeeded in overcoming political fluctuations and philosophical eclecticism within a short time . Already during the Socialist Law she was able to demonstrate the strength of the socialist movement and to propagate scientific socialism.

As early as 1885, Friedrich Engels , who was initially reluctant to take part in this review, wrote to August Bebel that the New Era was one of the three posts that the revolutionary wing had to hold and expand in terms of legality. Between 1885 and 1895, Engels not only advised Kautsky, but also conveyed important articles, especially by Karl Marx , to the paper . These included his letters on the Paris Commune and criticism of the Gotha program . In addition, Engels himself published numerous articles in the paper during this time. The most important was Ludwig Feuerbach and the outcome of classical German philosophy in 1886.

Other foreign authors from the circle of Marx and Engels such as Laura and Paul Lafargue , Friedrich Adolf Sorge or Eleanor Marx published in the Neue Zeit . Its reports on foreign economic and historical processes gave the paper an international character.

Political positioning after 1890

Even after the end of the Socialist Law, the Neue Zeit remained the leading theoretical socialist magazine in Germany after 1890. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, Franz Mehring stated:

“The New Era has often been referred to as a review of Marxist socialism, and far from rejecting this title, we consider it to be an honor. The New Age has reached an age like no socialist review before it. It owes this primarily to the theoretical sense, the high educational needs of the socialist workers in Germany, who form the core of its readership. "(1892/93, 1st man.)

Karl Kautsky also held fast to the claim to reach the non-intellectual supporters of social democracy.

“Keeping the New Times at the highest level [...] remains the task of the editor and the editorial team. We want to do everything possible to offer an organ in the New Age worthy of the height that scientific socialism has reached; But we also want to make the New Era so varied, easy to understand and attractive that it is welcome not only to the theorist but also to the practitioner, not only to the student, but also to the man of work who is looking for relaxation as well as instruction. "

The New Era took during revisionism dispute clearly against Eduard Bernstein and his followers position. Already at the turn of the century these could no longer be published in the New Age. The revisionists therefore founded the Socialist Monthly Bulletins .

subjects

After the turn of the century, the magazine was divided into two main sections. The first was entitled Contemporary History and Social Conditions. In this part, articles on politics, economics and social issues appeared. The second section was entitled Social Policy. The contributions were broad and ranged from the agricultural question, employer organizations, alcohol problems, women's issues, trade union, labor relations, insurance to contributions to local politics, the middle class and the civil service. This area was the largest in the magazine. In addition to the two major areas, there were other categories such as: "Socialism, social philosophy and political economy", "Art and literature", "Science, hygiene and technology" and "History, prehistory and ethnology."

Features section

Franz Mehring had a strong influence on the magazine between 1891 and 1913

The collaboration of Franz Mehring was important for the development of the paper. From 1891 he initially worked as a correspondent for Berlin and political editor-in-chief. As a feature editor, he managed to achieve a certain degree of independence from the entire editorial team. Under his leadership, this area gained importance alongside the general section of the magazine and became an important tool in socialist cultural and literary work. Mehring's articles on literature, theater, the history of literary studies (“Lessing-Legende” NZ 1891/92), national history, etc. shaped the face of the feature pages, and even the entire review, for a good two decades. The main part of Mehring's fundamental essays was written for the New Age . His editorials, often also on problems in literature (“Füll dreß jacket and proletarian blouse”, 1892) were able to combine targeted attacks on the bourgeois art business and its social foundations with current political issues.

In addition to Mehring's own articles and numerous small contributions, larger Marxist-oriented treatises appeared in the features section of the Neue Zeit . These included original articles by Paul Lafargues on Romanticism and Émile Zola's “Gold” in 1892. In addition, since 1890 there have been reprints of treatises by Georgi Walentinowitsch Plechanow about Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Henrik Ibsen . This also made the paper a central organ of Marxist-oriented literary studies. The paper took a polemical and critical position on contemporary German literature, particularly naturalism . In addition, it tried to co-opt older “revolutionary” authors for the socialist movement. These included Heinrich Heine and Georg Herwegh . The highlight was Mehring's contributions to Friedrich Schiller year 1905. In addition, newer socialist authors were also promoted and cautiously and helpful criticized (for example: L. Jacoby, R. Schweichel, M. Kautsky, O. Krille). Some were able to publish their contributions themselves in the New Age .

Special attention was paid to contemporary world literature. The main focus was on Russian and Northern European literature. Mehring saw in this a close connection between the revolutionary subjectivity of the artists and a critical reflection of class society. In some cases, works by Anton Pawlowitsch Chekhov , Iwan Sergejewitsch Turgenew , Maxim Gorki or August Strindberg have been printed in full or in part. On the other hand, the discussion of critical-realistic German literature took a back seat. Exceptions were smaller reviews of Hermann Hesse's Peter Camenzind and Unterm Rand . The political and aesthetic education of the proletariat by the NZ therefore took place primarily through the theoretical-political criticism of certain tendencies in German contemporary literature and through the appropriation of modern world literature.

Alongside Mehring, young socialist writers in the field of Marxist-oriented literary studies emerged as early as the turn of the century, supported by the left. (e.g. BE Hoernle, H. Ströbel).

Political change of direction

In the features section in particular, contributions by Paul Ernst , Friedrich Stampfer and F. Diederich also showed revisionist views. These prevailed even before 1914. In 1913, this led to Franz Mehring being ousted from the editorial office.

List of authors (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Die Neue Zeit , 1st year 1883, pp. 1–8, quoted here. according to Pfohlmann
  2. ↑ Die Neue Zeit , 9th year 1890/91, Vol. 1, pp. 1–3
  3. ↑ Kautsky Archive, IISG Amsterdam, Schrader letter to Kautsky, 1900, DXX-441
  4. ↑ Kautsky Archive, IISG Amsterdam, Schrader letter to Kautsky, 1900, DXX-441

literature

  • WI Lenin : About Germany and the German labor movement. From writings, speeches, letters. 2nd Edition. Dietz, Berlin 1958.
  • Heinrich Gemkow : Friedrich Engels' help in the victory of the German social democracy over the socialist law. Dietz, Berlin 1957.
  • Hans Koch : Franz Mehring's contribution to Marxist literary theory. Dietz, Berlin 1959.
  • The new time. Review of intellectual and public life. 74 volume. With a general register (…) a newly created subject register (…) and an essay by Ernst Theodor Mohl “The Reception of Marx's Critique of Political Economy by German Social Democracy” . Detlev Auvermann, Glashütten i. Ts. 1971/1975.

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