The German-Dutch Communist Left - Libcom

After the Second World War:
Repression and dislocation led to the disappearance of the German left during the Hitler period.
After the war groups sprang up claiming its inspiration but in most cases they were quite distant from it.
Zur Information: ‚Erkenntnis, Bekenntnis, neuer Weg’, Nov. 1945; ‚Zur Frage der Einheitspartei’, Dec. 1945;
‚Nationale Frage und Arbeiterklasse’, Jan. 1946; ‚Die internationale Lage und die Arbeiterklasse’, Feb. 1946;
‚Zur deutschen Situation. Zerfall der bürgerlichen Klassenbasis’, May 1946; ‚Sein und Bewußtsein’, July 1946,
no place mentioned. Published as circulars by ex-KAPD/AAU militants (Weiland’s group), West zone.
Neues Beginnen, Blätter internationaler Sozialisten, Zürich/Berlin March 1947-54. Close to ‘councilism’. Led
by Alfred Weiland, then – after Nov. 1950 – by Willy Huhn. Edited by the Groups of International Socialists
(GIS).
Pro und contra, ‚Beiträge zur Zeit’, Berlin, 1949-54. With the sub-title ‘weder Ost noch West – eine ungeteilte
sozialistische Welt’. Led at the beginning by the ex-SAP Willy Huhn, of a councilist orientation.
Thomas Münzer-Briefe, Stuttgart, 1949-50. Edited by a former member of the SAP, the journalist Fritz Lamm
(1911-1977). More left socialist than councilist.
Funken, ‘Aussprachehefte für internationale sozialistische Politik’, Berlin 1950-59, after the merger with the
Fritz Lamm ‘Thomas-Münzer Briefe’ group in 1950.
Stirn und Faust, ‚Vervielfältigte Manuskripte werktätiger Menschen’, Leverkusen 1952, Published by Emil
Sach, a former member of the KAI.
Von unten aus, ‚Blätter für unmittelbare Demokratie’, Berlin 1956. Published by Jan Wohlrab (pseudonym of
Fritz Parlow) and Willy Huhn.
Politikon, 1963-1982, ‘Göttinger Studentenzeitschrift’, edited by students circles [Club Politikon] in Göttingen
(Low Saxony), influenced by ‘councilist’ ideas.
Die Soziale Revolution ist keine Parteisache, Berlin 1971, Nos. 1-2. First purely council communist organ in
Germany after 1968.
Sozialistische Informationsblätter, published by the Föderation Neue Linke (FNL); Rätekommunisten (FNL/R),
Mainz 1971, ‚Organ einer rätekommunistischen FNL-Fraktion’.
Neues Beginnen, Hamburg, 1969-71, published by Otto Reimers, former AAUD-E, and collaborator of Alfred
Weiland in the old Neues Beginnen from Berlin.
Schwarze Protokolle, ‚Zur Theorie der linken Bewegung’, Berlin, 1972-78. This review claimed its inspiration in
‘anarchism’ and ‘councilism’; some important theoretical articles of Cajo Brendel were published there.
AUSTRIA
Kommunistische Arbeiter-Zeitung, ‚Organ der KAP Österreichs, angeschlossen der Kommunistischen Arbeiter-
Internationale’, printed in Mühlheim (Ruhr), 1922-24. A small nucleus formed round the paper, dependent on
the Essen KAI and led by Stanislaus Geiger and Joseph Lumpi.
[For the anarchist and council communist press in the German speaking countries, 20 th century, the web site
from Berlin, DaDa, give an excellent data base: ]
BULGARIA
Bolshevishko Zname [Bolshevik Flag], Sofia, July 1919 (left communist group led by E. Ederov).
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