The German-Dutch Communist Left - Libcom

[Translation into French, ‘Le groupe des communistes internationalistes de Hollande’, in ‘Echanges et
mouvement’, pamphlet, Paris, April 1999.]
HÖLZ (Max), Vom ‘Weissen Kreuz’ zur roten Fahne, 1929. Reprinted in 1969, Verlag Neue Kritik. Frankfurt.
His memoirs of the KAPD and KPD were written while in prison. Max Hölz’s autobiography has been published
in French under the title Un rebelle dans la révolution (Paris: Éditions Spartacus, May-June 1988).
ICARUS (Ernst Schneider), The Wilhelmshaven Revolt: A Chapter of the Revolutionary Movement in the
German Navy 1918-1919; preface of Mat Kavanagh (London: Freedom Press, 1944). [‘Icarus’ was the
pseudonym of Ernst Schneider (1883-1970?). Born in Königsberg, he was a harbour worker and
seaman (steersman), who was left social-democrat, then editor of the periodical Kampf, in Hamburg,
‘independent organ for Anarchism and Syndicalism’ (1912-1914). Member of the Wilhelmshaven IKD, he was
active in the naval mutinies of 1918. In jail after the Wilhelmshaven insurrection of January 1919. His
spectacular evasion from prison in Sept. 1920 gave him the nickname of Ikarus. He participated to the formation
of the KAPD in Bremen in 1920. In 1923, he was active in the KPD October insurrection of Hamburg, as
KAPD/AAU leader. Secretary of the German Seamen Association (Deutscher Seemansbund – DSB) in
Bremerhaven, 1926-29. From 1926 to 1929, he was the organisator of the Seamen’s AAU in Cuxhaven, and the
editor of the seamen Unionist periodical: Wellenbrecher (Wavebreaker), Bordzeitung der Seeleute. He was
arrested by the Gestapo in 1935, and could come to Britain in 1939. Active against the war within the Anti-
Parliamentary Communist Federation, and one of the main contributors to Solidarity between 1938 and 1945.]
JACOBY (Henry), Von der Kaisersschule zu Hitlers Zuchthaus. Erlebnisse und Begegnungen. Geschichte einer
Jugend links-aussen in der Weimarer Republik. Testimony of a former partisan of Rühle; elements on the
German council communist milieu (Frankfurt am Main: Dipa-Verlag, 1980).
JUNG (Franz), Der Weg nach unten, Berlin, 1962; this was republished under the title Der Torpedokäfer
(Hamburg: Edition Nautilus, 1988).
JUNG (Cläre), Paradiesvögel. Erinnerungen (Hamburg: Nautilus Edition, 1987). Autobiography of the wife of
Franz Jung. Elements on the KAPD.
JUNG (Franz), Nach Russland! Schriften zur russischen Revolution, Werke 5 (Hamburg: Edition Nautilus,
1991). Testimony of Jung on Russia, which he initially knew as delegate of the KAPD, then as director of
factory until the end of 1923, before returning illegally to Germany.
KADT (Jacques de), Uit mijn communistentijd (My Communist Life) (Amsterdam, 1965).
KNÜFKEN (Hermann), Vom Kieler Matrosenaufstand nach Leningrad. Stationen eines deutschen
revolutionären Matrosen 1917-1930 (Berlin: Basisdruck, 2002).
LUTERAAN (Barend): Interview with an ex-leader of the KAPN conserved on magnetic tape by the Vrij
Nederland journalist Igor Cornelissen. Part of this was used in ‘Lenin vroeg: hoe gaat het met Gorter?’, Vrij
Nederland, 28.11.1964. (‘Lenin asked me: how is Gorter?’).
PANNEKOEK (Anton), Herinneringen: herinneringen uit de arbeidersbeweging; sterrenkundige
herinneringen; studies by B.A. Sijes and E.P.J. van den Heuvel; B. A. Sijes, J. M. Welcker, J. R. Van Der Leeuw
ed. (Amsterdam: Van Gennep, 1982).
PFEMFERT (Franz), Erinnerungen und Abrechnungen. Texte und Briefe. Edited by Lisbeth Exner & Herbert
Kapfer (München, 1999).
PLÄTTNER (Karl), Der mitteldeutsche Bandenführer. Mein Leben hinter Kerkermauern (Berlin, 1930). An
account of the struggle and of imprisonment by an old leader of the “terrorist” tendency in the KAPD.
REICHENBACH (Bernard), ‚Zur Geschichte der KAPD’, Archiv für die Geschichte des Sozialismus, Carl
Grünberg Archiv, XIII, Leipzig, 1928, pp. 117-140. An important and trustworthy testimony by a former leader
of the KAPD. Web:
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