August Reinsdorf
Encyclopedia
August Reinsdorf was a German
anarchist who is sometimes credited as being "The Father of German Anarchy
."
August was a socialist anarchist who believed strongly in the rights of the workers and the common man. He attempted to assassinate the Emperor of Germany and his Princes, effectively ending dictatorship
in Germany. His plan was to blow up the Emperor's carriage with dynamite
by placing it under the bridge that the Emperor's carriage was planned to take. However, his plan was foiled due to a simple fact of nature, rain. The fuse was put out, and he was discovered. He was executed in Halle on February 7, 1885.
Some historians have credited August with being "The Father of German Anarchy
." Regardless if this is true or not, his assassination attempt on the Emperor was one of the first acts of terror in Germany related to politics
, socialism
, and anarchy.
August is credited with saying this: (in German)
"Die Arbeiter bauen Paläste und wohnen in armseligen Hütten; sie erzeugen alles und erhalten die ganze Staatsmaschine, und doch wird für sie nichts gethan; sie erzeugen alle Industrieprodukte, und doch haben sie wenig und schlecht zu essen; sie sind eine stets verachtete, rohe und abergläubische Masse voll Knechtsinns. Alles, was der Staat thut, hat allein die Tendenz, diese Verhältnisse ewig aufrecht zu erhalten. Die oberen Zehntausend sollen sich auf den Schultern der großen Masse erhalten. Soll dies wirklich ewig dauern? Ist eine Änderung nicht unsere Pflicht? Sollen wir ewig die Hände in den Schoß legen?"
Which, roughly translated, means:
"The workers build palaces and live in poor huts; they produce everything and maintain the whole state machine, and nevertheless nothing is done for them; they produce all manufactured products, and nevertheless they have to eat little and badly; they are full and always despised, raw and superstitious mass sense of farmhand. Everything that the state does, has alone the tendency to keep these conditions eternally upright. The upper ten thousand
rest on the shoulders of the large mass. Is this to last really eternally? Isn't a change our obligation? Are we to put eternally the hands into the lap?"
His descendants moved to America, and live there today.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
anarchist who is sometimes credited as being "The Father of German Anarchy
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
."
August was a socialist anarchist who believed strongly in the rights of the workers and the common man. He attempted to assassinate the Emperor of Germany and his Princes, effectively ending dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
in Germany. His plan was to blow up the Emperor's carriage with dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
by placing it under the bridge that the Emperor's carriage was planned to take. However, his plan was foiled due to a simple fact of nature, rain. The fuse was put out, and he was discovered. He was executed in Halle on February 7, 1885.
Some historians have credited August with being "The Father of German Anarchy
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
." Regardless if this is true or not, his assassination attempt on the Emperor was one of the first acts of terror in Germany related to politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, and anarchy.
August is credited with saying this: (in German)
"Die Arbeiter bauen Paläste und wohnen in armseligen Hütten; sie erzeugen alles und erhalten die ganze Staatsmaschine, und doch wird für sie nichts gethan; sie erzeugen alle Industrieprodukte, und doch haben sie wenig und schlecht zu essen; sie sind eine stets verachtete, rohe und abergläubische Masse voll Knechtsinns. Alles, was der Staat thut, hat allein die Tendenz, diese Verhältnisse ewig aufrecht zu erhalten. Die oberen Zehntausend sollen sich auf den Schultern der großen Masse erhalten. Soll dies wirklich ewig dauern? Ist eine Änderung nicht unsere Pflicht? Sollen wir ewig die Hände in den Schoß legen?"
Which, roughly translated, means:
"The workers build palaces and live in poor huts; they produce everything and maintain the whole state machine, and nevertheless nothing is done for them; they produce all manufactured products, and nevertheless they have to eat little and badly; they are full and always despised, raw and superstitious mass sense of farmhand. Everything that the state does, has alone the tendency to keep these conditions eternally upright. The upper ten thousand
Upper ten thousand
Upper Ten Thousand, or simply, The Upper Ten, is a phrase coined in 1852 by American poet Nathaniel Parker Willis to describe the upper circles of New York, and hence of other major cities....
rest on the shoulders of the large mass. Is this to last really eternally? Isn't a change our obligation? Are we to put eternally the hands into the lap?"
His descendants moved to America, and live there today.