Berlin movement
Encyclopedia
The Berlin movement was an anti-Semitic intellectual and political movement in the German Empire
in the 1880s. The movement was a collection of unassociated individuals and organizations.
The movement developed in the aftermath of the Panic of 1873
that led to a recession in the United States and parts of the western European economy. It assailed Jews and capitalism; along with this critique it opposed liberalism and it represented a fear of social democracy
. Finally, the movement came out of a racial conception of national identity on the part of the German middle class
.
The movement had several leaders. The journalist and author Otto Glagau led a journal, Der Kulturkämpfer, [The Culture Warriors] that propagated these ideas. The theologian and politician, Adolf Stoecker
, led the German Christian Social Party
. He was the only elected representative of the party in the Reichstag
, the national legislature.
The movement lost strength after the CSP's losses in the 1887 elections. Additionally, the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
distanced himself from the party. The significance of the movement laid in its being the first anti-Semitic movement in modern Germany.
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in the 1880s. The movement was a collection of unassociated individuals and organizations.
The movement developed in the aftermath of the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
that led to a recession in the United States and parts of the western European economy. It assailed Jews and capitalism; along with this critique it opposed liberalism and it represented a fear of social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
. Finally, the movement came out of a racial conception of national identity on the part of the German middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
.
The movement had several leaders. The journalist and author Otto Glagau led a journal, Der Kulturkämpfer, [The Culture Warriors] that propagated these ideas. The theologian and politician, Adolf Stoecker
Adolf Stoecker
Adolf Stoecker was the court chaplain to Kaiser Wilhelm II, a politician, and a German Lutheran theologian who founded one of the first Christian Social Gospel political parties in Germany, the Christian Social Party.-Life:Stoecker was born in Halberstadt, Province of Saxony.A staunch Protestant,...
, led the German Christian Social Party
Christian Social Party (Germany)
The Christian Social Party was a right-wing political party in the German Empire, founded in 1878 by Adolf Stoecker as the Christlichsoziale Arbeiterpartei . The party combined a strong Christian and conservative programme with progressive ideas on labour, and tried to provide an alternative for...
. He was the only elected representative of the party in the Reichstag
Reichstag
Reichstag may refer to:*Reichstag – the diets or parliaments of the Holy Roman Empire, of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, and of Germany from 1871 to 1945** Reichstag ** Reichstag...
, the national legislature.
The movement lost strength after the CSP's losses in the 1887 elections. Additionally, the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
distanced himself from the party. The significance of the movement laid in its being the first anti-Semitic movement in modern Germany.