Freiheit (1879)

Freedom was an internationally popular German -language, initially radical social democratic, socialist revolutionary in another aspect the course and anarchist magazine, which was launched by the end of the 19th until the first decade of the 20th century. It was chiefly edited by Johann Most. From the first issue in January 1879 and the last in August 1910, she was printed with various and Tarntiteln inter alia, in Vienna, in Switzerland, London and New York City. In the first years of freedom was put into circulation due to the repressive socialist law temporarily illegal in Germany.

History

The first issue of the magazine was published on January 4, 1879 After the first few editions of freedom she was in the German Empire on January 17, 1879 because of there for almost 2 1/2 months (22 October 1878) applicable Socialist Law ( original title.: "Law against the growing strength of social democracy " ) is prohibited. The ban covered only the title. The persistence of the magazine was ensured by frequent changes to the title name. Tarntitel were: The Revolutionary, Free Press, exhortation, The Soldiers Friend, The Anchor, The Rebel, justice. Even the subtitles changed: social democratic body, organ of the Social Revolutionaries German Language, International organ of the German language anarchist, since 1908 member of the German anarchists in America.

First, the freedom was before the ten months later also founded in 1879 in Switzerland magazine The Social Democrat, as an organ of the German Social Democrats in exile. After the freedom with the expulsion from the party the must from the Socialist Workers Party ( SAP) had in 1880 its status lost as the organ of the Social Democrats and the content changed in a well open anarchist agitating publication, it has been increasingly replaced in its function as a journalistic mouthpiece of the party-political social democracy by the Social Democrat newspaper, which became the principal organ of the German Social Democracy during the socialist law over national level, and also distributed illegally in the German Reich was. However, the freedom continued to appear, and was henceforth regarded as a social revolutionary anarchist publication, the polemic against the restrained - moderate attitude of the leading Social Democratic parliamentarians in Germany. Most kept himself since the enactment of the Anti-Socialist Law, especially in exile in Britain, where he was, however, also monitored by the authorities.

An article in the freedom of 19 March 1881 entitled " Finally" was the arrest of Johann Most in London result. The reason for the arrest was in the content of the article ( March 13, 1881) assessed the after several previous attempts, deadly assassination of Russian Social Revolutionaries on Tsar Alexander II positive. Most was sentenced to 16 months in prison as editor. The set of material for the magazine was confiscated. More confiscations followed. The published on May 13, 1882 article " The rebels Answer " on the Phoenix Park murders, assassination of radical Irish Republican on Lord Frederick Cavendish and Under Secretary Burke in Dublin again led to that set Material seized and arrested the translator of the magazine were. Through these reprisals dared in England after all, no more to print the magazine. As a consequence, the freedom - issued to various places of publication - an overview of its history: from January 1879 to June 1882 in London; by Johann Most release from prison and his subsequent emigration to the U.S., she appeared ( with No. 41) from December 1882 in New York; 1886 in New Jersey; possibly also in Zurich, Brussels and Paris. By seizures and arrests the changing Spawns are not reconstruct exactly. For camouflage and own safety, no more printing presses were mentioned, only the Note Our ​​new printer. Expenditure No. 34 to No. 39 Exeter was given in England, but was published for security reasons in Switzerland. Edition sizes differed depending on the destination. With 400 subscribers in 1880/ 1881, the number of copies was smuggled to Germany 1100-1800. In the autumn of 1884 a week 1,200 copies went to Europe; 1885 were 5,000 printed, of which 4,500 were destined for Germany. As a weekly supplement the freedom appeared in the Buffaloer Arbeiterzeitung September 1897 to July 1899.

In Germany, interested readers banded together in secret reading clubs. The journal was an important organ of the German exile anarchists. Especially in the Rhine -Main area, Hamburg, Berlin, southern Germany, Bremen, and beyond in Aachen, Augsburg, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, among others Cities found the magazine in the magazine subscription to a larger audience. In the 1880s, the freedom was also popular in Bohemia, Austria and Hungary in the German-speaking workers.

During the incarceration Johann Most, the magazine was edited by other people, including Johann Neve, Justus Schwab (New York ) and the communistic Workers' Educational Society in London. After the must death in 1906 was the magazine of his wife Helene Most and later published by the Freedom Publishing Association until 1910. Due to the various manifestations countries and locations also changed editors. Editors were next to Johann Most Karl Schneidt ( Switzerland ), Hermann Stellmacher, Karl Schrödter (also:. Schrödter Karl - burning forest is referred to as German police spy ) and others According to reports of the political police in Berlin over the freedom of Belgium, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands was smuggled to Germany. This happened in cans, through intermediaries in the luggage, in letters and in an annex other magazines. Also on the ship routes and through the mail reached the publication of their readers in the German Reich. London pamphlets were smuggled into plaster figures in bamboo tubes or tins of sardines. The leaflets were printed in an edition of between 10,000 and 30,000 copies, and included special items from freedom.

After 1886 the magazine was published in London The autonomy and after the end of the Socialist Law appeared in Germany several anarchist journals was restricted whereby the influence of freedom; but retained the publication as an international journal of the German anarchists abroad until 1919 an important function as a link.

Same anarchist periodicals

• Freedom, organ of the German Federation of revolutionary workers. Edited by: Wilhelm Klink. Berlin, Stuttgart, Amsterdam (1900 - 1903)
• Freedom, Political weekly. Anarcho-syndicalist (1928 - 1933)

English-language journals

• Freedom, London (1886 to present)
• Freedom, A Journal of Anarchist News and Opinion, New York (1933 -? )