Neue Rheinische Zeitung
The Neue Rheinische Zeitung ( NRhZ ) was published by Karl Marx in the years 1848 and 1849 at the time of Prussia (Rhine Province) belonging Cologne newspaper, which also dealt with communist- socialist aspects with the revolutionary socio-political events of the time. Even Marx's comrade Friedrich Engels worked on the newspaper as an editor with essential items.
History
Marx and Engels, who had already written in February 1848 The Manifesto of the Communist Party on behalf of the League of Communists, were in April 1848 after the flare-up of bourgeois revolutions in France and the states of the German Confederation ( cf. March Revolution ) from Belgium Paris in the territory of today's Germany (see German Confederation) returned.
Predecessor of NRhZ was the Rheinische Zeitung, which was in the early 1840s initially a rather liberal press organ in the Prussian Rhine Province. After Marx was only in 1841 became editor and eventually editor of the Rheinische Zeitung, their course altered in a radical democratic and socialist direction. Marx's critical articles on social issues in the German states, which also attacked the reactionary Metternich's system of Restoration had in 1843 led to the prohibition of the Rheinische Zeitung.
Possible in 1848 the appearance of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, by the abolition of press censorship in the wake of the March Revolution of 1848/ 49 in Prussia, as well as in most other states of the German Confederation.
On 1 June 1848, the first edition of NRhZ appeared. The editorial local was "Under Hatter 17 ", located on the present-day Cologne Haymarket 65. The newspaper had an extensive network of correspondents and was within a short time with an unusually high for the time of circulation of nearly 6000 copies to one of the most famous press organs of the revolutionary years in Germany. Most of the staff were a member of the League of Communists. On cooperation Friedrich Engels later wrote: " The Constitution of the editorial was the simple dictatorship by Marx ... "
The financing of NRhZ stood during the whole time of their appearance on shaky ground. Shareholders were initially bourgeois liberals, of which, however, after the appearance of the first number retired by half. Karl Marx then invested the rest of his paternal inheritance in the company. The printing machine belonged to him personally. On two trips, he tried without success to raise funds for the newspaper. The largest donation, Taler 2000, he received from the leader of the Polish emigrants in Berlin, Vladislav Koscielsky.
The newspaper was from the beginning, observing the Prussian government organs. But thanks to the skillful use of the press laws - sometimes provocative articles were also printed in the display part - the authorities had no recourse against the editors. When they proclaimed a state of siege on September 25, 1848 as a result of labor unrest in Cologne, so most of the staff of the NRhZ were persecuted not because of their press work, but because of their speeches at various meetings. Citizen Dronke, Engels, F. and W. Wolff evaded arrest by fleeing. They were able to return in the course of adjustment of the individual processes only gradually. Angel took his editorial work in January 1849 again. Marx himself was at this time twice for press offenses and charges of incitement to refusal to pay taxes before the Court and both times was acquitted.
On May 19 In 1849, the Neue Rheinische Zeitung after 301 issues with a printed entirely in red issue you a show after the last uprisings of the March Revolution had been knocked down in the Rhineland. Marx, Dronke and Weerth were referred to as non-Prussians in the country. Against the rest of the editorial staff of court procedures have been initiated.
Marx went again into exile, this time to London, where he remained essentially until his death in 1883 and his three -volume magnum opus completed Capital. However, he remained politically active and had great influence on the leaders of the labor movement and the forming socialist and social democratic parties in Europe with their greatest minds he was in frequent contact. On his initiative, the International Working Men's Association 12 years existing in 1864 founded, which is considered the first International today.
Engels even participated in the past revolutionary struggles in Baden on the side of the Baden Revolution. As well as this was put down, and thus the March Revolution was finally at the end, Engels had to settle into exile, which also led him through Switzerland to England, where he continued working with Marx.
Political orientation
The NRhZ of 1848/49 advocated the establishment of a united, indivisible, democratic German republic one, and for a war against Russia for the restoration of Poland's unity and independence. The revolutionary events of the time were the main topics that grappled the sheet. Content, put the NRhZ, among others, for the abolition of feudal burdens, among which especially the peasants suffered for centuries. Furthermore tried the NRhZ, France to become the democratic model for the German revolution, because it was a success there in the February Revolution of 1848 to install the Republic and depose the king. Among others, the newspaper reported on the arrest of his friend, with Marx deputies of the National Assembly in Frankfurt Viktor Valdenaire. As a result of this incident, the deputies immunity was introduced in Prussia.
In contrast to France, however, the majority of the national-liberal forces used in the German Confederation in the Frankfurt National Assembly, which should develop an all-German constitution, for the introduction of a constitutional monarchy in Germany with a Erbkaisertum under liberal sign. Accordingly, these trends were also generally true any connection between the bourgeoisie and the nobility of the NRhZ antimonarchical table set criticized.
Marx and Engels hope the bourgeois- liberal revolution of 48/49 would take a socialist twist, was not fulfilled. In May 1849, several of the recent uprisings of the " German Revolution " in the Prussian Rhine province and neighboring Westphalia were so in Siegburg, Solingen, Iserlohn and Elberfeld ( today Wuppertal) occurred ( see Iserlohn uprising of 1849 and the revolution of 1848/49 in Westphalia). The revolution had failed.
Editors
- Karl Marx - Editor in Chief
- Friedrich Engels - wrote most of the editorials, a specialist in foreign policy and military issues, articles for Hungary, Italy and the Schleswig- Holstein question
- Heinrich citizen - only one article known
- Ernst Dronke - temporarily correspondent in Frankfurt, articles about Italy
- Georg Weerth - feuilleton, serialized novels, articles to England and Belgium
- Ferdinand Wolff - temporarily correspondent in Paris
- Wilhelm Wolff - heading "From the Empire ", the news from the German small states, etc.
- Ferdinand Freiligrath foreign desk, poems, since the beginning of October 1848 in the editorial