Robert Emil Eichhorn (9 October 1863 – 26 July 1925) was a German politician, journalist and Chief of the Berlin Police during the 1918–1919 German Revolution. Eichhorn was born in Röhrsdorf near Chemnitz in October 1863 and became apprenticed as a glass worker in 1878, becoming active in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He became a full-time official in 1893 and was the head of its press office from 1908–17, when he left with others to form the

USPD The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, USPD) was a short-lived political party in Germany during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The organization was establis ...

where he played a similar role.Broue, P. (2006) ''The German Revolution 1917-1923'' Chicago: Haymarket pg.965 Eichorn worked for the post-revolutionary

Russian Telegraph Agency Russian Telegraph Agency (russian: Российское телеграфное агентство, ''Rossiyskoye telegrafnoye agentstvo''), abbr. ROSTA, was the state news agency in Soviet Russia (1918-35). After the creation of Telegraph Agency ...

in Berlin. On 9 November 1918 he led the occupation of police headquarters in Berlin, the infantry guarding the building surrendering their weapons without a struggle.Broue, P. (2006) ''The German Revolution 1917-1923'' Chicago: Haymarket pg.148 Inside the building Eichhorn took over the office of police chief and 600 political prisoners were set free. Amongst his deputies was

Revolutionary Stewards During the First World War (1914–1918), the Revolutionary Stewards ( German: ''Revolutionäre Obleute'') were shop stewards who were independent from the official unions and freely chosen by workers in various German industries. They rejected ...

activist Anton Grylewicz.Broue, P. (2006) ''The German Revolution 1917-1923'' Chicago: Haymarket pg.768 The attempt to dismiss Eichhorn by the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

n cabinet on 4 January 1919 and to replace him with the SPD politician Eugen Ernst provoked mass opposition and a general strike,Broue, P. (2006) ''The German Revolution 1917-1923'' Chicago: Haymarket pg.239 with Eichhorn declaring the following day in front of a mass demonstration of 200,000, "I got my job from the Revolution, and I shall give it up only to the Revolution."Broue, P. (2006) ''The German Revolution 1917-1923'' Chicago: Haymarket pg.241 The attempt to remove Eichhorn had been preceded by slander in ''

Vorwärts ''Vorwärts'' (, "Forward") is a newspaper published by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Founded in 1876, it was the central organ of the SPD for many decades. Following the party's Halle Congress (1891), it was published daily as ...

'' accusing him of having received Russian gold, possessing stolen foodstuffs and illegally bought arms. On 6 January both the Central Committee of the councils and the Berlin executive approved the decision to remove Eichhorn, however earlier that day supporters of Eichhorn had occupied several building including the ''Vorwärts'' office which was the precursor to the

Spartacist uprising The Spartacist uprising (German: ), also known as the January uprising (), was a general strike and the accompanying armed struggles that took place in Berlin from 5 to 12 January 1919. It occurred in connection with the November Revolutio ...

.Broue, P. (2006) ''The German Revolution 1917-1923'' Chicago: Haymarket pg.246 In 1920, Eichhorn joined the KPD when it merged with the USPD left, but left after

Paul Levi Paul Levi (11 March 1883 – 9 February 1930) was a German communist and social democratic political leader. He was the head of the Communist Party of Germany following the assassination of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1919. After being ...

was expelled in 1921, although he remained a KPD deputy until he died in Berlin in July 1925.

References

External links

Spartacus Educational page on Eichhorn
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eichhorn, Emil 1863 births 1925 deaths Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians Independent Social Democratic Party politicians Communist Party of Germany politicians Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic