''Der Pionier'' () was one of two official organs of the radical socialist

Free Association of German Trade Unions Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, the ability to act or change without constraint or restriction * Emancipate, attaining civil and political rights or equality * Free (''gratis''), free of charge * Gratis versus libre, the difference bet ...

(FVdG). With its founding in 1897, the FVdG also started the newspaper ''

Einigkeit ''Die Einigkeit'' (German for ''The Unity'') was a German newspaper, which appeared from 19 June 1897 to 8 August 1914. It was the organ of the radical socialist Free Association of German Trade Unions (FVdG). Its original editor was Gustav Kessl ...

'' (''Unity'') as its official organ. As the FVdG, came into conflict with the

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...

(SPD) more and more from 1903 on, anarchists, especially

Fritz Köster Fritz Köster (1855–1934) was a German anarcho-syndicalist and trade unionist. Biography Born in 1855 in Rodenberg, Hesse (now in Lower Saxony), Köster was active in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) starting in the early 1880s. H ...

and Andreas Kleinlein gained influence in the union federation. After the SPD and the FVdG completely severed relations in 1908, the founding of another organ directed against the press of the SPD to convince workers to leave the party and join the FVdG was considered. The question was discussed at the FVdG congresses in 1908 and 1910 and the unionists decided to start ''Der Pionier''. The first issue appeared in the fall of 1911 and the newspaper was published on a weekly basis from there on. As it was edited by the anarchist Fritz Köster, ''Der Pionier'' used a much more aggressive tone than ''Einigkeit''. By 1912, it had a circulation of 4,500 copies. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, which the FVdG rejected, both ''Einigkeit'' and ''Der Pionier'' were suppressed. On 5 August 1914, ''Der Pionier'' published article written by Max Winkler and Fritz Kater, the head of the FVdG. This article reaffirmed the FVdG's antimilitarism in the face of the SPD-affiliated unions' collaboration with the German state. This became ''Der Pionier'' last issue.Thorpe 2000, pg. 197–198.

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* * * * Newspapers established in 1911 Publications disestablished in 1914 Defunct newspapers published in Germany Defunct weekly newspapers Socialist newspapers German-language newspapers Weekly newspapers published in Germany {{Germany-newspaper-stub