The

Left Communists Left communism, or the communist left, is a position held by the left wing of communism, which criticises the political ideas and practices held by Marxist–Leninists and social democrats. Left communists assert positions which they regard ...

were a group of members of the Reichstag and the

Prussian Landtag The Landtag of Prussia () was the representative assembly of the Kingdom of Prussia implemented in 1849, a bicameral legislature consisting of the upper House of Lords (''Herrenhaus'') and the lower House of Representatives (''Abgeordnetenhaus'') ...

expelled from the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (, ; KPD ) was a major Far-left politics, far-left political party in the Weimar Republic during the interwar period, German resistance to Nazism, underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and minor party ...

(KPD) in the period 1926–1928.

Reichstag

The Left Communists in the Reichstag were not a uniform political group, but merely a "technical" group to achieve group or parliamentary rights, totalling 15 politicians who had been expelled from the KPD between January 1926 and February 1928. These were both former members of the "left" wing of the KPD, such as

Ruth Fischer Ruth Fischer (11 December 1895 – 13 March 1961) was an Austrian and German Communist, and a co-founder of the Austrian Communist Party (KPÖ) in 1918. Along with her partner Arkadi Maslow, she led the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) throug ...

, Hugo Urbahns, and Werner Scholem, as well as "ultra-left" members of parliament such as Iwan Katz,

Karl Korsch Karl Korsch (; August 15, 1886 – October 21, 1961) was a German Marxist theoretician and political philosopher. He is recognized as one of the "dissidents" that challenged the Marxism of the Second International of Karl Kautsky, Georgi Plekhan ...

, Ernst Schwarz, Heinrich Schlagewerth ( de), and Karl Tiedt ( de), there was no consensus on fundamental questions for communists, such as the question of a

united front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...

, the attitude to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, or the ADGB trade unions.

Prussian Landtag

There was also in a group of eight deputies in the Prussian Landtag between 1927 and 1928 who were left communists, led by Anton Grylewicz.

Dissolution

In 1928, some members of the Left Communists such as Fischer, Urbahns, and Otto Weber participated in the founding of the Lenin League ( de), others engaged in

council communist Council communism or councilism is a current of communist thought that emerged in the 1920s. Inspired by the November Revolution, council communism was opposed to state socialism and advocated workers' councils and council democracy. Co ...

groups, or retired from politics after the loss of the mandate in the May 1928 elections.

Members

Reichstag deputies

* Hans Bohla *

* Iwan Katz * Georg Kenzler *

* Heinrich Schlagewerth * Paul Schlecht * Werner Scholem * Wilhelm Schwan * Ernst Schwarz * Karl Tiedt * Hugo Urbahns * Karl Vierath * Otto Weber

Landtag deputies

Wolfgang Bartels Wolfgang Bartels (14 July 1940 – 6 February 2007) was a German Alpine skiing, alpine skier who competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1964 Winter Olympics. He was born in Bischofswiesen and died in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. In 1964 he ...

* Anton Grylewicz * Guido Heym * Otto Kilian * Peter Loquingen * Fritz Lossau * Gustav Müller

Other members

Arkadi Maslow Arkadi Maslow , born Isaak Yefimowich Chemerinsky (March 9, 1891 – November 20, 1941) was a communist politician in the German Republic, Along with his partner Ruth Fischer, he was a leading figure in the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) t ...

References

Bibliography

*Otto Langels: ''Die ultralinke Opposition der KPD in der Weimarer Republik. Zur Geschichte und Theorie der KPD-Opposition (Linke KPD), der Entschiedenen Linken, der Gruppe „Kommunistische Politik“ und des Deutschen Industrie-Verbandes in den Jahren 1924 bis 1928'' (= ''Europäische Hochschulschriften.'' Reihe 31: ''Politikwissenschaft.'' Bd. 65) Lang, Frankfurt am Main u. a. 1984, (Zugleich: Heidelberg, Universität, Dissertation, 1984). *

Rüdiger Zimmermann Rüdiger (English ''Ruediger'', ''Rudiger'', Roger) is a German given name. The meaning comes from Old High German: ''hruod'' (fame) and ''ger'' (spear). The name became popular because of the character Rüdiger von Bechelaren from ''Nibelung''. ...

: ''Der Leninbund. Linke Kommunisten in der Weimarer Republik'' (= ''Beiträge zur Geschichte des Parlamentarismus und der politischen Parteien.'' Bd. 62). Droste, Düsseldorf 1978, (Zugleich: Darmstadt, Technische Hochschule, Dissertation, 1976). {{Weimar Republic political parties 1924 establishments in Germany 1928 disestablishments in Germany Defunct communist parties in Germany Defunct socialist parties in Germany Left communist organizations Political parties disestablished in 1928 Political parties established in 1924 Political parties in the Weimar Republic Politics of the Weimar Republic Weimar Republic