Gustav Landauer

German anarchist philosopher and writer, late 19th and early 20th century

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About

Gustav Landauer (1870-1919) was a German anarchist philosopher and writer. Born into a prosperous Jewish family in Karlsruhe, he studied philosophy, German studies, and art history. As editor of the anarchist periodical Der Sozialist, he was imprisoned for incitement. Criticizing historical materialism, he advocated an ethical, voluntarist socialism based on voluntary cooperative communities. He participated in the Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919, briefly serving as Commissioner for Public Instruction. Arrested during the crackdown, he was murdered by Freikorps troops. His work influenced Martin Buber and Gershom Scholem.

* 1870-04-07 — † 1919-05-02

Major works

Skepsis und Mystik (1903)philosophical essay
Die Revolution (1907)essay
Aufruf zum Sozialismus (1911)political essay

Key milestones

1893Becomes editor of the anarchist periodical Der Sozialist and is sentenced to eleven months' imprisonment for incitement.
1908Founds the Socialist Federation (Sozialistischer Bund), an anti-parliamentary group.
1919Participates in the Bavarian Soviet Republic and is murdered by Freikorps troops after its fall.

Themes

anarchismethical socialismcritique of the statevoluntary communityJewish identity

Sources: jewishvirtuallibrary.org · lbi.org · encyclopedia.com

“The state is a condition, a certain relationship among human beings, a mode of human behavior; we destroy it by contracting other relationships, by behaving differently.”

— Gustav LandauerTheme · Politics

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“Anarchism is not a doctrine of salvation, but a view of life that is based on the recognition of the fact that the state is a social relationship that we can change.”

— Gustav LandauerTheme · Politics

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“The state is not something that can be destroyed by a revolution, but is a condition that must be destroyed by a new way of living.”

— Gustav LandauerTheme · Politics

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