On January 15, 1919, she was murdered by German free corpse soldiers, for whom she was the most hateful figure on the left: Rosa Luxemburg, born in 1871, an educated woman, Jewish of Polish origin.
Studied economics at the age of 47, an open-hearted opponent of Lenin on the international stage of the revolution, charismatic speaker and powerful author.
A child of a tender, idealistic education, a woman who read in four languages, an admirer of Goethe - on the one hand.
And on the other hand: a preacher for the workers who was not afraid of any insult or dramatization, trained in a brutal Marxist rhetoric that was always on the whole because she was concerned with the whole.
What the class question meant in their time: capitalist or worker, bloodsuckers or exploited, haves or poor.
She could have had no idea of the pressing problems of today - the impending ecological collapse, the translation of social justice into questions of identity.
Our material wealth, our comfortable flirting on the one hand, and our rather depressive future expectations on the other hand were inconceivable for their generation.
And yet she dealt with at least three fundamental political complexes that have remained topical to this day: nationalism, imperialism and finally with the question of who actually brings social change: the wild demonstrators, carried by emotions - or the strict cadres of the parties?
Read more with Spiegel Plus
More perspectives, more understanding.
Your advantages with SPIEGEL +
Icon: Check
SPIEGEL as a magazine
as an e-paper in the app and on the web
Icon: Check
All articles on SPIEGEL.de
exclusive texts for SPIEGEL + readers
Icon: Check
Try one month for free
can be canceled online at any time
One month for € 0.00
Try it now for € 0.00Arrow to the right
Already have a digital subscription? Register here
Read more with Spiegel Plus
More perspectives, more understanding.
Your advantages with SPIEGEL +
Icon: Check
SPIEGEL as a magazine
as an app and e-paper
Icon: Check
All articles on SPIEGEL.de
exclusive texts for SPIEGEL + readers
Icon: Check
Only € 19.99 per month
can be canceled at any time
Buy Now Right Arrow
Already have a digital subscription? Register here
Restore iTunes subscription
SPIEGEL + is processed via your iTunes account and paid for with a purchase confirmation.
24 hours before it expires, the subscription is automatically renewed by one month at the current price of € 19.99.
You can cancel the subscription at any time in the settings of your iTunes account.
To use SPIEGEL + outside of this app, you must link the subscription to a SPIEGEL ID account immediately after purchasing.
With the purchase you accept our general terms and conditions and privacy policy.