Bebel - August Bebel

German socialist and leader of the German Social Democratic Party. Born in Cologne to a poor army officer. As a child, his biological and adoptive fathers died, and he attended a charity school in Wetzlar. At the age of 13, he lost his mother and became an apprentice to a lathe operator. Five years later, he became independent and became a traveling craftsman. In 1860, he participated in a strike to demand better working conditions at a factory in Leipzig. This was his first encounter with the labor movement. In 1861, he joined the Workers' Educational Association shortly after its founding. In 1865, he met W. Liebknecht, who strongly influenced him in Marxism and they became friends. In 1867, he became chairman of the Federation of German Workers' Associations, and in 1869, he founded the Social Democratic Workers' Party (Eisenach faction, the parent body of the Social Democratic Party), which incorporated the statutes and preamble of the First International into its platform. On the other hand, from 1867, he was active in parliament as a member of the North German League parliament, and then as a member of the National Diet (1871-1881, 1883-1913). From the end of 1870, he was imprisoned for six months on charges of libeling Bismarck, and from 1872, he was imprisoned for about five years on charges of treason and lèse majesté. During this time, he merged with the Lassalle faction to form the Socialist Workers Party, and when the Anti-Socialist Law came into effect in 1878, he led the activities of this illegal organization. When the law was abolished in 1890, the Social Democratic Party was legalized and renamed, and as Chairman of the Standing Committee, he led the expansion of the party organization, party activities centered on social policy, and election campaigns. He played a major role in building a mass political party based on Marxist ideals and in the struggle against militarism. His works include "On Women" and "My Life."

[Motoko Oki]

"Revised translation of The Woman's Theory, Volumes 1 and 2 (Iwanami Bunko)" translated by Heisaku Kusama

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツの社会主義者、ドイツ社会民主党の指導者。ケルンの貧しい陸軍士官の子として生まれる。幼児期、実父および養父に死別し、ウェツラーの慈善学校に通った。13歳で母と死別し、旋盤工の徒弟となった。5年後独立して渡り職人となり、1860年ライプツィヒの工場で待遇改善を求めたストライキに参加。これが労働運動との出会いとなった。1861年労働者教育協会の創立後まもなく加入。1865年W・リープクネヒトと出会い、彼からマルクス主義の影響を強く受け、以後親交を結ぶ。1867年ドイツ労働者協会連盟議長となり、1869年には第一インターナショナルの規約や前文を綱領に取り入れた社会民主労働者党（アイゼナハ派、社会民主党の母体）を創設。他方1867年から北ドイツ同盟会議員、続いて国会議員（1871～1881、1883～1913）として議会活動を展開した。1870年末から半年間ビスマルク誹毀(ひき)のかどで、1872年から約5年間反逆罪および不敬罪で入獄した。この間ラッサール派との合同を果たして社会主義労働者党をつくり、1878年社会主義者鎮圧法が施行されるや、非合法の組織活動を指導した。1890年の同法廃止とともに合法化されて改名された社会民主党で、彼は常務委員会委員長として党組織の拡大、社会政策中心の党活動、選挙運動を指導した。マルクス主義を理念とする大衆政党の建設や軍国主義との闘争に果たした彼の役割は大きい。『婦人論』『わが生涯』などの著作がある。

［大木基子］

『草間平作訳『改訳　婦人論』上下（岩波文庫）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例