Hans Brodmerkel (29 March 1887 – 2 February 1932) was a German politician and revolutionary activist. A co-founder of the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, , KPD ) was a major political party in the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933, an underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and a minor party in West German ...

(KPD), Brodmerkel was Chairman of the

workers' and soldiers' council A workers' council or labor council is a form of political and economic organization in which a workplace or municipality is governed by a council made up of workers or their elected delegates. The workers within each council decide on what thei ...

in the

Bremen Soviet Republic The Bremen Soviet Republic (German: Die Bremer Räterepublik) was an unrecognised, short-lived state, existing for 25 days in 1919. It consisted of the state of Bremen, Germany. The republic was established amid the German Revolution (after defea ...

, and a member of the

Parliament of Bremen In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

Biography

Born in

Burgebrach Burgebrach () is a market town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg and the seat of the administrative community (''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'') of Burgebrach. Geography Burgebrach is said to be the eastern gateway to the Steigerwald (forest ...

( Upper Franconia) in 1887, Brodmerkel moved to

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

in 1911, becoming a butcher. Since 1912, he was a member of the Association of Butchers. Before 1914, he was a member of the

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

, and during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was Chairman of the Association of Butchers. As a co-founder of '' Arbeiterpolitik'' and a member of the ''Bremer Linksradikale'', the Social Democrats' radical left-wing in Bremen, he was briefly imprisoned in June 1916 for distributing illegal pamphlets. Brodmerkel was a delegate of the Bremen left-wing radicals during the April 6, 1917 founding conference of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD), in Gotha. He was later member of a commission for the foundation of a left-wing party in July–August 1917 in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, and in 1918 a member of the ''Internationale Kommunisten Deutschland'', a short-lived predecessor to Communist Party of Germany. Soon after, Brodmerkel participated in the founding congress of the KPD (30 December 1918 – 1 January 1919). When the

German Revolution of 1918–19 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

broke out, Brodmerkel first served as Vice Chairman of the Action Committee founded in a Faulenstraße union hall by four USPD members and three left-wing radicals, among them Brodmerkel. After the election of a hundred and eighty deputies the Action Committee was completed, and a

was formed. Brodmerkel later became its chairman, and participated in the founding of the Bremen Soviet Republic, which was put down by the government shortly afterwards. After the failure of the revolution, Brodmerkel was elected a deputy of the Bürgerschaft (Parliament) of Bremen in 1923, as a representative of the Communist Party. Clashes ensued within the Bremen branch of the KPD in 1924, after Eugen Eppstein had been designated district manager by the 'ultra-left' in the KPD Berlin headquarters in May. In early 1925, Brodmerkel was expelled from the Communist Party together with Adolf Ehlers and Wilhelm Deisen on charges of being right-wing, but was readmitted by the end of the year. Again expelled in 1929, Brodmerkel joined the

Communist Party of Germany (Opposition) The Communist Party of Germany (Opposition) (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Opposition)), generally abbreviated as KPO or KPD(O), was a communist opposition organisation established at the end of 1928 and maintaining its existence unt ...

instead. He died in Bremen on 2 February 1932, only months before the July federal elections.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brodmerkel, Hans Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians Independent Social Democratic Party politicians Communist Party of Germany politicians Communist Party of Germany (Opposition) politicians German revolutionaries People of the German Revolution of 1918–1919 1887 births 1932 deaths