Johann Georg Eccarius (also known as John George Eccarius; 23 August 1818 – 5 March 1889) was a

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

n tailor and labour activist. Eccarius was a member of the

League of the Just The League of the Just (German: ''Bund der Gerechten'') or League of Justice was a Christian communist international revolutionary organization. It was founded in 1836 by branching off from its ancestor, the League of Outlaws (German: ''Bund der ...

and later of the

Communist League The Communist League (German: ''Bund der Kommunisten)'' was an international political party established on 1 June 1847 in London, England. The organisation was formed through the merger of the League of the Just, headed by Karl Schapper, and the ...

before becoming General Secretary of the

International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), often called the First International (1864–1876), was an international organisation which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist groups and trad ...

(IWA), commonly known as the First International, in 1867.

Biography

Early years

Johann Georg Eccarius, also known by the Anglicized name John George Eccarius, was born on 23 August 1818 in

Friedrichroda Friedrichroda () is a town in the district of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the north foot of the Thuringian Forest, 21 km by rail southwest of the town of Gotha. It is surrounded by fir-clad hills and possesses numerous han ...

(today part of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Political career

Eccarius was a member of the

and later of the

. On 28 September 1864, Eccarius was a participant at the first meeting of the

(IWA) at St. Martin's Hall in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

.Irene Bach (ed.), "Johann Georg (John George) Eccarius," in Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the CC, CPSU, ''The General Council of the First International, 1866-1868: Minutes.'' Moscow: Progress Publishers, n.d.

974 Year 974 ( CMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Battle of Danevirke: Emperor Otto II defeats the rebel forces of King Harald I, who ha ...

pg. 420. Eccarius would there be chosen as a member of the governing

General Council General council may refer to: In education: * General Council (Scottish university), an advisory body to each of the ancient universities of Scotland * General Council of the University of St Andrews, the corporate body of all graduates and senio ...

, a position he would retain until the transfer of the headquarters of the International to America in 1872. Eccarius would be a fixture of the IWA, attending every international conference and congress of that organization for its entire 8-year duration in Europe. On 9 July 1867, General Secretary of the IWA Robert Shaw resigned his position owing to an inability to find work in London, which made his position as head of the General Council there untenable.Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the CC, CPSU, ''The General Council of the First International, 1866-1868: Minutes.'' Lydia Belyakova, editor. Moscow: Progress Publishers, n.d.

pp. 133-134. Upon the nomination of journalist Peter Fox, Eccarius was unanimously elected the new head of that organization. He would serve as the formal head of the IWA until 1871. From 1870 until 1872, Eccarius was the Corresponding Secretary of the IWA for America, serving as the point of contact with the organization's adherents on the other side of the Atlantic. He served as treasurer for the short lived

Land and Labour League The Land and Labour League was formed in October 1869 by a group of radical trade unionists affiliated to the International Working Men's Association. Its formation was precipitated by discussion of the land question at the Basle Congress of 1869. ...

from 1869 to 1873.

Later years

In the late 1870s, he was active in the Manhood Suffrage League. E. P. Thompson, ''William Morris'', pp. 281-282.

Death and legacy

Eccarius died on 4 March 1889.

Footnotes

External links

"Johann Georg Eccarius Archive,"
Marxists Internet Archive, www.marxists.org/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Eccarius, Johann 1818 births 1889 deaths People from Friedrichroda German communists British communists Members of the International Workingmen's Association