Karl Theodor Ferdinand Grün (; 30 September 1817 – 18 February 1887), also known by his alias Ernst von der Haide, was a German journalist, philosopher, political theorist and

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

politician. He played a prominent role in radical political movements leading up to the Revolution of 1848 and participated in the revolution. He was an associate of

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; ; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was an outstanding poet, writer, and literary criticism, literary critic of 19th-century German Romanticism. He is best known outside Germany for his ...

, Ludwig Feuerbach,

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, ; ; 1809 – 19 January 1865) was a French anarchist, socialist, philosopher, and economist who founded mutualist philosophy and is considered by many to be the "father of anarchism". He was the first person to ca ...

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin. Sometimes anglicized to Michael Bakunin. ( ; – 1 July 1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist. He is among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major figure in the revolutionary socialist, s ...

and other radical political figures of the era. Although less widely known today, Grün was an important figure in the German ''

Vormärz ' (; English: ''pre-March'') was a period in the history of Germany preceding the 1848 March Revolution in the states of the German Confederation. The beginning of the period is less well-defined. Some place the starting point directly after ...

'',

Young Hegelian The Young Hegelians (), or Left Hegelians (''Linkshegelianer''), or the Hegelian Left (''die Hegelsche Linke''), were a group of German intellectuals who, in the decade or so after the death of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in 1831, reacted to an ...

philosophy and the democratic and socialist movements in nineteenth-century Germany. As a target of Marx's criticism, Grün played a role in the development of early Marxism. Through his philosophical influence on Proudhon, he had a certain influence on the development of French socialist theory.

Young Hegelianism, 'True Socialism' and early activism

Karl Theodor Ferdinand Grün was born in Lüdenscheid, a Westphalian town then under Prussian control. His father was a schoolmaster. His younger brother, , was a poet who later gained some notoriety for his role in the Revolution of 1848–49. While a secondary student at Wetzlar, Grün became involved in radical political activism, helping produce and distribute illegal democratic pamphlets. From 1835 to 1838 he studied philology and theology at the University of Bonn and philology and philosophy at the University of Berlin, where he completed a doctorate. One of Grün's fellow students was

. Grün and Marx frequented the radical philosophical circles of the Young Hegelians and were strongly influenced by the 'humanistic materialism' of Ludwig Feuerbach. Marx's rivalry with Grün subsequently led to a personal breach between them. Grün was also strongly influenced by contemporary French socialist theories, combining them with Young Hegelian and Feuerbachian philosophy and democratic politics. He was associated with the group of 'True Socialists' around Moses Hess, a Young Hegelian philosopher and forerunner of Labour Zionism. (Karl Marx and

Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels ( ;"Engels"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.Arnold Ruge,

Bruno Bauer Bruno Bauer (; ; 6 September 180913 April 1882) was a German philosopher and theologian. As a student of G. W. F. Hegel, Bauer was a radical Rationalist in philosophy, politics and Biblical criticism. Bauer investigated the sources of the New T ...

, Georg Herwegh and others. Grün argued that humans are material beings who are by nature social and need the community of others to survive. From Feuerbach he adopted the thesis that the idea of God is merely an alienated representation of human sociality or 'species being', reflecting the alienating and unjust character of actual human social conditions. Unlike Feuerbach, whose socialism was largely passive, Grün called for a 'philosophy of action', because the spiritual alienation of humanity in religion can only be overcome if the political-economic alienation of human beings from each other in society is overcome by means of revolutionary action. Like many Young Hegelians, Grün saw as parallel and complementary the development of socialist theory in France and the revolution of critical philosophy in Germany. Grün followed Hess and the 'True Socialists' in claiming that the struggle for human emancipation could not be successful unless critical philosophy became socialist and socialism were infused with philosophical criticism. (Marx came to reject this view as giving undue priority to ideology over material substructure.) Grün returned to Germany in 1842. His radical journalism, advocating democracy and professing republican and socialist sympathies, and his known association with radical political circles, made an academic career impossible. The University of Marburg even refused to have Grün as a post-doctoral student, and the Prussian authorities placed him on a list of 'political criminals'. He was expelled from several German states and lived in a number of cities over the next few years (most extensively in Cologne), supporting himself by means of journalism, giving lectures on literary topics and working as a school teacher. In democratic circles he enjoyed a certain celebrity. He contributed to, and edited, a number of radical publications, including the newspaper ''Der Sprecher'' ('The Speaker') and the monthly journal ''Bielefelder Monatsschrift''. Many of these publications were eventually outlawed by the authorities. In 1843, Grün (along with Marx, Hess and others) participated in the controversy over Bruno Bauer's essay 'The Jewish Question', which opposed civil rights for Jews. Grün rejected Bauer's position.

Exile, revolution, exile

In 1844, impoverished, under pressure from the censorship and fearing arrest, Grün once again went into exile. He first moved to Brussels, where he associated with the radical poet Ferdinand Freiligrath and once again crossed paths with Marx. Having been expelled by the Belgian government, along with Marx and other German refugees, he settled in Paris. There Grün befriended the anarchist philosopher

, whose writings had greatly influenced him and whose ideas he helped popularize among German radicals. In turn, Grün was instrumental in introducing Proudhon to Hegelian, Young Hegelian and Feuerbachian philosophy. Another acquaintance was the Russian exile

, who had been involved in Young Hegelian circles in Russia and Germany in the 1830s and 1840s and was also living in Paris. In 1845, Grün published a noteworthy early history of socialism in the francophone world, ''Die sozialen Bewegungen in Frankreich und Belgien''. Grün's exile was marked by great financial difficulty. In addition to his journalism, he worked for some time as a printer. In February 1848, Grün enthusiastically welcomed the French revolution against King Louis-Philippe and the establishment of the Second Republic. A month later, the revolution spread to several German states, and Grün returned to Germany. He settled in Trier, becoming a leading member of the local 'Democratic Club' and resuming his political journalism. In 1849 he won a by-election in Wittlich and sat as a deputy of the extreme left in the Prussian National Assembly. As the Revolution began to lose momentum, the Prussian government decided to dissolve the Assembly. Grün helped organize and spoke at a large protest rally, which led to a local insurrection and an attempt to storm the arsenal at Prüm. Though he did not participate in the storming of the arsenal, Grün was charged with 'intellectual responsibility' for the uprising and imprisoned. Upon his release, he once again went into exile. He returned to Brussels because he bitterly opposed the régime of Louis Bonaparte (Napoléon III), whose thinly veiled caesarian ambitions were confirmed by the ''coup d'état'' of December 1852. Grün lived in Brussels from 1850 to 1861, working mainly as a private tutor and writing polemics against Napoléon III. In 1859 he gave lectures at the University of Brussels.

Amnesty, literature and democratic politics

In 1861, an amnesty enabled Grün to return to Prussian territory. Over the next few months he travelled widely, giving lectures and attending the opening of the National Assembly of the newly unified Italian state in 1861. In 1862 he settled in

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, where he taught history of literature at the Polytechnic. He also wrote for the ''Neue Frankfurter Zeitung''. In 1865 he moved to Heidelberg. Grün remained politically active, becoming involved in the democratic 'People's Party' (one of the forerunners of the German Social-Democratic Party) and opposing Prussian ambitions to establish hegemony in Germany. In the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...

of 1866 he took an anti-Prussian stance, not out of sympathy for Habsburg imperial pretensions but out of hostility to Hohenzollern ambitions. In 1867 he attended the international Congress of the League of Peace and Freedom in Geneva, which was also attended by

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism and social liberalism, he contributed widely to s ...

, Bakunin and

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

. Prussia having won the war against Austria, Grün moved to Vienna in 1868, where he remained for the rest of his life. There he edited the periodical ''Democratic Correspondence'' and gave lectures on literature, art and philosophy. His publications during these years included an edition of the correspondence and posthumous writings of his mentor Ludwig Feuerbach, a two-volume philosophical biography of Feuerbach, a book-length critique of F.A. Lange's noted treatise on materialist philosophy and several other works on philosophy, art, literature and history. In 1871, Grün welcomed the uprising of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

. In the 1870s he supported the creation of workers' educational circles, which became one of the sources of the Austrian socialist party (founded after Grün's death). Grün died in Vienna in 1887.Biographical note contained in the ''Collected Works of'' Karl Marx and Frederick Engels: Volume 9'' (International Publishers: New York, 1977) p. 603.

Albert Grün (1822–1904)

Karl Grün's younger brother Albert Grün also played a role in the democratic and socialist circles of the 1830s and 1840s. Albert Grün was born in Lüdenscheid on May 31, 1822. He became politically active as early as 1836, at the age of 14. Under the influence of his brother Karl, Albert Grün became involved in illegal democratic circles, associated with the Young Hegelians and absorbed the philosophy of Feuerbach and the doctrines of the French socialists, Fourier, Proudhon, etc. He contributed to several radical publications and in 1846 was condemned for ''lèse majesté''. He escaped to Brussels, where he gave lectures on modern drama. During the 1848 revolution he returned to Germany. In Berlin he organized one of the earliest German labour unions, the 'Machine Builders' Association'. In 1849 Albert Grün played a role in the revolutionary Provisional Government of Saxony and in the armed uprisings in the Palatinate and in Baden. He was sentenced to death for his role in the Badensian revolution but escaped to the Alsatian capital of Strasbourg, France. There he gave lectures on literature and worked as a school teacher. Although Grün received an amnesty in the 1860s, he remained in Strasbourg. In 1871, as a result of the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, Germany annexed Alsace, but Grün was not molested. Grün continued to work as a teacher and tutor in various capacities. He was a member of the General Association for the German Language and worked for a reconciliation of the French and German nations. He also supported the German Social-Democratic party. Albert Grün published a variety of books on historical, political and literary topics. He died in Strasbourg on April 22, 1904.

Works of Karl Grün

Karl Grün's major works have so far not been translated into English, although some of his articles have been included in various anthologies of Young Hegelian writings. His publications in German include: *1843: ''Die Judenfrage. Gegen Bruno Bauer.'' 'The Jewish Question. Against Bruno Bauer.''*1844: ''

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

als Mensch, Geschichtschreiber, Denker und Dichter.'' 'Friedrich Schiller as Man, Historian, Philosopher and Poet.''*1845: ''Die soziale Bewegung in Frankreich und Belgien. Briefe und Studien.'' 'The Social Movement in France and Belgium. Letters and Studies.''*1846: ''Über

Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

vom menschlichen Standpunkte.'' 'On Goethe from the Human Standpoint.''*1860: ''Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, die Sphinx auf dem französischen Kaiserthron.'' 'Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the Sphinz on the French Imperial Throne.''*1861: ''Italien im Frühjahr 1861.'' 'Italy in the Spring of 1861.''*1872: ''Kulturgeschichte des 16. Jahrhunderts.'' 'Cultural History of the Sixteenth Century.''*1874: ''Ludwig Feuerbach'' (2 volumes). *1876: ''Die Philosophie in der Gegenwart.'' 'The Philosophy of the Present.''*1880: ''Kulturgeschichte des 17. Jahrhunderts.'' 'Cultural History of the Seventeenth Century.''*Grün also published a German translation of Proudhon's ''System of Economic Contradictions: The Philosophy of Poverty'' in 1847, and an edition of the radical poet

Ludwig Börne Karl Ludwig Börne (born Judah Löw Baruch; 6 May 1786 – 12 February 1837) was a German-Jewish political writer and satirist, who is considered part of the Young Germany movement. Early life Karl Ludwig Börne was born Loeb Baruch on 6 M ...

's ''Letters from Paris'' in 1868. A selection of his writings in German has been published, with a philosophical introduction, by Manuela Köppe: *Grün, K., ''Ausgewählte Schriften in zwei Bänden.'' Ed. M. Köppe. Berlin, 2005.

Works of Albert Grün

Albert Grün's writings are generally not available in English either. His writings in German include: *1846: ''Offener Brief an die Bonner Studenten.'' 'Open Letter to the Students of Bonn.''*1849: ''Das Frankfurter Vorparlament und seine Wurzeln in Frankreich und Deutschland.'' 'The Pre-Parliament of Frankfurt and its Roots in France and Germany.''*1851: ''Deutsche Flüchtlinge. Zeitbild.'' 'German Refugees. An Image of the Times.''*1856: ''Goethe's Faust.'' *1856: ''Das ABC der Ästhetik. Fünf Vorlesungen.'' 'The ABC of Aesthetics. Five Lectures.''*1859: ''Aus der Verbannung. Gedichte.'' 'From Exile. Poems.''

References

Sources

* , 'Grün, Karl'. In: ''

Neue Deutsche Biographie (''NDB''; Literal translation, literally ''New German Biography'') is a Biography, biographical reference work. It is the successor to the ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, Universal German Biography). The 27 volumes published thus far co ...

'' (NDB). Vol. 7, Berlin 1966, p. 186 f. * / Carl Hugo: ''Handbuch des Socialismus.'' Zürich 1894, p. 310f. * '' Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon'' (1905), Vol. 8, p. 442. * James Strassmeier, ''Karl Grün und die Kommunistische Partei 1845–1848.'' Trier 1973.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grun, Karl Theodor Ferdinand 1817 births 1887 deaths German socialists German revolutionaries 19th-century German journalists German male journalists 19th-century German male writers German People's Party (1868) politicians German emigrants to Austria People from Lüdenscheid Writers from Vienna Members of the Prussian National Assembly