The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Bernstein, Eduard

BERNSTEIN, Eduard, leader of the German social democracy: b. Berlin, 6 Jan. 1850. As a young man he edited socialistic newspapers in Berlin until the vehemence of his opposition to the government of Bismarck made it desirable for him to leave Germany. After the publication of his criticism of Marxist doctrines he was permitted to return to Germany, where in 1901, he became editor of Vorwärts. In 1902 he became editor of Dokumente des Sozialismus. He contends that every movement for the advancement of the people should be encouraged and taken advantage of by the common people, whom he urges to take an active part in politics. He regrets the materialistic conception of history as inadequate to explain modern social evolution. He was elected to the Reichstag in 1902, failed at the elecrions of 1907, but was returned in 1912. His published works, besides an edition (1891-93) of the speeches and writings of Lasalle (translated into English, 1893, by E. Aveling), include ‘Die Voraussetzungen des Sozialismus und die Aufgaben der Sozialdomokratie’ (1899, 1909); ‘Zur Geschichte und Theorie des Sozialismus’ (1904); ‘Die heutige Sozialdemokratie in Theorie und Praxis’ (1905); ‘Die Geschichte der Berliner Arbeiterbewegung’ (1907-10).