Eduard Fuchs
Encyclopedia
Eduard Fuchs was a German Marxist
scholar of culture and history, writer, art collector, and political activist.
Fuchs' father was a shopkeeper. Early in his life, the younger Fuchs developed socialist and Marxist political convictions. In 1886, he joined the outlawed
political party Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei (the precursor of the modern SPD
, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands). Fuchs received a doctor of law degree and practiced as an attorney. In 1892, he became editor-in-chief of the satiric weekly Süddeutscher Postillon and later co-editor of the Leipziger Volkszeitung. His inflammatory articles in newspapers—one accusing the Kaiser of being a mass murderer—resulted in periodic jail sentences. During his periods of confinement, Fuchs wrote various social histories utilizing images as one of his primary sources. The first of these was his Karikatur der europäischen Völker (Caricatures of European Peoples), 1902.
He moved to Berlin
that same year were he edited the socialist newspaper Vorwärts. The following year he began his magnum opus, an examination of moral practice, Sittengeschichte, eventually running to six volumes by 1912. While engaged in this series, he followed up his interest in caricatures with one devoted to the representation of women, Die Frau in der Karikatur, 1905 (3 vols). Another book documenting the stereotypical representations of Jews appeared in 1912. Fuchs traveled with the artist Max Slevogt
to Egypt in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I. He was a pacifist during the War. Lenin's government put him in charge of prisoner exchange with Germany after the war; he was among the leaders of the German Comintern in Berlin in 1919. His interest in societal concerns in caricature led to a research interest in Daumier
. Beginning in 1920, Fuchs published a catalogue raisonné
on the artist in three volumes. He resigned from the party in 1929, following the expulsion of several stalwarts. At Hitler's ascension to power in Germany in 1933, Fuchs moved to France.
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
scholar of culture and history, writer, art collector, and political activist.
Fuchs' father was a shopkeeper. Early in his life, the younger Fuchs developed socialist and Marxist political convictions. In 1886, he joined the outlawed
Anti-Socialist Laws
The Anti-Socialist Laws or Socialist Laws were a series of acts, the first of which was passed on October 19, 1878 by the German Reichstag lasting till March 31, 1881, and extended 4 times...
political party Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei (the precursor of the modern SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands). Fuchs received a doctor of law degree and practiced as an attorney. In 1892, he became editor-in-chief of the satiric weekly Süddeutscher Postillon and later co-editor of the Leipziger Volkszeitung. His inflammatory articles in newspapers—one accusing the Kaiser of being a mass murderer—resulted in periodic jail sentences. During his periods of confinement, Fuchs wrote various social histories utilizing images as one of his primary sources. The first of these was his Karikatur der europäischen Völker (Caricatures of European Peoples), 1902.
He moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
that same year were he edited the socialist newspaper Vorwärts. The following year he began his magnum opus, an examination of moral practice, Sittengeschichte, eventually running to six volumes by 1912. While engaged in this series, he followed up his interest in caricatures with one devoted to the representation of women, Die Frau in der Karikatur, 1905 (3 vols). Another book documenting the stereotypical representations of Jews appeared in 1912. Fuchs traveled with the artist Max Slevogt
Max Slevogt
Max Slevogt was a German Impressionist painter and illustrator, best known for his landscapes. He was, together with Lovis Corinth and Max Liebermann, one of the foremost representatives in Germany of the plein air style.-Biography:He was born in Landshut, Germany...
to Egypt in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I. He was a pacifist during the War. Lenin's government put him in charge of prisoner exchange with Germany after the war; he was among the leaders of the German Comintern in Berlin in 1919. His interest in societal concerns in caricature led to a research interest in Daumier
Honoré Daumier
Honoré Daumier was a French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor, whose many works offer commentary on social and political life in France in the 19th century....
. Beginning in 1920, Fuchs published a catalogue raisonné
Catalogue raisonné
The typical catalogue raisonné is a monograph giving a comprehensive catalogue of artworks by an artist.The essential elements of a catalogue raisonné are that it purports to be an exhaustive list of works for a defined subject matter describing the works in a way so that they may be reliably...
on the artist in three volumes. He resigned from the party in 1929, following the expulsion of several stalwarts. At Hitler's ascension to power in Germany in 1933, Fuchs moved to France.
Works
- 1848 in der Caricatur. München: Ernst 1898
- Die Karikatur der europäischen Völker vom Altertum bis zur Neuzeit (mit Hans Kraemer). Berlin: A. Hoffman 1902
- Die Karikatur der europäischen Völker vom Jahre 1848 bis zur Gegenwart. Berlin: A. Hoffman 1903
- Das erotische Element in der Karikatur. Berlin: A. Hoffman 1904
- Die Frau in der Karikatur. München: Albert Langen 1906
- Richard Wagner in der Karikatur (mit Ernst Kreowski). München: Albert Langen 1907
- Geschichte der erotischen Kunst. Band 1: Das zeitgeschichtliche Problem. München: Albert Langen 1908
- Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, Band 1: Renaissance. München: Albert Langen 1909
- Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, Band 2: Die galante Zeit. München: Albert Langen 1911
- Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, Band 3: Das bürgerliche Zeitalter. München: Albert Langen 1912
- Die Weiberherrschaft in der Geschichte der Menschheit (mit Alfred Kind). Erster Band. München: Albert Langen 1913
- Die Weiberherrschaft in der Geschichte der Menschheit (mit Alfred Kind). Zweiter Band. München: Albert Langen 1913
- Die Weiberherrschaft in der Geschichte der Menschheit (mit Alfred Kind). Ergänzungsband. München: Albert Langen 1913
- Der Weltkrieg in der Karikatur. Bis zum Vorabend des Krieges". München: Albert Langen 1916
- Die Juden in der Karikatur: ein Beitrage zur Kulturgeschichte. München: Albert Langen 1921
- Geschichte der erotischen Kunst. Band 2: Das individuelle Problem. Erster Teil. München: Albert Langen 1923
- Tang-Plastik: Chinesische Grabkeramik des VII. bis X. Jahrhunderts. München: Albert Langen, 1924
- Dachreiter und Verwandte: Chinesische Keramik des XV. bis XVIII. Jahrhunderts. München: A. Langen, 1924
- Gavarni. Hrsg. von Eduard Fuchs (mit Paul Gavarni). München: Albert Langen, 1925
- Geschichte der erotischen Kunst. Band 3: Das individuelle Problem. Zweiter Teil. München: Albert Langen 1926
- Honoré Daumier: Holzschnitte 1833-1872. München, A. Langen, 1927.
- Honoré Daumier: Lithographien 1828-1851. München, A. Langen, 1927
- Honoré Daumier: Lithographien 1852-1860. München, A. Langen, 1927.
- Honoré Daumier: Lithographien 1861-1872. München, A. Langen, 1927.
- Der Maler Daumier. München: Albert Langen 1930
- Die grossen Meister der Erotik: ein Beitrag zum Problem des Schöpferischen in der Kunst; Malerei und Plastik. München: Albert Langen, 1931
Further reading
- Walter Benjamin: Eduard Fuchs, der Sammler und der Historiker. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung, Jg. 6, 1937, S. 346-381; English translation "Edward Fuchs, Collector and Historian", in Walter Benjamin Selected Writings, Volume 3 1935-1938, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2002, p260-302. ISBN 0-674-00896-0
- Theodor Bergmann: "Gegen den Strom." Die Geschichte der KPD (Opposition). Hamburg 2001. ISBN 3879758360
- Honoré Daumier, Eduard Fuchs, Shelley Butler Neltnor: "Holzschnitte, 1833-1870". München: A. Langen, 1918.
- Peter Gorsen: "Wer war Eduard Fuchs?" In: "Zeitschrift für Sexualwissenschaft", Jg. 19, Heft 3, Sept. 2006, S. 215-233
- Thomas Huonker: "Revolution, Moral & Kunst. Eduard Fuchs: Leben und Werk". Zürich: Limmat-Verlag 1985, ISBN 3857910887
- Ulrich Weitz: "Salonkultur und Proletariat: Eduard Fuchs, Sammler, Sittengeschichtler, Sozialist". Stuttgart: Stöffler & Schütz, c1991.
- Eduard Fuchs, Karl Kaiser, Ernst Klaar, Klaus Völkerling: "Aus dem Klassenkampf: soziale Gedichte". München 1894. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1978.