Ernst Fraenkel (political scientist)
Encyclopedia
Ernst Fraenkel was a German
political scientist. He was one of the founding fathers of German political science after World War II
.
During the Weimar Republic
Fraenkel was a member of the social democrats
and one of the few jurist
s who held socialist opinions. According to some historians in the 1930s he was designated to be Attorney General
of a possible social-democratic German government. In 1939 he immigrated to the United States where he began to develop his respect for the politics of that country
, especially its pluralism and its checks and balances.
. He served during the First World War from 1914 to 1918 in the German Army
. He wrote his dissertation in law about the void labour contract (Der nichtige Arbeitsvertrag) with the help of Hugo Sinzheimer
. During the Weimar Republic
he worked as a lawyer for labor law with Franz Leopold Neumann
, published scientific publications and was engaged in socialist politics. As a soldier in World War One he was still allowed to work to a limited extent even after the Nazis
came to power in 1933. He was connected to several resistance groups such as the Internationaler Sozialistischer Kampfbund
(International Socialist Fighting Alliance). In 1938 he finally immigrated to the United Kingdom
, in 1939 to the United states.
After studying American law Fraenkel lectured at the New School for Social Research. In 1941 he published The Dual State in which he analysed the political system of the Nazi state. For Fraenkel it was a "normative state" (Normenstaat) which secured the continuation of capitalist society for those Germans not threatened by Nazism coexisted alongside a "prerogative state" (Maßnahmenstaat) that used legal sanctions as well as brutal violence against people considered to be enemies of Nazism and Nazi Germany
.
From 1945 on Fraenkel was an adviser to the American government but was soon dissatisfied with their policy of occupation in Korea
. For the United Nations
he was supposed to be one of the people to prepare free elections in Korea, but the Korean War
made the elections impossible and forced Fraenkel to leave the country.
In 1951 Fraenkel returned to Germany. He became a lecturer at the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik (German University for Politics) in Berlin
and later a professor at the Freie Universität Berlin, where he founded the John F. Kennedy-Institute for North American Studies
. He considered his writings to be normative, his concept of pluralism was meant to criticize the existing political system. Those among his students who were active in the 1968 movement, however, saw his American-influenced theories as defending monopolistic capitalism. He died in Berlin
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
political scientist. He was one of the founding fathers of German political science after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
During the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
Fraenkel was a member of the social democrats
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
and one of the few jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
s who held socialist opinions. According to some historians in the 1930s he was designated to be Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of a possible social-democratic German government. In 1939 he immigrated to the United States where he began to develop his respect for the politics of that country
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
, especially its pluralism and its checks and balances.
Life
Fraenkel was born in a Jewish family in CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. He served during the First World War from 1914 to 1918 in the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
. He wrote his dissertation in law about the void labour contract (Der nichtige Arbeitsvertrag) with the help of Hugo Sinzheimer
Hugo Sinzheimer
Hugo Sinzheimer was a German legal scholar.-Biography:...
. During the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
he worked as a lawyer for labor law with Franz Leopold Neumann
Franz Leopold Neumann
Franz Leopold Neumann was a German-Jewish left-wing political activist, Marxist theorist and labor lawyer, who became a political scientist in exile and is best known for his theoretical analyses of National Socialism. He studied in Germany and the United Kingdom, and spent the last phase of...
, published scientific publications and was engaged in socialist politics. As a soldier in World War One he was still allowed to work to a limited extent even after the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
came to power in 1933. He was connected to several resistance groups such as the Internationaler Sozialistischer Kampfbund
Internationaler Sozialistischer Kampfbund
The Internationaler Sozialistischer Kampfbund was a socialist split-off from the SPD during the Weimar Republic and was active in the German Resistance against Nazism.- History :...
(International Socialist Fighting Alliance). In 1938 he finally immigrated to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in 1939 to the United states.
After studying American law Fraenkel lectured at the New School for Social Research. In 1941 he published The Dual State in which he analysed the political system of the Nazi state. For Fraenkel it was a "normative state" (Normenstaat) which secured the continuation of capitalist society for those Germans not threatened by Nazism coexisted alongside a "prerogative state" (Maßnahmenstaat) that used legal sanctions as well as brutal violence against people considered to be enemies of Nazism and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
From 1945 on Fraenkel was an adviser to the American government but was soon dissatisfied with their policy of occupation in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. For the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
he was supposed to be one of the people to prepare free elections in Korea, but the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
made the elections impossible and forced Fraenkel to leave the country.
In 1951 Fraenkel returned to Germany. He became a lecturer at the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik (German University for Politics) in 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...
and later a professor at the Freie Universität Berlin, where he founded the John F. Kennedy-Institute for North American Studies
John F. Kennedy-Institute for North American Studies
The John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies is a central institute at the Free University Berlin. The JFKI was founded in 1963 by Ernst Fraenkel, a political scientist and was named in the honor of John F. Kennedy after his assassination....
. He considered his writings to be normative, his concept of pluralism was meant to criticize the existing political system. Those among his students who were active in the 1968 movement, however, saw his American-influenced theories as defending monopolistic capitalism. He died in 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...
.
Works
- 1927 - Zur Soziologie des Klassenkampfes (Sociology of Class Warfare)
- 1931-1933 - "Chronik" des republikanischen Richterbundes (Chronicles of the Republikanischer Richterbund)
- 1941 - The Dual State
- 1960 - Das amerikanische Regierungssystem (The American System of Government)
- 1964 - Deutschland und die westlichen Demokratien (Germany and the Western Democracies)