Wilhelm Weitling facts for kids
Wilhelm Christian Weitling (born October 5, 1808 – died January 25, 1871) was a German tailor, inventor, and a strong supporter of new political ideas. He was one of the first people to write about communism. Weitling became well-known in Europe for his ideas before he moved to the United States.
Besides his many writings about politics, Weitling was also a successful inventor. He created special parts for sewing machines, like tools for double-stitching and making buttonholes.
Contents
Wilhelm Weitling's Life
Early Life and Education
Wilhelm Christian Weitling was born in Magdeburg, Prussia. His mother was Christiane Weitling, and his father was Guilliaume Terijon, a French officer who was staying in Prussia. His parents never married, and his father died in 1812 during the French invasion of Russia.
Wilhelm grew up very poor. He was often cared for by others while his mother worked hard as a maid and cook to earn enough money to live. He didn't go to school much, only having basic lessons at the public school in Magdeburg. He learned a lot by reading on his own at the local library. He was raised as a Roman Catholic until he was 12 and read the Bible carefully. He could quote parts of it throughout his life. Because of his parents, Wilhelm spoke both French and German. Later, he also learned English and some Italian.
Wilhelm started training as a tailor when he was young. He lived with his master and learned how to make clothes for both women and men very well. At 18, he became a skilled worker and left his hometown to travel across the German states looking for work. In 1830, he arrived in Leipzig, where he became interested in politics and started writing funny poems that made fun of things. He moved to Dresden in 1832 and then to Vienna in 1834. There, he made artificial flowers and decorations for women's clothes.
In 1837, Weitling moved to Paris, a city he had visited briefly two years before. He stayed there for four years and became deeply involved in the new political ideas of that time. He was especially interested in the writings of thinkers like Fourier, Owen, and Cabet.
Becoming a Political Thinker
In 1837, Wilhelm Weitling joined a group called the League of the Just. He took part in protests and street fights with workers in Paris in 1839. One historian, Tristram Hunt, described Weitling's ideas as a strong mix of Babouvist communism, Christian beliefs about a new world, and ideas from ordinary people.
Weitling believed that communism should be brought about by force. He thought that a large army of former prisoners could help make this happen. After this, he imagined a world where everyone shared everything, lived in peace, and worked together. He even thought he would lead this new society. While other thinkers like Marx and Engels focused on how factories and modern work changed society, Weitling looked back to older ideas. He was inspired by groups from the 1500s who tried to create a perfect society. Many people across Europe were drawn to Weitling's exciting mix of religious ideas and early communism, which sometimes annoyed Marx and Engels.
In 1838, Weitling published his first book, Die Menschheit, wie sie ist und wie sie sein sollte (The human race as it is, and as it should be). This book was translated into Hungarian and other languages.
In 1841, after a failed uprising by a group called the Blanquists, Weitling went to Switzerland. He visited Geneva, Vevey, and Langenthal before settling in Zurich in 1843. In all these places, he spread his ideas about communism through his speeches and writings. One important work from this time was his 1842 book, Garantien der Harmonie und Freiheit (Guarantees of harmony and freedom).
Challenges and Travels
Weitling's book Das Evangelium eines armen Sünders (The poor sinner's gospel) came out in 1845. By this time, the Swiss authorities were paying attention to him. He was arrested and put on trial for trying to stir up revolution. He was also accused of showing disrespect to religion because he had published a text that said Jesus Christ was a communist and questioned his birth story. He was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison.
After he was released, he was sent back to Prussia. He lived for a short time in Hamburg, but then he traveled to London, Treves, Brussels, and finally to New York City.
In his 1847 book Gospel of Poor Sinners, Weitling explained how he saw connections between communism and early Christian beliefs.
When the revolutions of 1848 in Germany began, Weitling returned to Germany. He spoke about his communist ideas, but they didn't have much impact. When the revolutions failed in 1849, he went back to New York. He was one of many Germans who moved to the U.S. after these failed revolutions, often called the Forty-Eighters.
Weitling's book Guarantees of Harmony and Freedom was praised by other thinkers like Bruno Bauer, Ludwig Feuerbach, and Mikhail Bakunin. Karl Marx, in an article from 1844, called Weitling's work the "strong and brilliant start of German workers' writing." Marx admired Weitling's deep and thoughtful ideas.
Life in America
Weitling continued to work for communism in the United States. In January 1850, he started publishing a monthly magazine called Die Republik der Arbeiter (The Republic of Workers). By the end of that year, it had about 4,000 readers. Later in his life, he shifted his focus from political work to studying technology and space. For seven years, he worked at Castle Garden, a place where immigrants arrived in New York.
He received nine patents for making sewing machines better, including tools for double stitching, making buttonholes, and embroidery. He also got a patent for a machine that made ruffles for dresses, which he had worked on for 17 years. When he died, he left behind several machines he was still working on.
He also took part in an experimental German-American community called Communia, Iowa. Wilhelm Weitling died in New York City. He left behind his wife and six children.
Works
- Die Menschheit, wie sie ist und wie sie sein sollte (1838/39) German text online
- Guarantees of harmony and freedom (Garantien der Harmonie und Freiheit; 1842) German text online
- The poor sinner's gospel (Das Evangelium eines armen Sünders; 1845)
- Ein Nothruf an die Männer der Arbeit und der Sorge, Brief an die Landsleute (1847)
See also
In Spanish: Wilhelm Weitling para niños
- League of the Just
