Born: July 5, 1857 (Wiederau, Saxony, Germany)
Died: 1933 (Unknown location)
Biography:
Clara Zetkin was a prominent figure in the German Marxist movement, a passionate communist activist, and a leading advocate for women’s rights. Born Clara Josephine Eißner on July 5, 1857, in the small peasant village of Wiederau, in Saxony, Germany, she grew up as the eldest of three children. Her father, Gottfried Eissner, was a schoolmaster and church organist, known for his devout Protestant beliefs, while her mother, Josephine Vitale, came from a middle-class family in Leipzig and had French roots.
In 1872, Zetkin’s family relocated to Leipzig, where she attended the Leipzig Teachers’ College for Women. It was during her time there that she first became involved with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the nascent socialist political party in Germany. Zetkin’s fervor for socialist ideals was further ignited by the ban on socialist activities imposed by Otto von Bismarck in 1878.
Seeking a more conducive environment for her political activism, Zetkin moved to Zurich, Switzerland, in 1882 and later found temporary refuge in Paris, France, where she studied journalism and translation. While in Paris, she played a crucial role in the establishment of the Socialist International group. It was during this time that she also adopted the name of her lover, Ossip Zetkin, a Russian-Jewish Marxist with whom she had two sons, Maxim and Konstantin (known as Kostja).
Tragically, Ossip Zetkin fell gravely ill in early 1889 and passed away later that year. Devastated by her loss, Clara Zetkin relocated to Stuttgart with her two sons. In 1899, she married artist Georg Friedrich Zundel, who was 18 years her junior. They remained married until 1928.
Zetkin’s political career truly blossomed following her marriage to Ossip Zetkin. She quickly established herself as a dedicated member of the Social Democratic Party, fully embracing its Marxist approach to women’s liberation. By the 1880s, she had become actively engaged in socialist meetings, eventually leading her to go into exile in Switzerland and France due to the increasingly hostile political climate in Germany.
Upon her return to Germany nearly a decade later, Zetkin assumed the role of editor for the Social Democratic Party’s women’s newspaper, Die Gleichheit (Equality), which she held for an impressive 25 years. Through her work as an editor, Zetkin paved the way for the advancement of women’s rights within the German socialist movement, bringing the struggles and triumphs of women to the forefront of public discourse.
Zetkin’s dedication to women’s issues extended beyond Germany’s borders. She actively participated in the women’s movement and labor movement, making valuable connections with leaders and activists of her time. One of her notable collaborations was with Rosa Luxemburg, another influential Marxist theorist and feminist.
In recognition of her unwavering commitment to socialism, women’s liberation, and the fight against oppression, Zetkin represented the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) in the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic, serving from 1920 until her death in 1933. Her tireless efforts to bring about social and political reform have left an indelible mark on women’s history and have inspired generations of activists to continue the fight for equality and social justice.