Wild Clara's love dramas: how activist Zetkin solved the "women's question"

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

For her uncompromising nature, irrepressible temper and ardor in upholding the ideas of the revolution, she received the nickname Wild Clara. However, the victory of socialism was not the only dream of a German socialist, politician, activist of the struggle for women's rights - Clara Zetkin … She was no less zealous and radical in solving the “women's question”, advocating free love and embodying these ideas in her own life.

From her youth, Clara Eissner read the works of romantic writers and recited by heart the poems of her favorite poets. She first fell in love while studying. Her chosen one was a famous actor, who hardly knew about her existence. Teachers at a private teacher training boarding school in Leipzig had hoped that their 18-year-old graduate, Clara Eissner, would teach. But after graduation, the girl joined the Social Democratic Party and took up active political activities. Her parents were horrified by this turn of events and even wanted to put her under house arrest, but her daughter was adamant. At that time, she had already come under the influence of Osip Zetkin, an emigrant from Odessa, who infected her with the ideas of equality and brotherhood.

Both were passionate about the revolutionary struggle, both shared dreams of socialism and attended secret meetings and rallies. But the girl showed more ardor and zeal, for which she received the nickname Wild Clara from her friends. At first, they were united only by friendship, but soon it grew into something more. Osip confessed his love to her when he was handcuffed during a police raid. In 1880 he was expelled from Germany, and the 23-year-old associate also left the country without hesitation. She wanted to live with her beloved in France, but she was assigned to carry out party assignments in Austria and Switzerland. Only 2 years later, she was able to go to Paris.

They were never married, but Klara took the surname Osip and bore him two children. Their financial situation was very difficult, Clara had to work in three jobs, but she never gave in to difficulties - this only fueled her ardor. The activist has set up a women's work organization. Clara Zetkin stated: “Until that time, women existed under the sign of subordination in the family. Man and woman should have equal rights that enrich each other mutually. Both husband and wife are responsible for raising children. It was she who, in 1910, proposed the establishment of International Women's Day on March 8.

When she was 32 years old, Osip died suddenly of tuberculosis, and Klara and her children decided to return to Germany. At home, she continued her struggle for gender equality and became the editor of a Social Democratic newspaper for women. At the age of 36, the activist met 18-year-old artist Georg Zundel, whom she fell in love with. They got married and lived together for almost 20 years, until Georg left Klara, falling in love with a young neighbor.

After that, the 58-year-old woman again plunged headlong into politics. She went to meetings with workers, where she told women not about the victory over imperialism, but about the problems of gender and marriage. Lenin was terribly outraged that the activist handed them out brochures with a summary of Freud's ideas - he believed that in a revolutionary time it was inappropriate to talk about love. Clara Zetkin objected to him: “The world of old feelings and thoughts is bursting at the seams. The problems hidden earlier for women were exposed. "In her ideas, Wild Clara sometimes went too far. So, for example, in 1918 she proposed to stimulate the revolutionary spirit of the rebels with the holidays of free love. In her view, the supporters of socialism had to free themselves from the prejudices of the "rotten monarchy."

She had a chance to demonstrate her free views on the example of her own life. In 1907, her 22-year-old son expressed a desire to marry her colleague Rosa Luxemburg, who was 15 years his senior. And although Clara Zetkin was very unhappy with this turn of events, she began to object.

After the Communist Party was banned in Germany, Klara Zetkin moved to the USSR, where she spent the rest of her days. In 1933 she died, she was cremated, and her ashes were placed in an urn in the Kremlin wall on Red Square.

Clara Zetkin's companion and friend also had a stormy personal life - Valkyrie Revolution Rosa Luxemburg