Memorial plaque to Pfemfert, N*auische Straße 17, Berlin-Wilmersdorf Front page of Die Aktion from October 1914 with a portrait of Charles Péguy by Egon Schiele

Franz Pfemfert (20 November 1879, Lötzen, East Prussia (now Giżycko, Poland) – 26 May 1954, Mexico City) was a German journalist, editor of Die Aktion, literary critic, politician and portrait photographer. Pfemfert occasionally wrote under the pseudonym U. Gaday (derived from Russian "ugadaj", dt: "guess").

In 1911 he married Alexandra Ramm, who had moved to Berlin from Russia and who was involved in Russian translations.

Pfemfert was involved in founding the Antinationalen Sozialisten-Partei (Antinational Socialist Party), originally a clandestine organisation founded in 1915. Die Aktion became its official organ following the German Revolution in November 1918.

He subsequently became close friends with Leon Trotsky, even though he maintained quite distinct political views.

After the National Socialist German Workers' Party seizure of power, Pfemfert fled to Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia. Here the Czech stalinists called for his deportation.

Publishing

Alongside publishing Die Aktion, Pfemfert published a variety of authors:

• Victor Hugo
• Hedwig Dohm
• Franz Jung
• Leo Tolstoy
• Karl Otten

References

External links

• Franz Pfemfert Archive at marxists.org