
Had German officers not mustered all of their courage to murder her on the night of 15 January 1919, Rosa Luxemburg would perhaps be a name known only to historians today. Indeed, the 20th century as a whole may have transpired quite differently.
Instead, however, her erstwhile comrades deployed Rosa Luxemburg’s name as a kind of political shield, usually commemorating only her death itself. Her political thought and activity was not only marginalized in this process, but often even denounced.
This “tradition” is not ours. We do not need political martyrs to legitimize our political actions. We do, however, wish to commemorate a woman who repeatedly admonished us not to betray ourselves through accommodation. Nothing is braver and more dangerous than the precept that Rosa Luxemburg not only lauded repeatedly, but herself lived by: the most revolutionary deed is and remains “to proclaim loudly what is happening”.
Events in Berlin marking the 100th anniversary of Rosa Luxemburg’s death:
- 10 January 2019:
Rosa Luxemburg: On the Actuality of Her Intervening Thought - 12 January 2019:
"I Am Happiest in the Storm" (Livestream scheduled) - 15 January 2019
Reading Rosa with Gregor Gysi - 15 January 2019:
At the Table: A Feast for Rosa Luxemburg
More information:
Nationwide events
A calendar listing all events about Rosa Luxemburg and the German Revolution across the country
"I Really Hope to Die at My Post"
Rosa Luxemburg in the German Revolution – a digital timeline with daily updates
Rosa Luxemburg and the German Revolution
An online dossier with a focus on the events of 1918-19