Page - (000055) - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

© ewa czerwińska-schupp, 2017 | doi: 10.1163/9789004325838_002 This isanopenaccessarticledistributedunderthetermsofthecc-by-ncLicense. chapter 1 OttoBauerandHisTime During the night between 3 to 4 July 1938, Otto Bauer died in the Rue Tur- got in Paris.1 Hewas only 57 years old. His close friend and long-time edit- orial assistant of Vienna’s Arbeiter-Zeitung, Otto Leichter, whowas called to Bauer’s deathbed by hiswifeHelene,wrote: ‘Therewas no doubt to anyone whowasable tospendBauer’s lastmonthswithhimthathediedofabroken heartinthetruestandsaddestsense’.2Bauerpassedawaybelievingthathewas responsible for thedefeatof thepartyandunhappyabouthis forcedemigra- tion and separation fromhis native country.Hewas also distressedover the fateofhiscomradesandthenewparty, theRevolutionarySocialistsofAustria, afterHitler’sAnschluss(annexationofAustria).Hisdeathcameduringanunfa- vourableperiod for theworkers’movement: the threat ofwarwasbecoming increasingly likely, themasseswere disillusionedwith bourgeois democracy, thetotalitariansystemof theussrhadconsolidated itself, anddivideswithin 1 This chapterwasoriginallywritten forPolish readerswhowere scarcely familiarwithOtto BauerandthepoliticalbackgroundinAustria from1889–1938.Hence, thisEnglish-language editiononlycontainsanabridgedversion.Ibelievethatitservesas(1)anintroductiontofur- ther factualanalyses,and(2)asummaryof theextensivematerialsaboutBauer’sworksand politicalactivity,aswellasthepoliticsofthesdap,whicharescatteredacrossmanyGerman- language studies and sources. I based this chapter on biographical and historical sources including: Ackermann 1969; Botz 1978; Bauer 1961; Braunthal and Peiper 1975; Böhm 1974; Kulemann1979;Leichter 1970;Mozetič 1983and1987;Leser 1968;Singer 1979;Reimann1968; Weinzierl 1984; protocols of the sdap congresses, conferences of the Labour and Socialist Internationalbureau,Bauer’s speechesand letters, and, finally,myearlierworks. Inprepar- ation for theEnglish-language edition, Iwas able to includedetails about Bauer’s life and politicalactivitydrawingontheoutstandingandchallengingOttoBauerbiographybyErnst Hanisch,DergroßeIllusionist(TheGreatIllusionist)of2011.Iwholeheartedlyrecommendthis work,whichiswritteninalivelyandaccessibleprose. 2 Leichter 1970, p. 14. Based on thememoirs of Leichter anddoctor andwriter RichardBer- czeller,Hanisch states thatBauer sufferedaheart attack inhisofficeon2 July 1938.Hedid notwant togo to thedoctorbecause, asanotoriouschainsmoker,he feared thathewould bebannedfromsmokingentirely.On3July,hebegantofeelbetterandhadsupperwithFritz Adler’s family. Thatnight, however, his conditionweakened, andhehad troublebreathing. HiswifeHelenacalledadoctorandtheir friendsTheodoraandLidiêDan,whosentBauerto aRussiandoctor.Whenthedoctorarrived,hefoundBauerdeadinhisbed.Likewise,Leichter arrivedatthehotelafterBauer’sdeath–seeHanisch2011,pp.373–4.