Page - 3 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

otto bauer andhis time 3 familywerebased inCzechia,whereBauer’s Jewishgrandparentsoriginated.7 According toBraunthal, Otto grewup in an atmosphere thatwas conducive tohispredisposition: free frommaterialworry, pamperedbyhismotherwho dedicated her entire time to the family, and his father, whowas known for his jovial personality and liberal views.8 The atmosphere at homewas one of ideological tolerance,9mainly due toBauer senior,whowas amember of aMasonic lodge.10 The family read theworks ofGermanandFrenchwriters andphilosopherswithpleasure andcultivatedan interest in theatre and the arts. His father’s illness was the reason as to why Otto frequently changed schools, attendingschools inViennaandMeran.He finishedgrammarschool inReichenberg.Inallschools,hewasthebestinclass.11Inthisperiodofhislife, he had three passions: the study ofGerman culture andhistory, foreign lan- guages (hehadagoodcommandofLatinandGreek, knewCzech fromearly childhood, spokeFrenchandEnglish fluently, learnedSerbo-Croatian forhis studiesof thehistoryof theBalkans, and later learnedRussian inaprisoner- of-warcamp), andsports (particularlyalpinehiking,whichwould remainhis hobby for the restofhis life).12Whenattendinggrammarschool,hebeganto takean interest in socialist literature.Hewrotea letter toKautskyon 19May 1904,andAnti-Dühring,TheCommunistManifesto, andCapitalwerediscussed amonghiscircleof friends.13 Inaccordancewithhisfather’swill,whichwouldentrustOttowiththeman- agementofthefactory,hetookuplawstudiesatViennaUniversityinthewinter 7 Theirthreesonsquicklyassimilatedandtookuprespectablesocialpositions.Ludwigwas anacclaimedViennese lawyer.TheinspirationbehindBauer’s interest insocialism,Karl, wasawell-knownmerchant.OttoBauer’s fatherPhilipwastheownerofa textile factory inWarnsdorf.SeeBraunthal 1975,p.3. 8 Ibid. 9 As an adult, Bauer defended the freedomof religion and remained respectful towards it.Hedidnotquit the JewishreligiouscommunityofAustria, the IsraelitischeKultusge- meinde, outof respect for the religionofhis ancestors andhis solidaritywith Jews. See Hanisch2011,pp.50–7. 10 ‘HebelongedtotheFriedrichSchillerlodgeofVienna’(ourtranslation).Hanisch2011,p.22. 11 AsHanischwrites, ‘Bauerwasblessedwithanoutstandingmind–inquisitive,hungryfor knowledge,andlinguisticallygifted’ (ourtranslation).Hanisch2011,p.29. 12 SeeSinger1979,p. 106. 13 Theyouthful fascinationwiththeclassicsofMarxismreflected,aboveall,amoral indict- mentofcapitalistsocialrelations,a lossof faithinthevaluesofbourgeoisculture,andan affirmationof the intellectual freedomof the individualasunderstoodbyKant. Inrefer- encetoMarx’sprognosesofsocialdevelopment,Bauerhopedforthevictoryofsocialism basedontherealisationofthis idea.