Franz Pfemfert
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.
Franz Pfemfert
OTFW, Berlin · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Franz Pfemfert
- Born
- 20 November 1879
- Birthplace
- Lötzen, German Empire
- Died
- 26 May 1954
- Place of death
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Spouse
- Alexandra Ramm-Pfemfert
- Occupation
- Journalist
- Nationality
- Germany.
- Known for
- Die Aktion.
- Languages
- German.
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Documentary summary
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.
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Note VALÉORINE
Franz Pfemfert (1879–1954) was a German editor, journalist and literary critic, among other activities. Born in Giżycko, the editor died in Mexico City.
Works include Die Aktion. Languages used include German. Works by Franz Pfemfert are held at Berlinische Galerie.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Pfemfert was involved in founding the Antinationale 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 Nazi seizure of power, Pfemfert fled to Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia. Here the Czech stalinists called for his deportation.
Gedenktafel für Franz Pfemfert am Haus Nassauische Str. 17 in Berlin-Wilmersdorf
de:Benutzer:Albrecht Conz · Own work Original text: Selbst fotografiert
Die Aktion Verlagsanzeige 1933
Die Sovet-Union 1917 - 1932: systematische, mit Kommentaren versehene Bibliographie der 1917 - 1932 in deutscher Sprache außerhalb der Sovet-Union veröffentlichten 1900 wichtigsten Bücher und Aufsätz
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Franz Pfemfert • Born — 20 November 1879 • Birthplace — Lötzen, German Empire • Died — 26 May 1954 • Place of death — Mexico City, Mexico • Spouse — Alexandra Ramm-Pfemfert • Occupation — Journalist • Illustration — Front page of Die Aktion from October 1914 with a portrait of Charles Péguy by Egon Schiele
Publishing
Publishing
Alongside publishing Die Aktion, Pfemfert published a variety of authors: • Victor Hugo • Hedwig Dohm • Franz Jung • Leo Tolstoy • Karl Otten
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1879
Franz Pfemfert born at Giżycko.
1954
Franz Pfemfert died at Mexico City.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Giżycko.
Birth place
Mexico City.
Death place
Literature
Scholarly footprint
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Taylor, Seth. Left-Wing Nietzscheans: The Politics of German Expressionism 1910-1920. Walter de Gruyter. 220. 1990.
- 2.Pervulescu, Constantin. After the Revolution: The Individualist Anarchist Journal "Der Einzige" and the Making of the Radical Left in the Early Post-World War I Germany. University of Minnesota. 28. 2006.
- 3.Bois, Marcel. A Transnational Friendship in the Age of Extremes: Leon Trotsky and the Pfemferts. Twentieth Century Communism. 10.
- 4.Shachtman, Max. Behind the Moscow Trial. Marxist Internet Archive. Pioneer Publishers—New York 1936.
References
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Further particulars
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Bis August 1914. --
Die Revolutions G.m.b.H. Jüngste tschechische Lyrik: Eine Anthologie
Ich setze diese Zeitschrift wider diese Zeit
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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