Re: [OPE-L] Kommunistische Zeitschrift

From: Christopher Arthur (arthurcj@WAITROSE.COM)
Date: Tue Aug 22 2006 - 15:43:30 EDT


A final word. I think we can say with certainty that Marx and Engels
did not officially contribute anything to KZ.
If you read the two circulars of the CL sent out from London in 1847
you will see
a) Wolff  was designated as editor for the journal proper; the specimen
was put out by a commission in London acting on behalf of the future
editorial board. So this means Schapper and Co.
b) They complain they never received any articles except for one from
Wolff 'so we had to do everything ourselves'.
c) It isn't clear (unless DR says) which article that was; nor of
course whether he received any advice from M & E.
d) I can find no reference to this newspaper in M & E. E doesn't
mention it in his history of the League. He surely would have done if
he had written for it.
So I am sure this is a false attribution (not the first time this has
happened to Marx).
Chris
On 22 Aug 2006, at 18:35, Christopher Arthur wrote:

> Ernesto.
>
> There are major doubts about it because, like most of the journal, the
> piece is unsigned as your sources should have said.
> Although I do not have Riazanov I recall clearly that he made no
> suggestion that M or E might have authored any part of it. (Has it
> been reprinted I wonder.)
> In sum, eminent scholars from Russia, Germany (MEW), and the USA, have
> failed to make such an attribution. If your sources have proof this is
> very important and should be made widely known. What do they say on
> this? what text did they translate from?
> Unfortunately the relevant volume of new MEGA is not out I believe.
> As to 'influence', a quick scan of Draper's Chronicle suggests to me
> Wolff, Marx and Engels, were all in Brussels at the relevant time, so
> one can speculate.....
>
> Chris
>
> On 22 Aug 2006, at 16:22, Ernesto Screpanti wrote:
>
>>  Chris,
>>
>>  thank you very much for the information about Ryazanoff's edition.
>>  As to attribution to Marx and Engels, I did not immagine there were
>> doubts on it. Both the Italian and the French edition do this
>> attribution.
>>  Who knows who is right?
>>  Perhaps the MEGA3 edition clarifies the question. Does anybody know
>> if this Introduction is included in it?
>>
>>  Ernesto
>>
>>  At 12.18 22/08/2006 +0100, you wrote:
>>
>> Ernesto
>>  Why do you think they wrote it? I think it is highly unlikely.
>>  1. MECW would have included it, but they content themselves in the
>> note by saying that M&E's influence in the journal contents can be
>> detected.
>>  2. Draper does not mention it
>>  3. The editor was Wolff so he probably wrote it.
>>  4. A piece attacking Cabet's emigration plan has previously been
>> wrongly attributed to Marx. It was probably by Schapper.
>>  5. There would be no reason for M&E to write together despite the
>> one off commission to do the CM which happened shortly thereafter.
>>  6. M and E, separately, were active publishing during this period
>> but they did so in the Deutsche Brusseler Zeitung, a communist
>> journal edited by Bornstadt, very understandably since Marx was
>> living there and E in Paris.
>>  7. There is an English translation of the whole journal in D
>> Ryazanoff *The communist Manifesto of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels*
>> (London martin Lawrence 1930) Appendix. I don't have it to hand so I
>> cannot report his editorial view.
>>  8. Incidentally the epigraph to the journal was Workers of the world
>> unite - the first public appearance of this slogan.
>>  Chris A
>>
>>  On 21 Aug 2006, at 14:09, Ernesto Screpanti wrote:
>>
>>
>>  Does anybody know if there is an English translation of Marx's and
>> Engels' Introduction to 'Kommunistische Zeitschrift", n.1, London,
>> September 1847?
>>  This journal was an organ of the Leage of Communists. But only n. 1
>> came out.
>>  Marx and Engels Introduction is very important from a political
>> point of view, because they criticise certain autoritarian doctrines
>> of communism.
>>  I found an Italian and a French translation, but not an English
>> version, not even in the MECW. Who knows if there is one?
>>
>>  Ernesto Screpanti
>>
>>  </blockquote></x-html>


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