Karl Kautsky (October 18 1854 - October 17 1938) was a leading theoretician of social democracy.

Born in Prague, Karl Kaustky was studying history and philosophy at the University of Vienna in 1874, and became a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) in 1875. From 1885 to 1890, he spent time in London, where he became a close friend of Friedrich Engels; in 1891, he co-authored the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)'s Erfurt Program together with August Bebel and Eduard Bernstein.

Following the death of Friedrich Engels in 1895, Kautsky became one of the most important and influential theoreticians of socialism, forming the Marxist centre of the party together with August Bebel. He broke with Rosa Luxemburg and the party's left wing in 1914 politically, and in 1922 re-joined the SPD after being a member of the Independent Social Democratic Party USPD from 1917 to 1919.

In 1882, Kautsky founded the magazine "Neue Zeit" ("New Time"), which he continued to publish until 1917; he also wrote a book titled "Der Weg zur Macht" ("The Road to Power") in 1909.

Karl Kautsky lived in Berlin-Friedenau for many years; his wife, Luise Kautsky, was a close friend of Rosa Luxemburg, who also lived in Friedenau, and today there is a commemorative plaque where Kautsky lived at Saarstraße 14. He died in exile in Amsterdam at age 84.

External link

• Kautsky Internet Archive