Impressive last rites were held here yesterday for Edward Bernstein, internationally renowned Socialist theoretician and writer, who died on December 18th at the age of eighty-three.
The entire leadership of the German Socialist movement was represented, at the funeral services where Dr. Bernstein was eulogized as the ideal leader of world labor. A labor deputation carrying banners was present. Otto Braun, Premier of Prussia, Friedrich Stampfer, head of the “Vorwaerts” and M. Grumbach of France were among those present. Hundreds of floral offerings were received from organizations in all parts of the world, including a wreath from the New York Jewish Forward.
The eulogies and the services were completely devoid of any reference to the Jewish origin of Dr. Bernstein, who left the Jewish Community in 1877 in the interests of party discipline, but who in later life expressed regret at this step and called himself a “loyal and proud Jew.”
Dr. Herman Badt, member of the Federal Council, representing the Braun Prussian Government, who was scheduled to speak in behalf of the Zionist Socialists and the Pro-Palestine Labor Committee, was requested at the last moment not to speak. The reason given was that there was not sufficient time. Acually however, the action was taken because the organizer of the funeral services, Friedrich Stampfer, who is himself of Jewish origin, did not wish to give the funeral a Jewish character.
At the time of his death, Dr. Bernstein was identified with the Poale Zion organization and was a firm friend of the Zionist movement.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
