Theodor Barth

Theodor Barth (16 July 1849 – 3 June 1909) was a German liberal politician, publicist and economist.^[1][2][3] He was a member of the Reichstag between 1881 and 1884, between 1885 and 1898, and between 1901 and 1903.^[4]

Theodor Barth
Reichstag
In office 1881–1903
Personal details
Born	(1849-07-16)16 July 1849 Duderstadt
Died	3 June 1909(1909-06-03) (aged 59) Baden-Baden
Political party	National Liberal Party Liberal Union German Free-minded Party Free-minded Union Democratic Union
Spouse	Henriette Dreyer (⚭ 1880)
Children	2 sons, 3 daughters
Occupation	Politician, publicist

Career

Barth started his political career with the National Liberal Party. He soon rejected the Manchesterism of the old liberals, though, and claimed that liberalism needed a social programme. To that end, he sought the cooperation of the Social Democrats,^[4] and at multiple times voted against his own party. In the German Freeminded Party (Freisinnige Partei), founded in 1884, Barth would soon find himself opposed to the leadership of Eugen Richter. When the Freeminded Party split in 1893, Barth became a member of the Freeminded Union (Freisinnigen Vereinigung), instead of the Freeminded People's Party of Richter. In 1903, Friedrich Naumann would join the Freeminded Union as well. Barth however would found the Democratic Union^[4] (Demokratische Vereinigung) in 1908, together with Rudolf Breitscheid and Hellmut von Gerlach, after the Freeminded Union's participation in the Bülow-Block coalition in the 1907 elections.

Barth founded the liberal weekly Die Nation (The Nation) in 1883^[4] and remained as editor until his death in 1909.^[5]

See also

• Liberalism
• Liberalism in Germany

References

1. "NEW YORK HONORS GERMAN ECONOMIST; Leading Citizens at a Dinner for Dr. Theodor Barth, Late of the Reichstag. HE TALKS OF OUR PROGRESS And Suggests That Germany Is Being Democratized by limitation of Us". New York Times. 1907.
2. "Dr. Barth Wants "International …"". The New York Times. 3 January 1909. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
3. Thompson, Alastair P. (2000), "Introduction", Left Liberals, the State, and Popular Politics in Wilhelmine Germany, Oxford University Press
4. "A Friend of England, Dr. Barth". Evening Post. 24 July 1909. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
5. "New York Times obituary" (PDF). The New York Times. 4 June 1909. Retrieved 12 March 2010.