Conducts research and collects data on the global history of labour, workers, and labour relations

Kurt Steinhaus

kurt-steinhausAfter having completed his military service with the rank of lieutenant, Kurt Steinhaus (1938 Stettin-1991 Heidelberg) studied economy in Hamburg and sociology and political science in Marburg am Lahn. In 1966-1967 he joined the Federal Board of the Sozialistische Deutsche Studentenbund (SDS, Socialist German Student Union). In this position he coordinated protest actions against the Vietnam war. He wrote a book on this war: Vietnam. Zum Problem der kolonialen Revolution und Konterrevolution. Frankfurt/Main 1966. He finished his academic education with a PhD thesis in sociology: Zur Soziologie der türkischen Revolution. Frankfurt/Main 1969.

He joined the Deutsche Kommunistische Partei (DKP, German Communist Party) and worked for the Institut für Marxistische Studien und Forschungen (Institute of Marxist Studies and Research) in Frankfurt/Main. From 1974 he held high offices in the party organization, and for sime time was the personal assistant of chairman, Herbert Mies. The IISH received Steinhaus' personal papers, which are mainly of a political nature.

Biographical note and photo: Georg Fülberth, 'Politik und Disziplin. Kurt Steinhaus (1938-1991' in: Boris, Dieter, Willi Gerns und Heinz Jung (Hrsg.), Keiner redet vom Sozialismus. Aber wir. Die Zukunft marxistisch denken. In Memoriam Kurt Steinhaus (Bonn 1992).

Kurt Steinhaus papers

Posted: 
1 January 2009