Friedrich Adler

Friedrich Adler (Vienna 1879 - Zurich 1960), physicist and Socialist Politician .

----

Friedrich Adler was the oldest son of Victor Adler, doctor and influential politician who founded (1889) then directed the Austrian social democrat party ( Sozialdemokratische ArbeitPartei in Ôsterreich (SDAP) ) until 1918.

Victor Adler was opposed to the desire of his/her son to engage in a political career and directed it towards technical studies. Friedrich entered a school réale (" Realschule") that it finished in 1897. It followed then studies of Chemistry then of Physics at the Federal Polytechnic school of Zurich (EPF). It obtained its doctorate in 1905 then, after a collaboration during two years with the German Museum of Munich, it was assistant at the Institute of Physics of Zurich (1907-1911).

Einstein were registered with the EPF since 1896 and him and Adler had bound of friendship. In 1908, a pulpit of Theoretical physics was created at the University of Zurich. Einstein stood as a candidate but partly because of the prestige whose enjoyed Viktor Adler in the mediums socializing Zurich, one preferred Adler. But it the last intervened with the commission by announcing that its capacities, as researcher in the field of physics, were not left, even by far, to compare with those of Einstein. This plea convainquit the commission which named Einstein.

During these years, Friedrich Adler had various activities in policy and Sciences (in particular, it tried to look further into the theoretical aspect of the Marxisme by the study of the theory of the knowledge of Mach).

At the request of the Socialists Viennese, Adler went back to Vienna in 1911 and became one of the 4 secretaries of the Austrian democratic social party. Leader of the left wing of the party, it opposed the nationalist policy of war of the party and gave his resignation in 1914. Adler expressed its vehement opposition to the war in the Combat newspaper ( Der Kampf ).

This opposition took a dramatic turn in October 1916, when F. Adler assassinated, while drawing with bearing end, Minister-President Count Stürgkh responsible according to him for the continuation of the war. He was judged by an emergency court and was condemned to the capital punishment. The Emperor Charles, having succeeded François-Joseph, commuted the sorrow to 18 years of prison. He was amnestied in 1918.

Its act had made it very popular near the members of the new Austrian Communist party ( Kommunistische Partei Ôstereichs (KPÖ) ) whose Ruth Fischer was the principal founder. One proposed to him to become the President into 1919 about it what he refused. It took part in 1921 in the foundation of the Union of Vienna (also called Internationale " two-and-demie") aiming at unifying the currents of the second and International third. The Union of Vienna then adopted the Internationale worker and socialist (in the past Second International). Friedrich Adler was secretary in London (1923-27), Zurich (1927-35) then Brussels as from 1935. Emile Vandervelde was the President of 1923 to 1938.

Friedrich Adler emigrated in the United States in 1940. It returned to Europe in 1946 and died in Zurich in 1960.

Bibliography (partial):

Valentine Antonina, the drama of Albert Einstein , Plon Editions, 1957.
Braunthal Julius, Victor und Friedrich Adler , WIEN, 1965
Ardelt Rudolf G, Friedrich Adler , OBV, 1984.

Random links: