The Ambiguous Legacy of Eduard Bernstein

As much as political parties need a myth, they need heroes whom they can look up to. Although democratic socialism takes pride in being rational, it is no exception. A leader with a human face lends personal warmth to the idea; the image of a founder bestows historical perspective to routine practices. It is not surprising, therefore, that after the eclipse of the popular Willy Brandt and his replacement by the efficient Helmut Schmidt, the German Social-Democratic party (SPD) should have scanned its history in search of an ancestor. Willy Brandt himself would have liked to revive the memory of August Bebel, the venerable co-founder who led the party from 1869 to his death in 1912. But for all his sterling qualities, highly praised even...