WEITLING, Wilhelm.

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Garantien der Harmonie und Freiheit. First editions of three scarce works on pre-Marxian socialism, by two of the movement's most prominent activists. The Garantien is the major exposition by Wilhelm Weitling (1808-1871) of his system of utopian communism.Weitling, a tailor by profession, was among the most active leaders of the pre-Marxian proletariat. In 1842, he was fomenting agitation among Germans workers in Switzerland: in 1843. he was arrested and charged by the Swiss authorities.Franz Sebastian Seiler (1810-1890), a radical Swiss journalist, worked closely with Weitling in Switzerland. After Weitling's arrest, Seiler settled in Germany, where he took part in the 1848-49 revolutions.The Garantien der Harmonie und Freiheit explores the corrupting influence of private property, arguing that the system drove individuals to seek personal advancement at the expense of communal development. Marx heavily praised the Garantien, while Engels wrote that Weitling was the only German socialist to make any substantial contribution to the cause.Seiler's Das Eigenthum in Gefahr reflects on the increasing religious influence in European socialism, typified by the Abbé Constant (1810-1875).The Ueber den Kommunismus, an anonymous work, is a defence of Weitling after his arrest in 1843, questioning the veracity of the official trial report produced against him.

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