Wilhelm Kaltenborn Book order

The two-hundredth birthday of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen in March 2018 inspired this critical examination of his legacy. The author argues that the expected hagiography will not accurately represent Raiffeisen's true character, work, and aims. For decades, his anti-Semitism, Christian fundamentalism, and paternalistic views have been overlooked. Kaltenborn uncovers these aspects through Raiffeisen's previously ignored statements and writings, presenting his extensive anti-Semitic remarks in their original form for the first time. The book also highlights Raiffeisen's opposition to social democracy, which he viewed as a dangerous insurrectionist force in Wilhelmine Germany. Furthermore, it reveals that Raiffeisen's cooperative ideals diverged significantly from the principles of democratic self-help that originally defined the cooperative movement. This critical appraisal challenges the carefully cultivated image of Raiffeisen, supported by substantial material and secondary literature from before 1933. Kaltenborn posits that the Raiffeisen Organisation effectively ended in 1930, following a crisis due to severe mismanagement and the influence of right-wing extremists. The Organisation ultimately abandoned its foundational principles and now bears little resemblance to Raiffeisen's original vision. The author also argues that Wilhelm Haas deserves greater recognition for creating a larger agricultural cooperative organization

Germany views its cooperative system as central to the international cooperative movement, claiming that towns like Delitzsch, Flammersfeld, and Weyerbusch are the origins of the cooperative idea. However, Kaltenborn debunks these claims with extensive documentation, demonstrating that the concept of cooperatives has existed throughout human history. Even Neanderthals exhibited cooperative behavior during hunts, and various forms of cooperatives were present in ancient Europe and the Middle Ages, knowledge that Schulze-Delitzsch was aware of. The modern era saw increased literary and theoretical interest in cooperatives, culminating in the establishment of a consumer cooperative by the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in 1844, whose principles still guide the International Co-operative Alliance today. Shortly thereafter, Schulze-Delitzsch and Raiffeisen developed their own cooperative models, each with broader socio-political objectives beyond mere cooperation. Germany is now seeking UNESCO recognition for the cooperative idea as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. While this request is not inherently objectionable, it is problematic due to the incorrect assertion that the cooperative idea originated in Germany with Schulze-Delitzsch and Raiffeisen. In reality, the cooperative concept is universal and inherently belongs to the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, independent of any formal declaration.

The book explores the unique German requirement for cooperatives to affiliate with auditing federations, which has contributed to the scarcity of such organizations in the country. It highlights how small cooperatives often opt for the more complex registered association (e.V) structure to sidestep the associated costs. Through extensive research, Kaltenborn argues that the 1934 amendment to the German Cooperative Societies Act, mandating this affiliation, was not intended to strengthen cooperatives economically but rather to enforce National-Socialist principles within their framework.