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Arkadij Maksimovich Maslow's life unfolds against the backdrop of major political upheavals, from the Bolshevik Revolution to the rise of Stalinism. Initially a leader in the Communist Party of Germany alongside Ruth Fischer, he faced expulsion and persecution from both Stalin and Hitler. After escaping to Cuba, Maslow was murdered under mysterious circumstances in 1941. This biography delves into his pivotal role in revolutionary movements and his evolution into a dissident, offering insight into the complexities of communist ideology and the struggles faced by its advocates.

Ossip K. Flechtheim (1909-1998) was an interdisciplinary scholar who lived across Germany, France, Switzerland, and the United States. His extensive body of work includes nearly twenty monographs and numerous edited volumes addressing fundamental issues of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, such as war and peace, democracy and dictatorship, fascism and antifascism, the North-South conflict, and the various forms of capitalism and communism. This book examines the ongoing relevance of Flechtheim’s contributions, presenting him as a historian of contemporary communism, a political scientist, and the pioneer of futurology—a term he coined. It delves into his journey as a socialist scholar, his experiences during exile in Europe, and his academic career in the United States, where he faced the disillusionment of the "American Dream." The text also highlights his tenure as a professor in West Berlin and his vision for a pluralist left. Additional sections include a German summary, appendices featuring his notable works on futurology and totalitarianism, and a bibliography. Through this exploration, the book sheds light on Flechtheim's enduring impact on political thought and future studies.

Ruth Fischer once ranked among Germany and Europe’s most prominent women. Right after the end of WWI, she co-founded the Communist Party of Austria, became famous as the chair of the Communist Party of Germany in the Weimar Republic and, after 1945, was associated with the anti-communist crusade in the United States where she authored the best-selling book Stalin and German Communism. At the end of her life she vainly hoped that the Soviet Union under Nikita Khrushchev would move towards a more democratic variant of communism. Ruth Fischer was the sister of two other prominent Austrian-German communists: the composer Hanns Eisler (1898–1962), a disciple and friend of Arnold Schönberg, and the journalist Gerhart Eisler (1897–1968) whom she would denounce as Moscow’s most dangerous communist agent in the United States. To explain why Ruth Fischer’s political itinerary went to such extremes – astonishing even in the ‘Age of Extremes,’ to mention Eric Hobsbawm – is the purpose of the following remarks.

This collection of twelve essays addresses historical research on anti-Semitism and the international socialist movement, including a chapter on German refugee historians returning to East Germany post-1945. It investigates the evolving relationship between workers’ emancipation and the fight against anti-Semitism from the Communist Manifesto to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unlike many contemporary writings that celebrate socialism's defeat, this volume seeks to uphold a radical democratic perspective rooted in moral integrity and internationalism, countering nationalism and anti-Semitism. It highlights the uncompromising spirit of communist intellectuals like Leon Trotsky and Arthur Rosenberg, while also addressing their political missteps that contributed to the downfall of a more libertarian communism. The concentration of power within party bureaucracies led to repressive measures against those embodying the internationalist spirit, particularly affecting Jews and non-Jewish re-immigrants. Despite current political issues overshadowing these discussions, understanding the historical context remains crucial. With rising anti-Semitism, unresolved Middle Eastern conflicts, and increasing refugee numbers, this collection emphasizes the importance of reexamining the workers’ movement's legacy on its own terms, rather than through the lens of a repressive state ideology.