Friedrich Lange

Friedrich Lange (born 10 January 1852 – 26 December 1917) was a German journalist and political activist with the Völkisch movement. Seeking to move beyond existing romantic nationalism, Lange sought to build a wider nationalist ideology on the German political right by marrying anti-Semitism to other economic and social issues. He would prove an influential figure for groups that followed.

Early years After taking a doctorate in ancient philosophy at the University of Göttingen in 1873, Lange taught at a preparatory school before taking up journalism in the 1880s. He became editor of the conservative daily Tägliche Rundschau in 1890 and then in 1895 the Deutsche Zeitung.

In the 1890s Lange became convinced that the Jewish influence in schools was too strong and he played a leading role in organising a petition for school reform, aimed at increasing the teaching of German studies and minimising Jewish influence through the School Reform Association, which he led with Theodor Peters. He was also close to Carl Peters and the Society for German Colonization.

As well as the Jews, whom he targeted through calls for boycotts of their businesses and laws against marriage to Christians, he was also strongly opposed to socialism and the Roman Catholic Church. He was strongly critical of the rise of capitalism in Germany, with his 1893 play Der Nachtse exploring anti-capitalist themes and indeed he was known to use the term "national socialism" for his preferred economic vision.

Later years In 1902 he established the Nationalen Reichswahlverband as an attempt to co-ordinate non-socialist political parties into a single group. This however proved fairly short-lived as it was absorbed by the wider Reichsverband gegen die Sozialdemokratie in 1905. He also gave his support to the German Eastern Marches Society, becoming a member of the group.

He retired from political life in 1912 and died in 1917.