Rosa Luxemburg – “I Was, I Am, I Shall Be”: Empathy in the Face of Oppression: Rosa Luxemburg's Universal Appeal, Beyond Politics and Revolution.

On January 15, 1919, Rosa Luxemburg was murdered in Berlin, marking the tragic end of one of the most extraordinary lives of the 20th century. On the anniversary of her death, we delve into her legacy and ask: why does Rosa Luxemburg, a Marxist theorist and revolutionary from over a century ago, still resonate with us today?

In this episode:

• The Final Hours of Rosa Luxemburg: A harrowing account of the events leading to her assassination amidst the chaos of the Spartacist uprising in Berlin.

• The Revolution’s Myth: Why her final prophetic words—“I was, I am, I shall be”—endure, not as a call to revolution but as a symbol of her humanity and ideals.

• The Controversies of Memory: How Luxemburg’s legacy has been claimed, reshaped, and contested across ideologies, from East German state propaganda to her erasure in Poland.

• Her Jewish and Polish Identity: Luxemburg’s complex relationship with her Jewish roots and her stance on nationalism, which continues to spark debate.

• The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg: A glimpse into the poetic soul of a revolutionary through her correspondence, revealing her love of nature, humanity, and a universal empathy that transcends time.

Highlights:

• Luxemburg’s famous statement on freedom: “Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.”

• The rediscovery of her literary genius in her letters, which became cultural touchstones and even social media memes.

• How Luxemburg’s universal humanism challenges the divisions of our polarised world.Music credits:

• Sinfonia In D Minor F.65 Adagio - Johann Sebastian Bach

• Music background Serge Pavkin

• Soundeffects: Pixabay

ON Beyondberlin.substack.com

• Photo highlights of key locations from Luxemburg’s life, including the Landwehr Canal and Zamość, her birthplace.

• Quotes from Luxemburg’s letters, including her reflections on global suffering and the interconnectedness of all humanity.

SUBSCRIBE TO BEYONDBERLIN.SUBSTACK.COM to get the next episodes and blog posts into your inbox.

Beyondberlin.substack.com: Stories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. By Valentina Giannella, Berlin