Back to School with Rosa Luxemburg
I translated this amusing tale from an article written by Otto Jenssen in the Freie Jugend magazine (published by the USPD) in 1919. Here it goes:
“For me, one funny incident is unforgettable. A dear, but quite pensive comrade, whose thoughts had the tendency to wander, was always addressed by her as Comrade Braun. However he was actually called Comrade Meyer. We all egged him on constantly, in particular, a former dockworker persuaded the Oldenburger in the best Emden dialect, saying that he did not need to put up with it and “when she says Braun again, you’ll say ‘my name is Meyer’”. And so he did, after the “Comrade Braun”, a swift “I’m called Meyer, Comrade Luxemburg” followed.
“Oh yes,” came the knowing reply “but Comrade Meyer is unfortunately always absent”. Since then, the one addressed made great efforts to be present.”