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Primary sourceDocument1919

USPD leaflet naming Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

Carl Weinrother · 1919

A 1919 political leaflet naming Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht as leaders of the Spartacus League during the Berlin uprising.

Names Luxemburg alongside Liebknecht in wartime propaganda during the 1919 uprising shortly before her death, with a caption the archive flags as biased.

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Black-and-white photograph of a 1919 USPD leaflet. Large black-letter headlines read 'Karl Liebknecht und Rosa Luxemburg', followed by dense German body text and bold subheadings including 'Wer trägt die Schuld?' and 'Die Unabhängigen und ihre Berliner Vertrauensmänner'.
Carl Weinrother, USPD leaflet naming Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, 1919.

About this source

What it is

This is a 1919 leaflet produced by Carl Weinrother, naming Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg as leaders of the Spartacus League during the uprising in Berlin. The German Federal Archive notes that the original caption accompanying this image is biased and politically charged.

Why it matters

This leaflet shows how Luxemburg and Liebknecht were publicly discussed and blamed in the heated political atmosphere of January 1919, shortly before both were killed. It is a reminder that primary sources from political conflicts often carry strong bias, and historians must read them critically rather than taking their claims at face value.

Look closer

  • Who do you think produced this leaflet, and what were they trying to achieve?
  • Why does the archive warn that the original caption may be biased?
  • How might supporters of Luxemburg and Liebknecht have responded to this leaflet?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Rosa Luxemburg on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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