The Preacher of Death

Considered one of the brightest thinkers in fin-de-siècle Europe, Landauer believed in a form of communitarian anarchism of the head and heart, of thought and action. His desire to "turn your dreams of beauty into a desire for realization" were important ideas before World War One. The 1893 novel "Der Todesprediger" (Preacher of Death) is an introduction to Landauer's ideas. In the book, he describes the transformation of a Karl Starkblom, shadowing Landauer's own experiences first as a socialist and later as an advocate of social-anarchism. His later work "Skepticism and Mysticism" appeared in 1903 and together the two works, along with Landauer's role in the failed Munich Revolution 1918-1919, give a clear foundation for Landauer's brand of socialist-anarchism and the importance of community in launching bottom up change.