Silvio Gesell

Vocation

German merchant, theoretical economist, social activist, anarchist and founder of Freiwirtschaft. He considered himself a world citizen and believed the Earth should belong to all people, regardless of race, gender, class, wealth, religion and age and that borders should be made obsolete. Gesell founded his economic thoughts on the self-interest of people as a natural, healthy motive to act, which allows the individual to follow the satisfaction of his needs and to be productive. The economic system must do justice to this pre-condition, otherwise this system would undoubtedly fail. This is why Gesell called his proposed economic system "natural". This stance put him in clear opposition to Karl Marx, who called for a change in social conditions. In 1887, Gesell moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he opened up a branch of his brother's business. The 1890 depression in Argentina, which hurt his business considerably, caused him to reflect upon the structural problems caused by the monetary system. In 1891, he released his first writing on this topic: Die Reformation des Münzwesens als Brücke zum sozialen Staat (German for: The reformation of the monetary system as a bridge to a social state). He then wrote Nervus Rerum and The nationalization of money. He gave his business to his brother and returned to Europe in 1892. After an intermediate stay in Germany, Gesell moved to Les Hauts-Geneveys in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. He established a farm in order to finance his living expenses while continuing his economic studies. In 1900, he founded the magazine Geld- und Bodenreforn (Monetary and Land Reform), but it failed as it had to be wound up in 1903 for financial reasons. From 1907 to 1911, he was in Argentina again, then he returned to Germany and lived in a vegetarian commune. Here, he founded the magazine Der Physiokrat (The Physiocrat) together with Georg Blumenthal. It had to be wound up in 1914 as World War I broke out because of censorship. In 1915, Gesell left Germany to return to his farm in Les Hauts-Geneveys. In 1919, he was called on to take part in the Bavarian Soviet Republic by Ernst Niekisch. The republic offered him a seat in the Socialization Commission and then appointed him the People's Representative for Finances. His term of office lasted only 7 days. After the bloody end of the Soviet Republic, Gesell was held in detention for several months until being acquitted of treason by a Munich court because of the speech he gave in his own defense. Because of his participation in the Soviet Republic, Switzerland denied him the opportunity to return to his farm in Neuchâtel. Gesell then moved first to Nuthetal, Potsdam-Mittelmark, then back to Oranienburg. After another short stay in Argentina in 1924, he returned to Oranienburg in 1927. Here, he died of pneumonia on 11 March 1930. Link to Wikipedia: Silvio Gesell