Congress of All-German Social-Democrats

Congress of German Social Democrats, held August 7–9, 1869, in Eisenach. The Congress was attended by the Union of German Workers’ Associations, some members who had withdrawn from the General German Workers’ Association, and delegates from the nine branches of the First International in Germany and the trade unions, 262 people in total representing 193 regions. The Congress was chaired by A. Bebel and A. Geib. Bebel made a report to the Congress on the programme and constitution of the new party, which also made clear the relationship between the party and the International Workingmen's Association.

The Congress unanimously adopted the resolution on the foundation of the Social Democratic Workers’ Party of Germany (also known as the “Eisenachers”); formulated a party programme on the basis of the principles of the First International. It emphasized that “the current political and social conditions are extremely unjust and thus have to be combated with the utmost energy”, and pointed out that the Social Democratic Workers’ Party of Germany “regards itself as a branch of the International Workers’ Association and is affiliated with the efforts of that body.” However, the programme still bore traces of Lassalleanism, such as “state support of the cooperative system”.

The Congress elected a 5-member Committee and an 11-member Supervisory Committee, headed mainly by Bebel, Liebknecht and Bracke. The Congress resolved to change the name of the weekly newspaper Demokratisches Wochenblatt (Democratic Weekly) to Der Volksstaat (The People’s State) and to make it the organ of the party. In this way, the Social Democratic Workers’ Party of Germany became the first working-class political party to be established within the scope of a nation-state, and was an important hallmark in the development of the German and the international workers' movement.