Neue Rheinische Zeitung

The full name is Neue Rheinische Zeitung: Organ der Demokratie (New Rhenish Gazette: Organ of Democracy), founded by Marx in Cologne, Germany, and began publication on June 1, 1848. It was the fighting organ of the proletarian wing of the democrats during the 1848–1849 Revolutions in Germany.

Marx was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Engels and Wilhelm Wolff were among the editors. Most of the important articles and editorials in this newspaper were written by Marx and Engels. They elaborated on the important viewpoints of the German and European revolutions and heroically defended both the interests of the revolutionary-democratic movement and of the proletariat. Subscribers of the newspaper had reached about 6,000 copies at most. Engels said that this was the only newspaper representing the proletarian view within the democratic movement at that time. “First of all, Marx’s brilliant insights and firm stand made the daily the most prestigious newspaper in Germany during the era of revolution.”

The newspaper was forced to close in May 1849, due to persecution by the Prussian government. The editors of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung wrote in its last issue, No. 301, published in red ink on May 19, 1849, addressing the workers of Cologne: “their last word everywhere and always be: the emancipation of the working class!”