Liebknecht

Liebknecht is a German surname. Notable bearers include Wilhelm Liebknecht (1826–1900), a prominent German politician and a founder of the modern social-democratic movement in Germany. He played a key role in organizing the party that would become the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and advocated parliamentary politics and workers’ rights.

Karl Liebknecht (1871–1919), the son of Wilhelm, was a leading socialist revolutionary and a central figure on the German left. He co-founded the Spartakusbund (Spartacist League) in 1916, which helped form the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) in 1918. Karl is noted for his opposition to World War I and, in 1914, for voting against war credits in the Reichstag, an act that led to his imprisonment for anti-war activities during the war.

During the German Revolution of 1918–1919, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg led the Spartacist uprising in Berlin. Both were assassinated in January 1919 by the Freikorps, marking a violent suppression of the uprising.

Beyond these figures, the surname Liebknecht is primarily recognized through these biographical references. The name is of German origin and is attached in historical contexts to the early and radical left in late 19th and early 20th-century Germany.