August Bebel

August Bebel
Bebel, c. 1900
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
In office 21 November 1892 – 13 August 1913
Preceded by	Paul Singer Alwin Gerisch
Succeeded by	Hugo Haase Friedrich Ebert
Member of the Reichstag (German Empire)
In office 21 March 1871 – 13 August 1913
(North German Confederation)
In office 10 September 1867 – 10 December 1870
Personal details
Born	Ferdinand August Bebel (1840-02-22)22 February 1840 Deutz (Cologne), Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia
Died	13 August 1913(1913-08-13) (aged 73) Passug, Churwalden, Switzerland
Political party	SVP (1867–1869) SDAP (1869–1875) SAPD (1875–1890) SDP (from 1890)
Other political affiliations	First International
Profession	Turner
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Ferdinand August Bebel (German pronunciation: [aʊ̯ˈɡʊst ˈfɛʁdinant ˈbeːbl̩]; 22 February 1840 – 13 August 1913) was a German socialist activist and politician. He was one of the principal founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP).

Bebel, a woodworker by trade, co-founded the Saxon People's Party with Wilhelm Liebknecht in 1866. In 1869, the two founded the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), and in 1875 they helped bring the SDAP and Ferdinand Lassalle's General German Workers' Association (ADAV) together to form the party which became the SPD. Bebel played a key role in the drafting and adoption of the party's Marxist Erfurt Program in 1891. He was also a member of the Reichstag from 1871 until his death, and was involved in the founding of the Second International in 1889. He served as chairman of the SPD from 1892 to 1913.