The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg

Acclaimed actress Kathleen Chalfant performs a selection of Rosa Luxemburg's letters at the official opening of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York Office, November 2012. For more information, visit www.rosalux-nyc.org.

Introduction by Albert Scharenberg, Co-executive director of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York Office

4:35 Leo Jogiches, July 16, 1897. A prominent figure in Russian, Polish, and German labor movements; Luxemburg's lover from the early 1890s to 1907.

12:35 Robert Seidel, June 23, 1898. Social Democrat, teacher, and journalist; later moved from Saxony to Zurich in Switzerland.

16:10 Karl Kautsky, October 3, 1901. Chief Editor of journal Neue Zeit; once colleagues and friends, Luxemburg broke from him in 1910 over issues of reform politics.

19:53 Henriette Roland Holst, December 17 and October 27, 1904. Dutch writer and socialist; active in the proletarian women's movement.

27:05 Karl and Luise Kautsky, February 5, 1906. Chief Editor of journal Neue Zeit and his wife, a longtime friend of Luxemburg.

32:55 Kostya Zetkin, May 23, 1907. Physician and son of Clara Zetkin; Luxemburg's lover after her breakup with Jogiches in 1907.

35:30 Paul Levi, August 31, 1914. Luxemburg's lawyer and published of her book "The Russian Revolution"; adherent of the Spartacus Group.

38:10 Karl Moor, October 12, 1914. Swiss Social Democrat and communist; supported Luxemburg's anti-war views during World War I.

45:00 Luise Kautsky, April 15, 1917. Wife of Karl Kautsky and longtime friend of Luxemburg.

51:50 Clara Zetkin, January 11, 1919. Close friend of Luxemburg; leader of the proletarian women's movement and initiator of International Women's Day.

EXCERPTED FROM: "The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg" (2011), Edited by Georg Adler, Peter Hudis, and Annelies Laschitza. Verso Books: Brooklyn, NY (in cooperation with the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung)