Gustav Landauer und Constantin Brunner. Umrisse einer Begegnung

Abstract In 1904, Constantin Brunner called Gustav Landauer the »most important exponent of anarchism in Germany«. In 1911, Landauer admired Brunner as »one of the most powerful thinkers« he knew. From 1903 until 1911 the two of them developed an intense intellectual friendship, sharing an interest in epistemology, mysticism and the philosophy of Spinoza. Their practical philosophies diverged quite substantially however. While Brunner believed in an anthropological divide within humankind, Landauer strove to integrate humankind on the basis of a spiritual renewal. The article attempts to outline their relationship and provide some clues as to what was at stake in the conflict that ended it.