Following we publish a declaration of the Committees for the Foundation of the (maoist) Communist Party in Austria which was published first on newepoch.media:
In July 1944, exactly 75 years ago, comrade Oskar Grossmann was murdered by the Nazi-fascists in the prisons of torture in Lyon. We designate following declaration to his anniversary of death, to burn the heritage of this great son of the Austrian proletariat eternally in our hearts:
Proletarians of all countries, unite!
OSKAR GROSSMANN
IMMORTAL HERO OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROLETARIAT AND THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF AUSTRIA.
Declaration in the wake of the 100th year of the Communist Party of Austria
Oskar Grossmann is the name of one of the 12 immortal heroes of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) that gave their lives in the struggle against Nazi-fascism. He was also known as „Alexander Schönau“ and „Lucien“ in the International Communist Movement. Comrade Grossmann was a magnificent representative of the international proletariat and an important leader of the working class in Austria. As Communist organisation of the country in which comrade Grossmann was most active in, as Communist organisation which struggles for the reconstitution of the Communist Party, we want to make a declaration in the 100th year of founding of the Communist Party of Austria, about his life in the service of the Communist Party and his legacy for the International Communist Movement.
Comrade Grossmann came from the broadest layers of society, where everyday life of families are characterized by financial problems and poverty. Even facing such difficulties, Oskar Grossmann managed to finish his high school final exams thanks to an insatiable hunger for knowledge and discipline, both lifelong strong characteristics of his character. He wasn’t able to finish his studies, for the poverty he lived under, forced him to drop out of university not long after he had started. Shortly before that, in 1920 at the age of 17 or 18 Comrade Grossmann entered the Communist Youth League (KJV). He took this step during a period in which the storms of the Austrian Revolution of 1918 calmed down, the revolutionary wave rolled back and the Communist Party and its mass organisations lost a great amount of its members. But where others resignated and gave up the fight, Grossman went to work actively. With the help of another of the 12 immortal heroes of the Central Committee, the excellent comrade Alfred Klahr, comrade Grossmann rapidly took over leading functions inside the Youth League. A memorial text of the Central Committee of 1945 describes his task inside the Communist Youth League as follows: „His personal life had ended for him, when he entered the direction of the Communist Youth League in 1921 (or 1920?). Like most members of the direction, he worked during the day and held speeches and presentations for apprentices and young workers at night. He was a captivating speaker. No phraseur, no speaker that played with words. Each speech was loaded with the whole weight of the evidence he was able to find.“ It’s of especial importance to us to uphold comrade Grossmann’s important leading role inside the proletarian youth, because the Communist Youth League, which was founded under the leadership and direction of the Communist Party of Austria, also celebrates it’s 100th year in 2018/19.
In 1930 after developing his agitatorial and propagandistic talent further within the lines of the proletarian and revolutionary youth, comrade Grossmann became an editor of the Red Flag, the central organ of the party. Within this function, he became an important teacher of the most progressive parts of the Austrian proletariat, where he never became tired of teaching the workers within the compass that is the omnipotent ideology of the proletariat, in those times Marxism-Leninism. He understood how to present the most complicated relations with a clear language and convincing methods and played an important role in developing legions of communist proletarians. As an editor and developer of the Red Flag he also today serves as an important example for proletarian journalists and propagandists of the reconstitution of the Communist Party.
From the start to the middle of the 1930’s Comrade Grossmann was also the delegate of the Communist Party of Austria inside the Executive Committee of the Communist International and represented the party in the Third International during the 7th World Congress, which would be of incredible importance for the Communist Party of Austria. Because of his works, even more attention was paid to important questions of the Austrian proletariat by the Communist International, which proved to be a great help to the working class in Austria. Comrade Oskar Grossmann elaborated the profound and pioneering analysis of the armed uprising of the Austrian proletariat in February 1934 through the leadership of the Communist World Movement under Comrade Stalin. Comrade Grossmann wrote under the command of this very same leadership the first summarized, systematic document about the history of the Communist Party of Austria, a document which even today, even though not long in size, is an indespecible source for the understanding of the historical path of the Communist Party of Austria.
Comrade Grossmann was first sent to Czechoslowakia as part of the Central Committee of the party and representative of the foreign direction. After the invasion of the Nazi-Fascist beasts, the call of the party led him to Paris, where he developed the foreign work of the KPÖ with leadership and built the closest of relationships with the Communist Party of France (PCF). In this work comrade Oskar Grossmann represented from the beginning a conception, which did not see France as a „peaceful Hinterland“ of the KPÖ, or that had a passive stance towards the struggle of the Communist Party of France, but rather, supported on the closest cooperation with the PCF, participated on the class struggle of this important part of the front and correspond to the interests of the international proletariat. Comrade Grossmann stayed in the fascist-occupied territories after the German bourgeoisie had assaulted France with its Wehrmacht. First he developed an enormous propagandistic apparatus and for a really long time was inside the French anti-fascist resistance and partisan movement the responsible person for the agitation and propaganda in the ranks of german-speaking soldiers of the Wehrmacht.
Adding to innumerable leaflets, brochures and articles he wrote, he built the illegal, anti-fascist newspapers „The Soldier in the West“ (Der Soldat im Westen) and „The Soldier at the Mediterranean Sea“ (Der Soldat am Mittelmeer), which under illegal conditions were produced in quantities of 50.000-70.000 and were decisive instruments for great successes in undermining the fascist troops. Further was under his instruction, with “Nouvelles d’Autriche”, the central organ of the antifascist, national freedom movement of Austria in western Europe created. Based on the line of the Communist International, the Communist Party and the Propaganda which he developed, comrade Oskar Grosssmann was an great Leader and Instructor of the partisan struggle. Here as well he took within the Résistance, as part of the Mouvement Ouvriers International (MOI), the responsibility for the partisans from Austria which joined the French resistance and organised hundreds of them for the partisan struggle in France. Under his instruction not only the Austrian Section of the Résistance was developed, but also the Belgian Section of the “Austrian Freedom Front” (“Österreichische Freiheitsfront”, ÖFF) got consolidated and developed (The communist resistance in Belgium was led out of France, according to the directive of the Communist International). The from comrade Oskar Grossmann excellently applied line of the Communist International, his deep military understanding, allows the ÖFF not only to frequently send important cadres of the Communist Party secretly from Belgium to Austria, like the immortal hero of the Central Committee, the excellent comrade Hedy Urach, but also that Battalions of Austrian partisans confirmed in the Belgian freedom struggle their proletarian internationalist attitude so far, that the city Arendonk was liberated by hundreds of partisans of the ÖFF in 1944.
Probably through lacking reports and serious mistakes in the communication between partisan units, Comrade Oscar Grossmann stayed on the 27th of May 1944 in Lyon in the near of a destination of attack by an partisan operation. The bomb which was placed by the partisans, which brought numerous fascists their justified punishment, also wounded comrade Grossmann seriously, so that he lost his eyesight. Blind and seriously wounded, he got arrested by the fascists while he lay on the streets in his own blood. After they got to know his real identity, despite his insurances, he got tortured and questioned hardly by the Gestapo. Out of the protocols of the questioning and torture which were kept is known, that he persistently
kept silent. Neither he confirmed his true identity, nor he said a single secret. Under arrest and torture, under the hits of the Gestapo comrade Oskar Grossmann died under the kicks of the fascist executor. But he died as in important leader, as partisan, as faithful child of the international proletariat, as devoted servant of the International Communist Movement and and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This gave him the place as one of the 12 immortal heroes of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Austria. As one of those the international proletariat, especially its advanced forces, represented threw maoist Communist Parties, reconstituted or in the struggle for reconstitution, will eternally keep him in mind.
The live of the immortal hero, of comrade Oskar Grossmann, gives the communists today important teachings:
Although comrade Grossmann was a child of Austrian proletariat and could get his forging in Vienna from little age on, he also was, fallen as partisan in France, a child of the international proletariat, whom he gave his life to. Comrade Grossmann represents a consequent application of proletarian internationalism and gave his life for the interests of the international proletariat. His life, his effort and his death call especially the most progressive parts of the Austrian Proletariat to be clear about, that without an new international organisation of the communists, which is based on and under the command of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, there can be no international leadership of the communist movement.
As an powerful agitator and propagandist he is teaching the proletarian revolutionaries today, to also explain complicated conditions in a way, where the peoples masses can understand, without degeneration, without the deformation of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism threw false concessions. Comrade Grossman is teaching, that the communists in every situation are able to develop propaganda, that it is no question about “the circumstances”, but about the the correct line which is applied.
Comrade Oskar Grossman gives an example of ongoing struggle against eclecticism and spontaneity, for systematic and planned work in the political tasks, for that, that sometimes it needs patience, but therefore the steps have to be solid and correct, serving the development of the Proletarian World Revolution.
Comrade Oskar Grossmann gives us a shining example of implaceable hardness towards the class enemy. He kept his silence towards the fascists despite hardest torture and gave with that his last swear on the proletariat. Comrade Grossmann therefore stands on the side of all comrades worldwide, which also today face the repression of the reaction bravely, which take their responsibility and also not forget the mission of their class in these situations.
The deep military understanding of comrade Grossmann gives the communists today many advises and inspirations, on their way to reconstitute the Communist Party, under the command of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, as militarized party. Comrade Grossmann has an excellent understanding of the task, fighting putschism and sectarianism, to base the military work on the masses and to draw courage from the deepest and broadest masses in the development of this work.
With this declaration, given in the 100th year of the Communist Party of Austria, upholding the live of the 12 immortal heroes of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, we acknowledge the good example, with which Comrade Oskar Grossmann is marching forward and we confirm that we will hold on it.
Long live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!
Long live Proletarian Internationalism!
Long live the International Communist Movement!
For the reconstitution of the Communist Parties!
Long live the heritage of the 12 immortal heroes of the Central Committee in the 100th year of the party!
Committees for the Foundation of the (maoist) Communist Party in Austria, July 2019
