The article examines the little-studied side of the life of the famous German politician and statesman Friedrich Ebert, his family life and relationships with children. Using mainly published for the first time personal letters of members of the Ebert family, the author describes the main values and virtues that traditionally existed in the German family and those that were formed in the family of a Social Democrat. Along with forming the sense of belonging and love for their family, hard working, keeping order, diligence, modesty, frugality, the focus of education was placed on devotion to duty and civic responsibility. Comparison of personal letters and political speeches of Friedrich Ebert allows us to conclude that there was a close relationship between the public and the personal in his life and the undoubted priority of the former. With the remaining ambiguous assessment of Ebert as head of the state, one can and should talk about his inner decency as a person and a family man.
For citation:
Evdokimova T.V. A new look at the first Reich President of the Weimar Republic: Friedrich Ebert and his children, Ivanovo State University Bulletin, Series: Humanities, 2022, iss. 2, pp. 82—93.