Karl August Wittfogel
Karl August Wittfogel | |
|---|---|
Karl Wittfogel in the American Communist newspaper. The Daily Worker, 1926 | |
| Born | September 6, 1896 |
| Died | May 25, 1988 (aged 91) |
| Occupation(s) | Playwright, historian, and sinologist |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Leipzig University |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Columbia University University of Washington |
| Notable works | Oriental Despotism: A Comparative Study of Total Power |
Karl August Wittfogel (German: [ˈvɪtfoːɡl̩]; 6 September 1896 – 25 May 1988) was a German-American playwright, historian, and sinologist. He was originally a Marxist and an active member of the Communist Party of Germany, but after the Second World War, he was an equally fierce anticommunist.