Heinrich Bernhard Oppenheim

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Heinrich Bernhard Oppenheim (July 20, 1819-March 29, 1880 in Berlin) was a German publicist and philosopher concerned with the ideas of liberalism, free trade and international law.

Oppenheim was son of a Jewish family of bankers in Frankfurt and studied law in Göttingen, Heidelberg and Berlin. In Berlin he could not reach a postdoctoral lecturer qualification because of his Jewish origin, so he became a private lecturer for political science and international law in Heidelberg. In the 1840s, Oppenheim became a political publicist and co-editor of the journal “Die Reform” (The Reform). As a radical democrat he took part in the Revolution of 1848. 1861 Oppenheim joined the German Progress Party and edited the Yearbook for Politics and Literature which was banned soon afterwards. He also became a member of the Congress of German Economists, as he was known as an excellent economist and supporter of free trade. He also paid attention to social matters. Looking for an opportunity to take part in the political life Oppenheim joined the National Liberals in 1866 and supported Bismarck's strategy for national unification. In 1874, he was elected Member of the Reichstag. In reaction to Bismarck’s protectionist policy he split with his party in 1880.

Oppenheim’s philosophical work is concentrated on parliamentarism the idea of common welfare. He coined the phrase “lectern socialism” (German "Kathedersozialismus").