Kommune 1

Kommune 1 (German for "Commune 1") was the first politically motivated commune in Germany. Founded in Berlin in 1967, it was characterized by its provocative and often absurdist political actions aimed at challenging societal norms and the establishment. Kommune 1 was associated with the New Left and anti-authoritarian movements of the era.

Its members, including prominent figures like Rainer Langhans and Dieter Kunzelmann, sought to disrupt the prevailing conservative social order through unconventional tactics such as staged events, happenings, and provocative manifestos. They aimed to expose the hypocrisy and contradictions within bourgeois society.

Kommune 1 gained notoriety for actions like planning (but not executing) a "pudding assassination" against then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey during his visit to Berlin. These actions, while often dismissed as stunts, were intended to be politically disruptive and to challenge the complacency of German society.

The commune disbanded in 1969, though its members continued to be involved in various political and cultural activities. Kommune 1 is remembered as a significant, albeit controversial, experiment in radical social change and a key element of the German student movement of the 1960s. Its legacy continues to be debated in discussions about the history of the New Left and the limits of political provocation.