Die Freizügigkeit, das wichtigste Grundrecht für die arbeitenden Klassen

In 1863, Wilhelm Lette (1799-1868), a liberal politician, philanthropist, and member of the Congress of German Economists (Kongress Deutscher Volkswirte), spoke out for freedom of movement as a fundamental right and stressed its importance for the working classes. This was at a time when the states of the German Confederation pursued a policy of closed borders (even for Germans from other states), and migration within most states was also severely restricted. The book contains an introduction by Hansjoerg Walther both on the author and the political background. In an appendix, the reader can find Wilhelm Lette's entries for "Freedom of Movement" and "Immigration & Emigration" in the Rotteck-Welcker "Staats-Lexikon" of 1861. The original material is richly annotated with explanations for obsolete or uncommon words as well as information on persons and the historical background. All texts are in German.