Introduction / Christian Krell -- Wolfgang Abendroth : Constitution and social democracy / Thilo Scholle -- Viktor Agartz : wage policy and capitalism / Otto Bauer and Austro-marxism / August Bebel : Emperor of the workers / Helga Grebing -- Eduard Bernstein : Reform orientation a the core of a modern social democracy / Thomas Meyer -- Willy Brandt : freedom, democracy and socialism / Klaus Schönhoven -- Hermann Cohen and the principle of cooperativeness / Heinrich Deist : one of the fathers of the Godesberg Programme / Dietmar Petzina -- Walter Dirks : left-wing Catholic and publicist / Norbert Bicher -- Friedrich Ebert : first statesman of the labour movement / Walter Mühlhausen -- Willi Eichler : father of the Godesberg Programme / Friedrich Engels : (not only) Marx's friend, source of inspiration and voice / Erhard Eppler : the power of language / Jochen Dahm -- Fritz Erler : independent thinking as a prerequisite of good policy / Anja Kruke -- Gert von Eynern : analyst of public duty / Volker Best -- Peter Glotz : executive director and maverick in one person / Herta Gotthelf : equality and socialism / Karin Gille-Linne -- Hermann Heller and the social state based on the rule of law / Rudolf Hilferding : centrist and analyst of capitalism / Michael Reschke -- Jakob Kaiser : Christian socialism / Karl Kautsky : democratic socialist / Waldemar von Knoeringen and the discovery of the human in politics / Heinz Kühn : greater openness towards the Church, the FDP and immigrants / Ferdinand Lassalle : bonvivant und workers' tribune / Meik Woyke -- Renate Lepsius : women' s issues as a vocation
Wilhelm Liebknecht : revolutionary in word and deed / Michael Reschke -- Richard Löwenthal : unconditional democrat in the age of globalisation / Gesine Schwan -- Rosa Luxemburg and her conception of a socialist democracy / Helga Grebing -- Karl Marx : founder of scientific socialism / Thomas Meyer -- Franz Mehring : advocate and adversary of "bourgeois parliamentarianism" / Jürgen Schmidt -- Susanne Miller : lifelong Nelsonian / Fritz (Perez) Naphtali : democracy in the economy / Wolfgang Schroeder -- Oswald von Nell-Breuning : Jesuit und bridgebuilder / Tobias Mörschel -- Leonard Nelson : ethical socialism in word and deed / Christian Krell -- Peter von Oertzen : keeping the SPD open to the Left / Gustav Radbruch : law must strive for justice / Jochen Dahm -- Johannes Rau : "reconciliation not division" as motto and way of life / Anja Kruke -- Hermann Scheer : atypical visionary and pioneer of the energy transition / Karl Schiller and SPD economic policy / Torben Lütjen -- Carlo Schmid : father of the constitution and passionate European / Kurt Schumacher : democratic socialism after the Second World War / Thilo Scholle -- Elisabeth Seibert : democracy and equality / Karin Gille-Linne -- Anna Siemsen : education and socialism / Hugo Sinzheimer : creator of German labour law / Frank Decker -- Jochen Steffen : SPD maverick / Siegfried Heimann -- Fritz Sternberg : democratic socialist and early interpreter of globalisation / Paul Tillich : a religious socialist / Herbert Wehner : preparing the way for government responsibility / Renate Faerber-Husemann -- Otto Wels : courageous parliamentarian against the Nazi regime / Meik Woyke