OA

Sensatie, sociale wrok en socialisme

Sensation, social resentment and socialism. ‘Limping Abe’ and De Amsterdamsche Lantaarn

During the last decade of the nineteenth century Abraham Cornelisse edited and sold a radical newspaper called De Amsterdamsche Lantaarn in the Dutch capital’s city centre. The crippled socialist and his partners in crime found an enthusiastic public that immersed itself in their indignant accusations and sensationalist news stories drawn directly from the slums, attracting attention both in print and on the streets of Amsterdam. Both the Lantaarn’s stories and peddling activities created upheaval and provoked the authorities to respond. In this way, they outplayed Amsterdam’s officials and gained a disproportionate amount of attention for their fiery political message.