ARKADI KREMER

ARKADI KREMER (August 25, 1865-September 20, 1935)

            With a Jewish given name of Arn, he was born in Sventsian (now Švenčionys), Vilna region.  He was one of the principal founders of the Bund.  He spent time in prison for revolutionary work.  He studied in Switzerland, Germany, England, and France where in 1914 he graduated from the Toulouse Electrotechnical Institute as an engineer.  He wrote little in Yiddish, aside from several articles—memoirs in Bundist publications in Poland: Arbeter-luekh (Labor calendar) (Warsaw, 1922), Unzer gedank (Our idea) (Vilna 13, 1923), Naye folkstsaytung (New people’s newspaper) (Warsaw 237, 1927; 356, 1932; 353, 1937), and Unzer tsayt (Our time) (Warsaw 2, 1928).  Kremer’s popular Russian pamphlet Ob agitatsii (On agitation) (1893) also appeared in Yiddish.  His lithographed works on electrical technology, alternating current, and direct current were published in Vilna (1925, 1927, 1928-1931, 1934, 1936).  He died in Vilna.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 3; John Mill, Pyonern un boyer (Pioneers and builders) (New York: Veker, 1946), pp. 88-93, 257-60; Nokhum Bukhbinder, Di geshikhte fun der yidisher arbeter-bavegung in rusland, loyt nit-gedrukte arkhiṿ-materyaln (The history of the Jewish labor movement in Russia, according to unpublished archival materials) (Vilna, 1939), pp. 50-132; Arkadi, zamlbukh tsum ondenk fun grinder fun “bund”arkadi kremer, 1865–1935 (Arkadi, anthology to the memory of the founder of the Bund, Arkadi Kremer, 1885-1935) (Vilna, 1939; New York reprint, 1942); Avrom Liessin, Zikhroynes un bilder (Memories and images) (New York: L. M. Shteyn Folks-biblyotek, 1954), pp. 265-71.

Yisroel Figa