…Woke Insurgency
The Timeline
This is a work in progress, and research is ongoing.
This page currently serves as a brain dump and placeholder for information that will be further developed.
If you spot any errors or omissions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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Founding of the Institute for Social Research
The Institute for Social Research, also known as the Frankfurt School, is formally established at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, by Felix Weil. Originally led by Carl Grünberg, it serves as a hub for Marxist scholars analyzing society, economics, and culture through a Marxist lens.
1920s–1930s: Foundations and Early Influences -
Antonio Gramsci Writes the Prison Notebooks
While imprisoned by Mussolini’s regime, Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci pens his “Prison Notebooks.” He develops theories on cultural hegemony and the role of intellectuals, which will later impact American neo-Marxist discourse.
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Max Horkheimer Becomes Director of the Frankfurt School
Max Horkheimer assumes leadership of the Institute, steering it toward interdisciplinary studies combining sociology, philosophy, and psychology within a Marxist framework, marking the beginning of its development of Critical Theory, which lays the groundwork for neo-Marxist thought and influences intellectual movements in the United States.
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Nazis Seize Control of Goethe University Frankfurt and Dismiss Faculty
The Nazi regime’s rise to power led to the dismissal of Jewish faculty and those with Marxist affiliations, compelling the Institute for Social Research (Frankfurt School) to consider relocation.
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Relocation of Frankfurt School to Geneva
The Institute for Social Research temporarily moves to Geneva, Switzerland.
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Frankfurt School Moves to Columnia University in NY
The Frankfurt School re-establishes itself at Columbia University. Key figures like Max Horkheimer, Friedrich Pollock, and Leo Löwenthal bring their Marxist ideas to the U.S., integrating them into American academia.
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Herbert Marcuse Arrives at the Frankfurt School in New York
Marcuse arrives in the United States and joins the Institute for Social Research at Columbia University, promoting Marxist philosophy and political theory.
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Erich Fromm Relocates to the United States
A member of the Frankfurt School, Fromm brings his background in psychoanalysis and social psychology, contributing to the spread of Marxist-influenced ideas.
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Publication of “Traditional and Critical Theory”
Published in 1937 by Max Horkheimer, “Traditional and Critical Theory” helped define the Frankfurt School’s approach to blending Marxist thought with philosophical critique. By contrasting “traditional” theories—seen as detached and purely academic—with “critical” theories aimed at revealing and challenging societal power structures, it laid an intellectual foundation for neo-Marxism’s focus on social transformation rather than […]
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Theodor W. Adorno Moves to the United States
The relocation of Theodor Adorno to the United States in 1938 significantly enhanced the Frankfurt School’s efforts to disseminate Marxist thought within American academia. Adorno’s collaboration with figures like Max Horkheimer at Columbia University introduced Critical Theory to a broader intellectual audience, influencing disciplines such as sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies. His work helped bridge […]
