13 Facts About Leo Arons

Martin Leo Arons was a German physicist and social democratic politician.

Leo Arons was the namesake of the Lex Arons, a law which disallowed members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany to teach at Prussian universities.

Leo Arons came from a wealthy Jewish banking family in Berlin.

Leo Arons's parents were Albert Arons, a partner in the prestigious private banking house Gebruder Arons, and Clara Goldschmidt.

In 1887 Leo Arons married Johanna Bleichroder, a daughter of the banker Julius Bleichroder.

Leo Arons developed the mercury vapor lamp, which was later marketed by AEG as "Dr Arons' mercury vapor lamp".

Via the land reform movement Leo Arons came into contact with the SPD, which he joined in the early 1890s after some hesitation.

Leo Arons subsequently wrote several articles for the party press.

Leo Arons demanded the SPD's participation in the Prussian state elections and became an expert on the Prussian three-class franchise system.

Leo Arons was a leading participant in the organization of the SPD's campaign for the general election of 1903.

Besides the party Leo Arons supported free trade unions and the building association "Ideal", founded in 1907.

Leo Arons financed the first union hall in Berlin from his own assets, and small apartments for workers in conjunction with Ideal.

The Lex Leo Arons was only one of these laws that passed the parliamentary hurdle of the Prussian House of Representatives; the Revolution Bill and the Jail Bill failed to find majorities in the Reichstag.