Dickmann, Enrique (1874–1955)

Enrique Dickmann (b. 20 December 1874; d. 30 December 1955), Argentine Socialist congressman and party leader. Born in present-day Latvia, Dickmann settled in Argentina in 1890. He became a naturalized citizen in 1897 and graduated from the medical school of the University of Buenos Aires with a medal of honor in 1904. In 1905 he was appointed chief of the clinic in a local hospital. As with several other Socialists, however, he became better known as a politician than as a physician. He joined the Socialist Party in 1896 and soon became an important figure in that organization, serving as editor of the party newspaper, La Vanguardia, first in 1898 and then for several periods thereafter.

Dickmann was elected for the first time to the national Chamber of Deputies from the federal capital in 1914 and served in that body for more than three decades (1914–1916, 1916–1920, 1920–1924, 1924–1928, 1932–1936, 1936–1940, and 1942–1946). An energetic and outspoken legislator, Dickmann was a prominent figure in the Socialist bloc of deputies. He had a hand in most of the Socialists' initiatives of these years, ranging from measures to promote and protect the rights of workers, including women and children, to opposition to what the Socialists viewed as overly favorable concessions to foreign investors. In 1931–1932, Dickmann played an important role in helping to form a joint presidential ticket with the Progressive Democratic Party, one of the few instances when the Socialists agreed to participate in a political coalition. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Dickmann was a vocal opponent of the rise of fascism in Europe and warned of its possible extension to and growing influence in Argentina. He was close to party founder Juan B. Justo and remained steadfast in his loyalty to the central party until the 1940s, when, contrary to the stance of most Socialists, he expressed sympathy with the goals and achievements of President Juan Perón (1946–1955). The author of numerous books, his best-known work is his autobiography, Recuerdos de un militante socialista (1949).

See alsoArgentina, Political Parties: Socialist Partyxml .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adelman, Jeremy. "Socialism and Democracy in Argentina in the Age of the Second International." Hispanic American Historical Review 72 (May 1992): 211-238.

Petra, Adriana. Los socialistas argentinos a través de su correspondencia: Catálogo de los fondos de archivo de N. Repetto, J. A. Solari y E. Dickmann (1894–1980). Buenos Aires: CeDInCI, 2004.

Walter, Richard J. The Socialist Party of Argentina: 1890–1930. Austin: University of Texas, Institute of Latin American Studies, 1977.

                                       Richard J. Walter