Grimm, Robert

Born Apr. 16, 1881, in Zürich; died Mar. 8, 1956, in Bern. One of the leaders of the Swiss Social Democratic Party (chairman until 1919) and the Second International.

A printer by trade, from 1909 to 1918, Grimm was editor of the newspaper Berner Tagewacht. In 1911 he became a deputy to parliament, and during 1945–16 he was president of its National Council. During World War I he was a Centrist. Grimm was chairman of the Zimmerwald (1915) and Kienthal (1916) conferences and chairman of the International Socialist Committee. In January 1917 he joined with the Swiss Social-Patriots. One of the founders of the Second-and-a-half International and a member of the bureau of the Second International. Grimm was committed to anti-Communist and anti-Soviet principles and was an opponent of united action by the working class.