Vom edlen Bettler zum Konterrevolutionär: Zur Rezeption Wu Xuns (1838-1896) vom späten Kaiserreich bis in die achtziger Jahre

Abstract Wu Xun was a well respected beggar who accumulated money for the sole purpose of establishing schools for the poor. When in 1950 the film "The life of Wu Xun" was shown in the PRC, Mao launched the Wu Xun-cam- paign in 1951 that marked Wu Xun as a counterrevolutionary. Henceforth he became a negative symbol. The main reason for such a puzzling development seems to be that, as a successful individualist, Wu Xun was a peril to the CP's plan to push through its absolute claim of leadership towards the intellectuals. In addition the theme of Wu Xun became a superficial criterion for an orthodox or counter-revolutionary attitude and was thus used within the CP as a weapon to wipe out personal enemies, apparently even after his rehabilitation. Thus it might be taken as a gauge for the political- ideological development in the PRC.