Wilhelm Weitling

William Weitling
A photograph of Wilhelm Weitling
Born
Wilhelm Weitling

(1808-10-05)October 5, 1808
DiedJanuary 25, 1871(1871-01-25) (aged 62)
NationalityGerman
Occupation(s)Tailor
Activist

Wilhelm Christian Weitling (October 5, 1808 – January 25, 1871) was a German tailor, inventor, radical political activist and one of the first theorists of communism. Weitling gained fame in Europe as a social theorist before he emigrated to the United States.

In addition to his extensive political writing, Weitling was a successful inventor of attachments for commercial sewing machines, including devices for double-stitching and the creation of button holes.