Table of Contents:
- Introduction / Christian Krell
- Wolfgang Abendroth : Constitution and social democracy / Thilo Scholle
- Viktor Agartz : wage policy and capitalism / Thilo Scholle
- Otto Bauer and Austro-marxism / Thilo Scholle
- August Bebel : Emperor of the workers / Helga Grebing
- Eduard Bernstein : Reform orientation a the core of a modern social democracy / Thomas Meyer
- Willy Brandt : freedom, democracy and socialism / Klaus Schönhoven
- Hermann Cohen and the principle of cooperativeness / Thomas Meyer
- Heinrich Deist : one of the fathers of the Godesberg Programme / Dietmar Petzina
- Walter Dirks : left-wing Catholic and publicist / Norbert Bicher
- Friedrich Ebert : first statesman of the labour movement / Walter Mühlhausen
- Willi Eichler : father of the Godesberg Programme / Christian Krell
- Friedrich Engels : (not only) Marx's friend, source of inspiration and voice / Christian Krell
- Erhard Eppler : the power of language / Jochen Dahm
- Fritz Erler : independent thinking as a prerequisite of good policy / Anja Kruke
- Gert von Eynern : analyst of public duty / Volker Best
- Peter Glotz : executive director and maverick in one person / Norbert Bicher
- Herta Gotthelf : equality and socialism / Karin Gille-Linne
- Hermann Heller and the social state based on the rule of law / Thilo Scholle
- Rudolf Hilferding : centrist and analyst of capitalism / Michael Reschke
- Jakob Kaiser : Christian socialism / Christian Krell
- Karl Kautsky : democratic socialist / Thilo Scholle
- Waldemar von Knoeringen and the discovery of the human in politics / Helga Grebing
- Heinz Kühn : greater openness towards the Church, the FDP and immigrants / Volker Best
- Ferdinand Lassalle : bonvivant und workers' tribune / Meik Woyke
- Renate Lepsius : women' s issues as a vocation / Jochen Dahm
- Wilhelm Liebknecht : revolutionary in word and deed / Michael Reschke
- Richard Löwenthal : unconditional democrat in the age of globalisation / Gesine Schwan
- Rosa Luxemburg and her conception of a socialist democracy / Helga Grebing
- Karl Marx : founder of scientific socialism / Thomas Meyer
- Franz Mehring : advocate and adversary of "bourgeois parliamentarianism" / Jürgen Schmidt
- Susanne Miller : lifelong Nelsonian / Thomas Meyer
- Fritz (Perez) Naphtali : democracy in the economy / Wolfgang Schroeder
- Oswald von Nell-Breuning : Jesuit und bridgebuilder / Tobias Mörschel
- Leonard Nelson : ethical socialism in word and deed / Christian Krell
- Peter von Oertzen : keeping the SPD open to the Left / Helga Grebing
- Gustav Radbruch : law must strive for justice / Jochen Dahm
- Johannes Rau : "reconciliation not division" as motto and way of life / Anja Kruke
- Hermann Scheer : atypical visionary and pioneer of the energy transition / Michael Reschke
- Karl Schiller and SPD economic policy / Torben Lütjen
- Carlo Schmid : father of the constitution and passionate European / Christian Krell
- Kurt Schumacher : democratic socialism after the Second World War / Thilo Scholle
- Elisabeth Seibert : democracy and equality / Karin Gille-Linne
- Anna Siemsen : education and socialism / Thilo Scholle
- Hugo Sinzheimer : creator of German labour law / Frank Decker
- Jochen Steffen : SPD maverick / Siegfried Heimann
- Fritz Sternberg : democratic socialist and early interpreter of globalisation / Helga Grebing
- Paul Tillich : a religious socialist / Siegfried Heimann
- Herbert Wehner : preparing the way for government responsibility / Renate Faerber-Husemann
- Otto Wels : courageous parliamentarian against the Nazi regime / Meik Woyke.