| Biography: |
| Lathe operator by trade; joined the Association of German Metal Workers (1906); member of the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party, SPD); headed an organization of Berlin lathe operators; joined the Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Independent Social Democratic Party, USPD) in 1917; elected a chairman of the Berlin Soldiers' Council in January 1918; elected to the Vollzugsrat der Arbeiter- und Soldatenräte Groß-Berlins (Executive Council of the Workers' and Soldiers' Councils) during the meeting in the Zirkus Busch (10 Nov 1918), became one of the chairmen in this body; strongly opposed the idea of convening the National Constituent Assembly (Verfassunggebende Nationalversammlung) and was one of the hard-liners, who demanded to establish a soviet republic in Germany; editor of the Deutsche Metallarbeiter-Zeitung (1919-1920); from Dec 1920 to early 1922, a member of the Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (Communist Party, KPD); chaired the Head Office of Reich Trade Unions and a group of Communists in the Association of German Metal Workers; in 1930s worked as a manager with the Phöbus-Bau GmbH. |
| Biographical sources: "Richard Müller – Der Mann hinter der Novemberrevolution", by Ralf Hoffrogge (Berlin: Karl Dietz-Verlag, 2008). |
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| [1] |
Executive summary of the first metting of the Executive Council (11 Nov 1918) was published [2] unsigned and does not mention the election of chairmen. The appointment of Müller and von Beerfelde as chairmen is noted in Vorwärts, Nr. 311, 11. November 1918. |
| [2] |
"Groß-Berliner Arbeiter- und Soldatenräte in der Revolution 1918/19. Dokumente der Vollversammlungen und des Vollzugsrates. Vom Ausbruch der Revolution bis zum 1. Reichsrätekongress", ed. by Gerhard Engel, Bärbel Holz and Ingo Materna (Berlin: Akademie, 1993). |
