Get organized!

Day Seminar on the History of the Socialist Movement in Germany In the 19th century, working people founded socialist parties and trade unions because their interests were not represented in politics. The new organizations were banned, persecuted, and slandered – yet they could not be extinguished. Even today, organizing and class politics are in demand again. This is a good reason to find out how socialist organization began. We will take a look back at the time of Marx and Engels, Bebel and Bismarck, all the way to the November Revolution. Party, union, machine-breaking – what brought people together? What practical value did organizations have? How did they survive persecution and slander? And what do these experiences mean for the future? The day seminar does not require any prior knowledge. We will work with original sources on the founding debates of the workers' movement in the 19th century and then embark on a time travel to March 1919: A role-play will transport us to the founding year of the Weimar Republic with its struggles for councils, republic, and socialization. Team leader: Dr. Ralf Hoffrogge is a historian and publicist. His publications on the topic include "Socialism and the Workers' Movement in Germany and Austria" (2017) and "Richard Müller - The Man Behind the November Revolution" (2018). He recently published "The Loud Berlin" (Brumaire Verlag 2025), a history of the Berlin rent protests. Registration required.