Media

The Internet as a place of remembrance

Time and again, remembrance takes place in digital contexts. The internet is used to give remembrance a flexible, easily accessible platform, which in the case of social media is aimed at a broad and particularly young audience.

Internet websites, some of which also have their own history sections, are particularly central to the rememberance work of trade unions' remembrance. One example is the Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (Ver.Di). On their website there is a section titled “Anniversaries/Memorial Days” where the most important days in the history of trade unions, including those outside Ver.Di, are explained with historical articles (Idee & Tradition | ver.di). One of these articles states that “the democratic republic was saved by the united resistance of the workers' and trade union movement” and celebrates this success, while simultaneously commemorating the victims of the terror that followed the strike, calling on trade unionists to remember and commit themselves to democracy. In addition to the article on the Kapp Putsch, the same section includes articles on May 1 or May Day; January 27, the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism; September 1, the Anti-War Day; May 2, 1933 (destruction of the free trade unions); and June 17, 1953 (the popular uprising in the DDR). Here it becomes clear that March 13, 1920 is one of the most important and central events in Ver.Di's commemorative policy. Similar contributions can also be found on other individual trade union websites.

Worth mentioning is the website “gewerkschaftsgeschichte.de” (1918-1923: Gewerkschafter gegen Kapp-Putsch - Geschichte der Gewerkschaften) run by the Hans Böckler Foundation. This site offers a broad overview of the various eras and events in German trade union history. The article on the Kapp Putsch recalls the important role of the trade unions in the fight for democracy and social justice in the early years of the Weimar Republic. Reference is also made to the successes of the political strike and it is also mentioned that the long-term social and economic change brought about by the general strike could not be successfully implemented.

A Twitter account called “Ruhrkampf 1920” (https://x.com/ruhrkampf1920) also commemorates the event. Maintained by employees of the DGB-Bildungswerk, among others, it shared a post about the Ruhrkampf on Twitter every day in 2020. It is about “historical events around &during the Ruhrkampf 1920, activities of the Red Ruhr Army, as well as the violent suppression by right-wing Freikorps 100 years ago in the Ruhr area”. The information is shared according to the “On this Day” approach, documenting events that happened on the same day 100 years ago. The account has around 800 followers and is linked to a website of the same name. It is a public history remembrance project, reproducing events and sharing primarily historical sources. The aim is to bring the events themselves to the attention of people who were previously unaware of the general strike and the Red Ruhr Army. The aim is to commemorate the events without engaging in remembrance activism by linking them to the present day.

Contributed by Jan England (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

• The History of the European Working Class (Stan Neumann, 2020). 

• Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR) Official Website: https://fnpr.ru/eng/. 
• Gewerkschaftszeitschriften des Österreichischen Gewerkschaftsbundes
• Gewerkschaftliche Monatshefte (Bundesvorstand des DGB, 1950-2004)
• Danach: online-Debattenmagain „Gegenblende“
• vorwärts (Newspaper of the Social Democratic Party of Germany

Remembrance of female trade union workers through solidarity from Turkish trade unions: Petrol IS

• PETROL-IS: Kadin
• PETROL-IS has a separate category on its website called “Kadin” (“woman” in english). For 20 years, this union has regularly published women's magazines that focus on the emancipated woman who can be successful both at home and at work. Topics such as femicide, discrimination and the problems of women in everyday working life and in society are also dealt with. An agenda of well-known women who have gone down in history through their struggles at work is also presented.
• Particularly noteworthy on the website of the women's magazine is the explanation of gender relations and the presentation of a concept of gender unity. The difference between biological and social gender is made clear and the extent to which these differences can lead to inequalities due to cultural influences depending on the society and historical period is emphasized. The aim of gender unity education is to draw attention to the inequalities arising from social gender roles and to create awareness of these issues. In particular gender unity education aims to overcome gender inequalities for women in the political, social, professional and trade union world.
• Another category is entitled “ILO 190”. This category deals with Convention No. 190 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) “Prevention of Violence and Harassment in Working Life”. In the centenary year of the ILO, Convention No. 190 was adopted in Geneva, Switzerland, making it the first international standard for ending violence and harassment in working life. This underlines the international importance of fair working conditions and the long-term maintenance of women's rights in everyday working life. In this category, the women's magazine of the PETROL-IS trade union addresses the violence and harassment to which women are exposed in their working and private lives.
• In addition, the website has an archive that makes it easy for readers to look up historical articles and events. It publishes demonstrations and negotiations in which women of the trade union fight for their rights and freedom in the world of work and demand fair pay. The KESK trade union also emphasizes that the topic of women as workers is a current and still very important topic. Historical events, such as the Novamed or Flormar strike, showed struggling women who find themselves in contemporary Turkish society. 

• "The Blake Project" (English): Dough Nicholls of the Black Cottage Trust discusses the political leanings of English poet, artist, and printmaker William Blake, and the memorialisation of the Black Cottage he worked at in the 1830s. 
• "From Unions to Unions" (Spanish)
• "Minimal History of Latin America" (Spanish)
• TEDxSeattle: Margaret Levi - "How labor unions shape society": Political economist Margaret Levi explains how unions foster equality and protect worker rights. Levi calls for a 21st-century revival of the labour movement, explaining that it would help build a more equitable future. 
• "Trade Unionism in Mexico" (Spanish)
• Video Series: "Labour Movement in Pakistan - Context, Challenges, and Opportunities": direct description from the site - "The Labour Movement in Pakistan has been through challenging times which is now fragmented on different scales. The movement is divided in the whole country sometimes on ideological bases or on ethnic lines. There is need to understand the core issues of the Labour Movement in Pakistan and come up with a strategy to strengthen the movement across the country. In this video series, we talk to various labour leaders to know about their struggle and about the Labour Movement in Pakistan and how to strengthen it fight against social injustice."