Trekking up the "Red Olive Hill"
Journey back in time to the gritty, tense atmosphere of the 1930s Elberfelder Ölberg district, centered on Marienstraße. This area was a fortress for the two left-wing workers' parties—the SPD and KPD—due to its bustling population and industrial structure. Even during the tumultuous, radicalized phase of the Weimar Republic, skirmishes with supporters of Hitler's Nazi party erupted here.
Your tour guides, Antoine Saint Martin and Bastian Steinhauer (hailing from the Meeting Point Old Synagogue), will walk you through this quarter's electrifying ambiance, shedding light on the lives of worker families who once called this place home—the Laufers, Brasses, Bohnes, Hoffmanns, and Gerszts.
Prepare to be captivated by the five-euro tour.
Here's a brief recap of the era you're about to explore: The Weimar Republic, spanning from 1919 to 1933, was marked by fierce political polarization and crippling economic instability. Workers primarily affiliated with left-wing parties like the KPD and SPD in areas like Elberfeld, a prominent industrial center, driven by textile and metalworking industries. The KPD, known for its militant approach, often encountered violence with right-wing counterparts, like the Nazi Party's SA.The SPD, while more moderate, also experienced conflicts due to differing political strategies with the KPD. This political climate led to frequent street violence between left-wing and right-wing groups in working-class neighborhoods like Elberfelder Ölberg.
Elberfeld's worker-oriented landscape made it a crucial center for political mobilization and conflict, symbolizing the broader ideological tensions during this tumultuous period in German history. The area's economic struggles fueled the appeal of left-wing ideologies, contributing to the political activism and, at times, violent confrontations.
In this historically significant area of Elberfelder Ölberg district, particularly on Marienstraße, the tour guides will discuss the vibrant political atmosphere of the 1930s, emphasizing the strong presence of the SPD and KPD, two left-wing workers' parties, amidst the bustling population and industrial structure (politics, general-news). This period, marked by the Weimar Republic, was characterized by intense political polarization and economic instability, with Elberfeld, as a prominent industrial center, becoming a critical center for political mobilization and conflict (politics, general-news).
