Labor Day-Tag der Arbeit

May 1st-German Labor Day- (Tag der Arbeit)

May 1 is the date to celebrate workers’ rights. May 1 is a public holiday in all German states. On this day, especially in Berlin, some people organize or attend marches or rallies to campaign for or celebrate workers' rights in Germany or abroad. The day was declared a national holiday, by the National Assembly in Weimar, declared it a public holiday in 1919. It was inspired by events occurring here in the United States (which by the way is one of the few countries that do not observe Labor Day in May).

It started when a congress of world socialist parties meeting in Paris (1889) voted to show their support for Chicago strikers and the demands of the US labor movement’s demand for an 8 hour day, chose May 1, 1890 as a day of commemoration. Countries around the globe chose to use May 1 as an official ‘Labor Day’ holiday.

Why did the US choose the first week of September as their labor day? One reason could have been the May date was selected and approved and is very important in socialist and communist countries.

The US first observed the September date in 1894. Canada also recognizes the September date. Unlike the US, the holiday in German is primarily a ‘working class’ holiday.

The May date holds other significance in Germany. It was in May 1929 that two parties, the Social Democratic (SPD) party and the Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands met head to head with the first banning the traditional workers’ demonstrations and the later calling for their people to demonstrate. This lead to what is called ‘Bloody May’ and resulted in 32 dead and 80 seriously injured. This also led to a huge split in the parties allowing another party to use it to their advantage, namely the National Socialists party. The party that named the holiday, Tag der Arbeit’.