Röster från Ruhr (1968) - full transcript
from the Archive of
Deutsche Kinemathek
foundation
In the Ruhr region
In the Ruhr region
which is around 60 km
long and 25km wide
there are 12 cities.
6.5 million people
live here
I work in the iron-
and steel tube works.
Our families are
in Turkey.
I work in the iron-
and steel tube works
at the automatic system.
I earn 5 Mark 25
per hour.
I have been saving up,
thank God!
My kids and family
are in my homeland,
they are well.
My work is very good.
We live in barracks.
Beginning of next year,
I want to go home
if Allah is willing.
This is Karl Heinz
Oppenberg, a saddler.
He has an hourly wage
of 4 Marks 50.
As far as I am concerned,
I can say that I
have worked for 33 years
at the Schattbacher
Rosenblumendelle
or respectively
Hagenbeck.
In 1934 I, was encouraged
to work below ground
as a builder,
a bricklayer.
There I carried out
mining operations myself
as a so called "Lehr"..
"Lehrhauer".
and as a "Gedingeschrippe".
Had carried out almost
all mining operations.
Then during the war,
as the big war
was raging here
and the houses were
being destroyed
by the Allied' bombings,
I was brought in for the
construction of houses,
meaning repairs in the
mining workers' apartments.
There one experienced
and saw a lot:
how they rebuilt
their apartments
to find themselves
shelter again.
The whole time,
I myself am
a staff council member
in a metal cast factory.
From my work as a mining
worker under ground,
I can also talk about the
Schottanlage Hagenbeck:
In the year 1939,
just before Christmas,
as is usual,
happen in the mining work
bigger accidents before
the Christmas holidays.
This is a sign that
the miner in this
month of December
works especially hard
time and time again
to have a lot of money
for the family vacation
and to make good
Christmas presents.
On the other hand,
Hagenbeck,
5 miners were killed
In the seam "Sonnenschein"
(sun shine).
Of them, we have only
gotten out two, dead.
That means
they were buried there
in the Essen region.
The three other comrades
are still lying
under ground
because there had been
no way of rescuing them
no way at all
to get to the dead
comrades.
The whole
mountain range
of the mine
was collapsed and
again and again
new breaks showed.
The administration however
had to leave the entire
rescue area
and still no coal was
mined for
in that area.
Have been living here
for around thirty years.
and there is a
landfill nearby
where the stones
from the mine
are driven off.
It has been burning
since '47 or '46.
And even though the
whole neighborhood
has complained
about it,
and the city administration
has tried everything,
with water and
things like that,
they don't succeed
in extinguishing it.
Now they have moved
on to
clearing away
the landfill.
And when the excavators
are working over there,
clouds rise up
and dirty everything
with dust and dirt.
The neighborhood
has always complained
but there's nothing
to be done
until the landfill
is gone.
Now half of it has
been cleared away.
Hopefully then
we will have
peace
The humans in
this world
have everything at
their disposal
from the natural sciences
to the technology,
the sciences.
The humans also have
at their disposal
to help other human
beings
in their social and
personal needs.
To be in charge of all
things in this world
one however needs
a crucially decisive
amount of freedom.
And this freedom
we Christians have
to make believable
in this world
especially through
our behavior.
Freedom
is not just the
freedom of thought.
Freedom is not just
a vague feeling.
What freedom is,
is determined
there and then.
That's why the Christian
has to decide there and then.
He has to make believable
there and then
what freedom is.
The denomination
to Jesus Christ
doesn't exist
in a vacuum.
Therefore it is
regrettable
what we have to read
in our church newspaper
"Der Weg" (the way).
In this newspaper
that at any rate
is one of the most
important
newspapers of our
regional church,
is reported how
a Swedish priest
goes to the factory
to inform himself
there and then
about the workers'
social problems.
But then there is written
the following statement:
"Whether the sincere
efforts
of the church
for the workers
will amount to visible
results for the communities
is uncertain.
The American evangelist
Billy Graham however
addresses many people
in mass events
without a regard
for specific problems
of the individual
and in this way
calls for the
the denomination
to Jesus Christ
with success.
Here we have to ask:
"Is this possible?
To reach the denomination
of Jesus Christ
with no specific regard
for the problems
of the individual?
Does this denomination
exist in a vacuum?
What's more important?
A mass event
where the American
evangelist Billy Graham
gathers together
thousands of people
in front of his
microphones?
Or
the Christians' efforts
around the people's
social problems
in our society
where one does
not immediately
see a great and
apparent result.
Christians have
to take care
of the social problems
with calmness
and perseverance.
Here and there
they can make their
freedom believable.
But if Christians
aren't capable of
dealing with
social questions,
then also their
belief and denomination
to Jesus Christ
is without worth.
We however know
that Christ has given
us the freedom
the freedom, to deal
with these problems
and that's why we
have to make use of
this freedom.
Grabich,
formerly a miner,
was part of the red
Ruhr Army in 1920.
Yes, you want
from me
some pictures
from the past
and especially from
the Kapp-Putsch
and how it played out
here in the Ruhr area
I ask you to consider
that since then
yes 47 years have passed
since this time.
I stand in the
eightieth year of life
and that then
the memory
isn't so fresh
anymore
as it would have been
20 maybe 30 years ago.
But as good as
I can remember,
I will describe some
details from back then.
Already the year 1920
confronted the workers
with difficult
big questions.
The workers'- and
soldiers' councils
that were founded
after the collapse
in 1918
had long been
disposed off.
The reaction had
recovered
and came crawling
out of its mouse hole
and was soon again
firmly in the saddle.
Black clouds were
looming over Germany.
Fascist organizations
sprouted up.
"Einwohnerwehren",
organisations like
like "Konsul"
"Orgesch"
"Stahlhelm" (steel helmet)
and volunteer corps
were formed everywhere
to protect the alleged
civil freedom.
Besides the
100.000 man army
which was granted
to the Germans
by the peace treaty
a so called black
"Reichswehr" was formed.
The same hired
volunteers
which were
briefly drilled
and always replaced
with new contingents.
The central point
of the training
and the trade was
the fortress Küstrin.
A prematurely
attempted coup
from there
made
the entire world
sit up
and revealed
the military's
secret plans.
The ruling circles were
very shocked
about this coup
which to them
seemed premature
and had it
suppressed.
The 13th of March
Kapp and Lüttwitz
marched into Berlin
with their white troops,
declared the government
for deposed
and took over the power
and declared
martial law.
The previous government
of Ebert, Scheidemann,
Noske
and others had to flee
and settled down
in Stuttgart.
I was given the order
to destroy the
police warehouse
on Bottroper Street
Difficult to access
here because of a
railway embankment
in front.
The security police
had settled here.
Because a total
attack
wouldn't achieve anything,
I ordered a bypass
behind the old
Jewish cemetery
on Hammerstreet.
Encircled like this,
they had no choice but
to flee towards
Bottrop.
But obvious weapon
material and ammunition
fell into our hands.
Leaving behind an
appropriate garrison,
we advanced
against Mühlheim.
There, free corps' Schulz
commanding officer
hoisted the black-white-
red flag
and decided on
Watter,
that meant, against
the proper government
After a short, but
violent fight,
the majority fled
towards Duisburg.
Heavy fights continued in
the mountains of Saarn.
After violent fights
with the Duisburg and
hamborn workers,
only a small part
reached
the protecting
walls of Wesel.
Already after the fights
near Sarn, I was
called back to Essen
and handed over
the Essen troops
to my friend Reinhold.
In Essen a
gang of mob and rabble
had spread
was generating
a panic mood.
with robberies
and thefts.
I was appointed
security officer
of the city of Essen.
Quickly, out of the
remaining
younger and older workers,
I raised
a security force
that took turns day
and night.
After the Bielefeld
Agreement
the front started
to crumble
that until then had
stuck together.
Fighting we retreated
over Buhr, Bottrop
and Essen.
In old Essen still,
heavy fights took place.
So one can in fact
say that
the resistance
of the workers
against Hitler
wasn't completely useless,
that it also brought
successes.
Looking back now,
one comes to the
conclusion
that already back then
it showed,
how necessary the
resistance was.
Today it is like this,
that
many still live off
what back then the
resistance groups
and among them one
can probably name
the communists as
the strongest group,
the socialists,
the trade unionist,
achieved.
For example, I remember
when we
were prosecuted by Hitler.
Hitler had risen to power.
A part of the middle class
celebrated because
they believed
their Messiah had come.
Even so, there were
groups of workers that
didn't want to
change these times
just with the fists
in their pockets.
And here
I recall amongst
other things
how even in the police
there were people
of the resistance.
In Cologne from example,
I had been transferred
from Thuringia to Cologne
because I belonged
to the central
resistance group,
after my arrest
a police man basically
released me
from the
Gestapo ill-treatments
by
breaking
his client's trust
opening the door
one morning
and I basically
escaped the beatings
of the gestapo
and the interrogations
because of this.
Then I was brought to
Bonner Wall,
that used to be
a military prison.
From there the stations
went over
Brauweiler, Börgermoor.
And
when I came back
from Börgermoor
already resistance groups
had formed
here in Mühlheim.
And Johann,
we were
probably the responsible
bodies or the first
organizers of the union
of the resistance groups
here in Mühlheim.
Maybe now you could
explain how things
were back then.
This is Johann Adelhütte,
craftsman.
Günther Daus, architect,
1945-1947 he was
communist mayor in
Mühlheim Ruhr.
Herrmann Rosendhal,
formerly miner.
And back then we
also received the
written documents.
We printed here ourselves,
we still had some
appliances
where you could
hectograph,
duplicate
and we distributed
or let these writings
be distributed
and...
then there were also
in the individual
suburbs
the individual groups or
the individual groups
were made one
and in doing so
I met Herrmann again
and
we asked him then
to now also help out and
he confirmed what we
had assumed. That in the
Ruhr area, already as well
people had come together
or had a connection
amongst themselves
and so the same thing
happened here
in the entire city area.
Until 1934 when
because of the
thoughtlessness
or today I would like
to say
well through the distri-
bution of the writings
it was easy for
the Gestapo
to then neutralize
this group
in the entire situation
and to then
put on trial.
That was a dark time,
that we then experienced,
but the resistance
continued and also
developed.
Because we know that
also in 1943
arrests were made
here in
Mühlheim
who then had to
pay dearly.
It was truly a bad time
back then
The..
antifascists back
then were
had to, they had to
retreat
the SA gained
the upper hand.
We were then, I was
lying in bed at night
all of a sudden the
house was encircled.
I was taken out,
I had no time
to dress, I was wearing
only pants.
And then it started.
Thrashings up to a pub
where there used to
be SA.
There again we had to
go through a lane,
I was among the first.
And.
And there then
it went on.
They had roof battens
in their hands,
you had to jump
over them
and when you didn't
get over...
you never got over
then they came for
the shins.
I had the misfortune
that someone kicked
me in the testicles.
I couldn't walk
at all anymore.
At about eight in
the morning
we were brought
to the Brown House
in the city centre.
It was around 20
minutes away.
But almost everyone
couldn't walk anymore
and
from there then
the Standard Leaders
gave our names to
the Brown House.
Then we were put
in a barracks,
in a gymnasium.
There we stayed
until
until the wounds had
somewhat subsided.
I was unlucky enough to
have to stay eight days.
And there already we
made the decision
in the gym
that we would have
to come closer together
so what happened there
could not happen again.
When we walked back
to town
the population took
no interest
as was later said
that they were
happy that Adolf Hitler
would come to power
instead they turned around,
they didn't want to see us
because we were
so battered.
Tears were running down
people's cheeks.
And so we came in the
evening and night.
At 12 when it was dark
I was released, then
I could go home.
I have been working
in a textile factory
for three years.
I am happy with my work.
At the same time, I
am supporting my parents.
The big problem is
the language.
For some time
I have been learning
to understand
German a little bit.
I have been in Germany
for about 3 years.
I am the father
of five children.
To live with
my sons,
that have been here
for about seven years.
We came to find work.
For a certain time
it went decently well
here in Germany.
But now it's beginning
to get worse.
For example, two of
my children
had to emigrate to
Australia.
We hope that
the situation will
improve, but so far
one sees no improvement
Unfortunately, we are
also treated a bit
poorly, especially
those who
haven't yet mastered
the language.
Like this, we are at a
disadvantage in everything.
For around ten years
we have had here
in our state
the mining crisis.
In our city
and on the mine
where I work.
Tomorrow is its
last shift.
This mine has existed
for almost over
hundred years.
These last ten years
of the crisis
have left their marks
on this city.
Almost 15.000 commuters.
Workers,
that only sleep within
the walls of this city,
have to look for work
outside these walls.
We were told here
about structural change,
about the introduction
of new industries.
There were 10
years of time
to introduce the
structural change here.
Only now
one is still talking
and it has been
like that for 10 years.
Just the replacement
industries
are simply not following.
On top of this,
it has to be clear that
if other industries are
to be settled
in this area,
you also have to know
which industries that
should be.
So that this industry's
production
are still saleable.
The help
and the expectations
that the people
in this state
put on the
government
- you know that we have
a social-democratic
state government,
and one could have
been of faith
that these people's
sufferings
should or would
have an end -
see themselves badly
deceived.
Just recently the
Bundesrat
I think it was the day
before yesterday
rejected the aid measures
and the bonus
that were pending
especially with
the plants Hansa
and Pluto
those things
again rejected
so that one can't
expect help
from this side either.
The importation
from the US
I think it's around
six million tons.
If those could be stopped
it would mean
the continuance
for a longer time
of many people's jobs.
Aid measures however
at the level
that one should
live off
mandate millions,
in the long term,
won't be an aid measure
for the Ruhr area
What's missing here
are places of employment
and a fast
structural change in
the Ruhr area.
But what hasn't been
managed in
10 years
and probably wasn't
willing to manage
we won't be able
to manage in
the next ten
months either.
So, it keeps going
downhill
here.
And where the workers
will march then
we will surely
live to see.
But this is not just
the case with mining
but
the people on the Ruhr
have to be
in the clear on the fact
that that which is
happening in Ruhr
what is happening
with mining
is going to spread over
on other industries
and will there too
find its expression.
Therefore it will be
a struggle with no end.
I think that
the workers in
this country
and not just here
but whether it be
whether it be in the US
whether it be in France
whether it be in Sweden
whether it be
anywhere else
have to join together
more closely
to defend their common
social
and economic
cause.
And to better face
the concentration
of power
in the economic power.
Deutsche Kinemathek
foundation
In the Ruhr region
In the Ruhr region
which is around 60 km
long and 25km wide
there are 12 cities.
6.5 million people
live here
I work in the iron-
and steel tube works.
Our families are
in Turkey.
I work in the iron-
and steel tube works
at the automatic system.
I earn 5 Mark 25
per hour.
I have been saving up,
thank God!
My kids and family
are in my homeland,
they are well.
My work is very good.
We live in barracks.
Beginning of next year,
I want to go home
if Allah is willing.
This is Karl Heinz
Oppenberg, a saddler.
He has an hourly wage
of 4 Marks 50.
As far as I am concerned,
I can say that I
have worked for 33 years
at the Schattbacher
Rosenblumendelle
or respectively
Hagenbeck.
In 1934 I, was encouraged
to work below ground
as a builder,
a bricklayer.
There I carried out
mining operations myself
as a so called "Lehr"..
"Lehrhauer".
and as a "Gedingeschrippe".
Had carried out almost
all mining operations.
Then during the war,
as the big war
was raging here
and the houses were
being destroyed
by the Allied' bombings,
I was brought in for the
construction of houses,
meaning repairs in the
mining workers' apartments.
There one experienced
and saw a lot:
how they rebuilt
their apartments
to find themselves
shelter again.
The whole time,
I myself am
a staff council member
in a metal cast factory.
From my work as a mining
worker under ground,
I can also talk about the
Schottanlage Hagenbeck:
In the year 1939,
just before Christmas,
as is usual,
happen in the mining work
bigger accidents before
the Christmas holidays.
This is a sign that
the miner in this
month of December
works especially hard
time and time again
to have a lot of money
for the family vacation
and to make good
Christmas presents.
On the other hand,
Hagenbeck,
5 miners were killed
In the seam "Sonnenschein"
(sun shine).
Of them, we have only
gotten out two, dead.
That means
they were buried there
in the Essen region.
The three other comrades
are still lying
under ground
because there had been
no way of rescuing them
no way at all
to get to the dead
comrades.
The whole
mountain range
of the mine
was collapsed and
again and again
new breaks showed.
The administration however
had to leave the entire
rescue area
and still no coal was
mined for
in that area.
Have been living here
for around thirty years.
and there is a
landfill nearby
where the stones
from the mine
are driven off.
It has been burning
since '47 or '46.
And even though the
whole neighborhood
has complained
about it,
and the city administration
has tried everything,
with water and
things like that,
they don't succeed
in extinguishing it.
Now they have moved
on to
clearing away
the landfill.
And when the excavators
are working over there,
clouds rise up
and dirty everything
with dust and dirt.
The neighborhood
has always complained
but there's nothing
to be done
until the landfill
is gone.
Now half of it has
been cleared away.
Hopefully then
we will have
peace
The humans in
this world
have everything at
their disposal
from the natural sciences
to the technology,
the sciences.
The humans also have
at their disposal
to help other human
beings
in their social and
personal needs.
To be in charge of all
things in this world
one however needs
a crucially decisive
amount of freedom.
And this freedom
we Christians have
to make believable
in this world
especially through
our behavior.
Freedom
is not just the
freedom of thought.
Freedom is not just
a vague feeling.
What freedom is,
is determined
there and then.
That's why the Christian
has to decide there and then.
He has to make believable
there and then
what freedom is.
The denomination
to Jesus Christ
doesn't exist
in a vacuum.
Therefore it is
regrettable
what we have to read
in our church newspaper
"Der Weg" (the way).
In this newspaper
that at any rate
is one of the most
important
newspapers of our
regional church,
is reported how
a Swedish priest
goes to the factory
to inform himself
there and then
about the workers'
social problems.
But then there is written
the following statement:
"Whether the sincere
efforts
of the church
for the workers
will amount to visible
results for the communities
is uncertain.
The American evangelist
Billy Graham however
addresses many people
in mass events
without a regard
for specific problems
of the individual
and in this way
calls for the
the denomination
to Jesus Christ
with success.
Here we have to ask:
"Is this possible?
To reach the denomination
of Jesus Christ
with no specific regard
for the problems
of the individual?
Does this denomination
exist in a vacuum?
What's more important?
A mass event
where the American
evangelist Billy Graham
gathers together
thousands of people
in front of his
microphones?
Or
the Christians' efforts
around the people's
social problems
in our society
where one does
not immediately
see a great and
apparent result.
Christians have
to take care
of the social problems
with calmness
and perseverance.
Here and there
they can make their
freedom believable.
But if Christians
aren't capable of
dealing with
social questions,
then also their
belief and denomination
to Jesus Christ
is without worth.
We however know
that Christ has given
us the freedom
the freedom, to deal
with these problems
and that's why we
have to make use of
this freedom.
Grabich,
formerly a miner,
was part of the red
Ruhr Army in 1920.
Yes, you want
from me
some pictures
from the past
and especially from
the Kapp-Putsch
and how it played out
here in the Ruhr area
I ask you to consider
that since then
yes 47 years have passed
since this time.
I stand in the
eightieth year of life
and that then
the memory
isn't so fresh
anymore
as it would have been
20 maybe 30 years ago.
But as good as
I can remember,
I will describe some
details from back then.
Already the year 1920
confronted the workers
with difficult
big questions.
The workers'- and
soldiers' councils
that were founded
after the collapse
in 1918
had long been
disposed off.
The reaction had
recovered
and came crawling
out of its mouse hole
and was soon again
firmly in the saddle.
Black clouds were
looming over Germany.
Fascist organizations
sprouted up.
"Einwohnerwehren",
organisations like
like "Konsul"
"Orgesch"
"Stahlhelm" (steel helmet)
and volunteer corps
were formed everywhere
to protect the alleged
civil freedom.
Besides the
100.000 man army
which was granted
to the Germans
by the peace treaty
a so called black
"Reichswehr" was formed.
The same hired
volunteers
which were
briefly drilled
and always replaced
with new contingents.
The central point
of the training
and the trade was
the fortress Küstrin.
A prematurely
attempted coup
from there
made
the entire world
sit up
and revealed
the military's
secret plans.
The ruling circles were
very shocked
about this coup
which to them
seemed premature
and had it
suppressed.
The 13th of March
Kapp and Lüttwitz
marched into Berlin
with their white troops,
declared the government
for deposed
and took over the power
and declared
martial law.
The previous government
of Ebert, Scheidemann,
Noske
and others had to flee
and settled down
in Stuttgart.
I was given the order
to destroy the
police warehouse
on Bottroper Street
Difficult to access
here because of a
railway embankment
in front.
The security police
had settled here.
Because a total
attack
wouldn't achieve anything,
I ordered a bypass
behind the old
Jewish cemetery
on Hammerstreet.
Encircled like this,
they had no choice but
to flee towards
Bottrop.
But obvious weapon
material and ammunition
fell into our hands.
Leaving behind an
appropriate garrison,
we advanced
against Mühlheim.
There, free corps' Schulz
commanding officer
hoisted the black-white-
red flag
and decided on
Watter,
that meant, against
the proper government
After a short, but
violent fight,
the majority fled
towards Duisburg.
Heavy fights continued in
the mountains of Saarn.
After violent fights
with the Duisburg and
hamborn workers,
only a small part
reached
the protecting
walls of Wesel.
Already after the fights
near Sarn, I was
called back to Essen
and handed over
the Essen troops
to my friend Reinhold.
In Essen a
gang of mob and rabble
had spread
was generating
a panic mood.
with robberies
and thefts.
I was appointed
security officer
of the city of Essen.
Quickly, out of the
remaining
younger and older workers,
I raised
a security force
that took turns day
and night.
After the Bielefeld
Agreement
the front started
to crumble
that until then had
stuck together.
Fighting we retreated
over Buhr, Bottrop
and Essen.
In old Essen still,
heavy fights took place.
So one can in fact
say that
the resistance
of the workers
against Hitler
wasn't completely useless,
that it also brought
successes.
Looking back now,
one comes to the
conclusion
that already back then
it showed,
how necessary the
resistance was.
Today it is like this,
that
many still live off
what back then the
resistance groups
and among them one
can probably name
the communists as
the strongest group,
the socialists,
the trade unionist,
achieved.
For example, I remember
when we
were prosecuted by Hitler.
Hitler had risen to power.
A part of the middle class
celebrated because
they believed
their Messiah had come.
Even so, there were
groups of workers that
didn't want to
change these times
just with the fists
in their pockets.
And here
I recall amongst
other things
how even in the police
there were people
of the resistance.
In Cologne from example,
I had been transferred
from Thuringia to Cologne
because I belonged
to the central
resistance group,
after my arrest
a police man basically
released me
from the
Gestapo ill-treatments
by
breaking
his client's trust
opening the door
one morning
and I basically
escaped the beatings
of the gestapo
and the interrogations
because of this.
Then I was brought to
Bonner Wall,
that used to be
a military prison.
From there the stations
went over
Brauweiler, Börgermoor.
And
when I came back
from Börgermoor
already resistance groups
had formed
here in Mühlheim.
And Johann,
we were
probably the responsible
bodies or the first
organizers of the union
of the resistance groups
here in Mühlheim.
Maybe now you could
explain how things
were back then.
This is Johann Adelhütte,
craftsman.
Günther Daus, architect,
1945-1947 he was
communist mayor in
Mühlheim Ruhr.
Herrmann Rosendhal,
formerly miner.
And back then we
also received the
written documents.
We printed here ourselves,
we still had some
appliances
where you could
hectograph,
duplicate
and we distributed
or let these writings
be distributed
and...
then there were also
in the individual
suburbs
the individual groups or
the individual groups
were made one
and in doing so
I met Herrmann again
and
we asked him then
to now also help out and
he confirmed what we
had assumed. That in the
Ruhr area, already as well
people had come together
or had a connection
amongst themselves
and so the same thing
happened here
in the entire city area.
Until 1934 when
because of the
thoughtlessness
or today I would like
to say
well through the distri-
bution of the writings
it was easy for
the Gestapo
to then neutralize
this group
in the entire situation
and to then
put on trial.
That was a dark time,
that we then experienced,
but the resistance
continued and also
developed.
Because we know that
also in 1943
arrests were made
here in
Mühlheim
who then had to
pay dearly.
It was truly a bad time
back then
The..
antifascists back
then were
had to, they had to
retreat
the SA gained
the upper hand.
We were then, I was
lying in bed at night
all of a sudden the
house was encircled.
I was taken out,
I had no time
to dress, I was wearing
only pants.
And then it started.
Thrashings up to a pub
where there used to
be SA.
There again we had to
go through a lane,
I was among the first.
And.
And there then
it went on.
They had roof battens
in their hands,
you had to jump
over them
and when you didn't
get over...
you never got over
then they came for
the shins.
I had the misfortune
that someone kicked
me in the testicles.
I couldn't walk
at all anymore.
At about eight in
the morning
we were brought
to the Brown House
in the city centre.
It was around 20
minutes away.
But almost everyone
couldn't walk anymore
and
from there then
the Standard Leaders
gave our names to
the Brown House.
Then we were put
in a barracks,
in a gymnasium.
There we stayed
until
until the wounds had
somewhat subsided.
I was unlucky enough to
have to stay eight days.
And there already we
made the decision
in the gym
that we would have
to come closer together
so what happened there
could not happen again.
When we walked back
to town
the population took
no interest
as was later said
that they were
happy that Adolf Hitler
would come to power
instead they turned around,
they didn't want to see us
because we were
so battered.
Tears were running down
people's cheeks.
And so we came in the
evening and night.
At 12 when it was dark
I was released, then
I could go home.
I have been working
in a textile factory
for three years.
I am happy with my work.
At the same time, I
am supporting my parents.
The big problem is
the language.
For some time
I have been learning
to understand
German a little bit.
I have been in Germany
for about 3 years.
I am the father
of five children.
To live with
my sons,
that have been here
for about seven years.
We came to find work.
For a certain time
it went decently well
here in Germany.
But now it's beginning
to get worse.
For example, two of
my children
had to emigrate to
Australia.
We hope that
the situation will
improve, but so far
one sees no improvement
Unfortunately, we are
also treated a bit
poorly, especially
those who
haven't yet mastered
the language.
Like this, we are at a
disadvantage in everything.
For around ten years
we have had here
in our state
the mining crisis.
In our city
and on the mine
where I work.
Tomorrow is its
last shift.
This mine has existed
for almost over
hundred years.
These last ten years
of the crisis
have left their marks
on this city.
Almost 15.000 commuters.
Workers,
that only sleep within
the walls of this city,
have to look for work
outside these walls.
We were told here
about structural change,
about the introduction
of new industries.
There were 10
years of time
to introduce the
structural change here.
Only now
one is still talking
and it has been
like that for 10 years.
Just the replacement
industries
are simply not following.
On top of this,
it has to be clear that
if other industries are
to be settled
in this area,
you also have to know
which industries that
should be.
So that this industry's
production
are still saleable.
The help
and the expectations
that the people
in this state
put on the
government
- you know that we have
a social-democratic
state government,
and one could have
been of faith
that these people's
sufferings
should or would
have an end -
see themselves badly
deceived.
Just recently the
Bundesrat
I think it was the day
before yesterday
rejected the aid measures
and the bonus
that were pending
especially with
the plants Hansa
and Pluto
those things
again rejected
so that one can't
expect help
from this side either.
The importation
from the US
I think it's around
six million tons.
If those could be stopped
it would mean
the continuance
for a longer time
of many people's jobs.
Aid measures however
at the level
that one should
live off
mandate millions,
in the long term,
won't be an aid measure
for the Ruhr area
What's missing here
are places of employment
and a fast
structural change in
the Ruhr area.
But what hasn't been
managed in
10 years
and probably wasn't
willing to manage
we won't be able
to manage in
the next ten
months either.
So, it keeps going
downhill
here.
And where the workers
will march then
we will surely
live to see.
But this is not just
the case with mining
but
the people on the Ruhr
have to be
in the clear on the fact
that that which is
happening in Ruhr
what is happening
with mining
is going to spread over
on other industries
and will there too
find its expression.
Therefore it will be
a struggle with no end.
I think that
the workers in
this country
and not just here
but whether it be
whether it be in the US
whether it be in France
whether it be in Sweden
whether it be
anywhere else
have to join together
more closely
to defend their common
social
and economic
cause.
And to better face
the concentration
of power
in the economic power.