Wall painting by Hildegund Schuster on the strike at the Lauensteinsche Waggon factory.
At the corner Repsoldstraße/Amsickstraße, directly behind today's Hamburg trade union building, there was once a wagon factory, called the Lauensteinsche Wagenfabrik. It was one of the largest in the country and also exported its products to Russia. Together with the branch factory in Rothenburgsort, 1,400 workers were employed. A mural on the trade union building, which is currently being completed, commemorates this factory and its great struggle in 1869.
Business wasn't good in 1869. Director Kirchweger informed his workers that unfortunately he had to lower the piece rates by 25%. Those who do not want to work for it should look for another job. The worker did not need sausage and bacon on his bread, by the way, he would never let the workers make demands on him, he would rather have the work done externally.
The workers rejected the offer, and the strike lasted a total of nine weeks. For the workers who did not yet have strike funds, it was a matter of existence. In the factory, strike breakers were hired, and the work continued, right and wrong. On the evening of September 7, 1869, an explosion occurred. The strikers moved from their meeting point at the arsenal market to the factory when the strike breakers just finished work and flocked out of the factory. Towards them the strikers penetrated and smashed everything short and small.
They also moved to the branch factory in Rothenburgsort and the director's flat there and destroyed the inventory there as well. Director Kirchweger fled over a fence and shot the blacksmith Wonsel, one of his workers, whom he had met there. Wonsel was 28 years old and father of six children. His funeral was attended by 3,000 people. A group of workers moved to the restaurant of the innkeeper Schneider, who had put the strike breakers in touch with the Lauenstein factory. Doors and windows were torn out, his furniture fell into ruins and landed on the street.
An agreement was finally reached between the management and the workers. Kirchweger had to leave and the old piece rates were restored. However, the damage from the industrial action was so great that the company had to file for bankruptcy. Nevertheless, Director Kirchweger was expressed "warmest thanks" by the shareholders for his energy and energy in the interest of the shareholders. The police and judiciary were also firmly on the owners' side, with 68 strike participants temporarily in custody. Among the population the sympathies were distributed differently. Kirchweger complained that he was being spat at on the street.
The workers' uprising near Lauenstein is similar to the weaver's uprising in Silesia. The mural is intended to remind us that there were heavy labour disputes in Hamburg as well, and how laboriously this was achieved, which today is often taken for granted.
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