100 Years of History of May Day in Berlin

photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-09700 / CC BY-SA 3.0

The First of May, that’s when there is a big street party in Berlin, right? Kind of. While the MyFest in Kreuzberg really feels like a big street festival with food stands, concerts and DJs playing in the streets it wasn’t always quite as cheerful and fun-oriented. The Labor Day has its origin in the USA in the late 19th century where it was among other things about the introduction of the 8h workday. There were attempts to establish it Germany in 1919, but it wasn’t until the Nazi time in the 30s that it became an official public holiday that it remained until today. Over the decades it changed its character from festive parades, political demonstrations to violent revolts. Here in Berlin the First of May was associated with aggressive protests, massive police force and burning cars in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg until the late 2010s. The actual meaning of it feels pretty much lost by now when you look at what’s going on at the MyFest at present day even though there is still enough to protest and rebel against.

Below a photography review of 100 years of the First of May in Berlin.

1920s

Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-05829 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-01355 / Georg Pahl / CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

1930s

By Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-09700 / CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

1940s

By Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link

By Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link

1950s

By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S96139 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link

By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-14500-0116 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link

1970s

By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S0501-0021 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link

1980s

By Gerd Danigel , gerddanigel.de.Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

By RoehrenseeOwn work (Original text: eigenes Foto), CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

By RoehrenseeOwn work (Original text: eigenes Foto), CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

2000s

By [`solid]36 – sozialistische jugend kreuzberg, CC BY-SA 2.5, Link

By SashandreOwn work, Public Domain, Link

2010s

photo: Christian Lendl / CC

photo: York Berlin / CC

photoInternauten Basis / CC

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<a href="https://www.iheartberlin.de/author/admin/" target="_self">Frank</a>

Frank

Author

Frank is the founder and editor-in-chief of iHeartBerlin. He takes photos, makes videos, and writes texts mostly about what's going on in Berlin. His vision and interests have shaped iHeartBerlin since its conception back in 2007 - and he hopes to continue bringing you the best of Berlin for many years to come.