Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter-Union

From Infoshop OpenWiki

The Free Workers Union (Freie ArbeiterInnen-Union, FAU) is an anarcho-syndicalist union based in Germany. The union started in the early twentieth century, bringing as many as 150,000 members at the peak of its activity during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1933 the union was banned by the Nazi goverment and went underground. Countless members were arrested and some leaders were even killed. The group was re-founded in 1977 and currently has around 200 members and is a part of the International Workers Association (IWA).

1 History
- 1.1 The FAUD in Nazi Germany
- 1.2 FAUD Re-founded (1977)
2 FAUD Contacts
3 Related
4 External Links

[edit] History

[edit] The FAUD in Nazi Germany

See Main Article: The FAUD in Nazi Germany

The anarcho-syndicalist union the Freie Arbeiter Union (FAUD) had a strong presence in Duisberg in the Rhineland, with a membership in 1921 of around 5,000 members. Then this membership fell away and by the time Hitler rose to power there were just a few little groups.

At its last national congress in Erfurt in March 1932, the FAUD decided that if the Nazis came to power its federal bureau in Berlin would be dissolved, that an underground bureau would be put in place in Erfurt, and that there should be an immediate general strike. Unfortunately, the group was already significantly weakened by mass arrests before it could carry out a possible general strike.

The FAUD expectedly diminished in seize and influence during its clandestine years; however, the union and its members still managed to carry out anti-Nazi propaganda and agitation. The group received a boost in participation and enthusiasm as anarchists and socialists in Spain entered into Civil War with Franco's fascist army. The FAUD was able to raise funds for the Spanish militants and helped find volunteer technicians to go to Spain.

The union was able to agitate, offer solidarity to fellow revolutionaries and continue their struggle for workers in Germany despite massive repression from the Nazi regime. During its time underground countless members were arrested. Many leaders either fled the country, went underground, were sent to concentration camps or prisons and even murdered.

[edit] FAUD Re-founded (1977)

The FAU re-founded in 1977, working above ground for the first time in nearly 50 years. The union found itself appealing to people in workplaces different from the traditional factory they had gained so much strength in during the 1920s and 30s.

One initiative the union created was the Kultursyndikat- a network in the FAU for workers in the culture and media field. The goal is to reach people who are looking for an alternative to the mainstream service industry union. In just a small amount of time the FAU gained members in the fields of language, cinema, film, and stage work. The union continues its work to this day. More information can be found on their website.