International Brigade Memorial Trust
Reinhardt Silbermann of the KFSR International Brigade memorial group in Germany sets the scene for the annual commemoration in Hamburg in May.
2016 marks the 120th anniversary of the formation of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the international trade union of seamen and transport workers and their struggle against exploitation, war and fascism.
The support of the ITF for the Spanish War of Independence has been designated ‘forgotten resistance’. Probably for political reasons, the fight in the ITF united front was mostly hushed up after 1945. Why? The unity of the working class, as at all times, sets the greatest threat to exploiters and war-mongers. We remember the struggle of the ITF seafarers and transport workers in the International Brigades and in the anti-fascist columns in Spain against the fascist beast.
We will remember also:
– The 80th anniversary of the founding of the International Brigades in Spain. Eighty years ago, in October 1936, the International Brigades were formed. Thousands of volunteers from many nations went to Spain to fight against fascism in unity.
– The 75th anniversary of the attack on the Soviet Union in 1941. Seventy-five years ago, on 22 June 1941, the destructive war against the Soviet Union began, against a country that had been in existence since 30 December 1922.
On behalf of all antifascists, we will remember the fallen Hamburg Brigadistas at the monument that was inaugurated in November 2015 and commemorate the German soldiers who refused to participate in this war.
Schedule
For our foreign comrades we will translate speeches during the event in English.
Friday 27 May
‘It is an honor for Germany to have someone like Edgar André and to still have others like him.’ – Heinrich Mann
3pm: At the monument to Ernst Thälmann, Tarpenbekstr. 66 – Ernst Thälmann Platz, 20251 Hamburg: A lecture with photographs telling the story of Edgar André, for whom the first battalion of the International Brigades was named in November 1936. Edgar André was a dock worker and working class leader in Hamburg. At the monument and later in the Seamen’s Mission one can sign the condolences book to the fallen Hamburg Brigadistas.
The Ernst Thälmann memorial and exhibition will be open for us from 10am until the end of the lecture.
7:15pm: Social Event, at the Seamen’s Mission (Seemannsheim), Krayenkamp 5, 20459 Hamburg, to greet comrades and friends from foreign countries, Germany and local Hamburg citizens. Our comrade and musician Pascal Gabay (Le Szab) from Paris will perform. Everyone is encouraged to take part in the event with songs and poems to create a night of friendship and solidarity.
Saturday 28 May
‘Where people fight for justice there's no room for neutral blathering.’ – Erich Weinert
3pm: Boat excursion: Meet at the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken – Brücke (the bridge at the river Elbe) No.7-10 to board the boat ‘Viktoria’, to sail at 3:30pm. On the boat trip we will tell the story of the historical anti-fascist resistance. Colleagues from the Hamburg port will report on the current struggle of the dockworkers. After a 1.5 hour excursion, we will disembark and walk to the International Seamen's Mission, named Duckdalben, in the harbour. Programme at the International Seamen´s Club: ‘Here speaks the base': Staged reading of illegal newspapers concerning the struggle of the sailors and transport workers – the Spanish Civil War from the perspective of the combatants.
The story of the Irish Brigadista Frank Ryan:
– lecture with pictures given by Manus O'Riordan from Dublin.
– We recall and commemorate the attack on the Soviet Union in 1941.
Live Music: The Hamburg Trade Union Choir with Ernst Schwarz will lead singing in the spirit of the words: ‘Far off is our land, Yet ready we stand, We're fighting and winning for you – Freiheit ! Whoever lets his comrades down is, in the long run, letting himself down.’
Participants will be transported by shuttlebus from the Seamen’s Mission through the harbor to Hamburg.
Sunday 29 May
‘We'll not yield a foot to Franco's fascists, Eventhough the bullets fall like sleet…!’ – Thaelmann Battalion song
11am: Meet at Hamburg-Dammtor, Dammtordamm (Stephansplatz). Protest at one of the most disgusting fascist monuments in Hamburg. It is one of many monuments glorifying war from the Nazi era still standing in Hamburg.
– We call out the names of the fallen Hamburg Brigadistas.
– We hear the speech that Ernest Hemingway made to the German
people from 1938.
– Guest speakers from abroad will participate.
– We place flowers at the monument to the deserters who refused to participate in the campaign of extermination against the Soviet peoples. More than 22,000 deserters were executed by the Nazis.
Cost per participant:
The cost depends on the number of participants and will be allocated proportionally. Expect about 15€ for the boat trip and about 5€ each per participant for the transfer from Duckdalben back to Hamburg-City. Travel, accommodation and food are paid for by participants themselves. Please contact me for more information, if you intend to take part in this event
Email: brigadistas@arcor.de or brigadistas36@gmx.de
Organisation of the event: Antifaschistische Hafentage Hamburg ‘Wolf Hoffmann’, supported by Kämpfer und Freunde der Spanischen Republik 1936–1939 e.V. (KFSR), ArbeitsGemeinschaft Deutsch-Ausländische Zusammenarbeit e.V. (AGDAZ), Gedenkstätte Ernst Thälmann, Willi-Bredel-Gesellschaft, International Seamen`s Club Duckdalben.
Accommodation:
I have block booked some rooms from 26 May–30 May in the hotel below. You can book for the whole time or only for the weekend:
Seemannsheim Hamburg,
Krayenkamp 5
20459 Hamburg
Tel.: 0049-40-37 096-0
Fax: 0049-40 096-100
www.seemannsheim-hamburg.de/
Prices including breakfast per night
double rooms with shower and toilet €76
double rooms without shower and toilet €66
single rooms with shower and toilet €49
single rooms without shower and toilet €41
If you want to book rooms, please mail your reservation direct to:
felix.tolle@seemannsheim-hamburg.de or fax him: 0049-40-37096-100
IMPORTANT:
When booking, quote the reference: ‘Antifaschistische Hafentage’. If you choose the hotel, please book in time. There are only a limited number of
rooms available. Please send me a copy of your reservation.
Salud camaradas,
Reinhardt
