Mehr Zeit zum Leben Lieben Lachen / More time to live, love, laugh : On the struggle for free time

The promise of less work and more time for rest and enjoyment contains a utopian element: the vision of a life without toil and drudgery. It's no wonder, then, that the struggles for shorter working hours, more leisure time, more vacation, free weekends, and the greatest possible self-determination in shaping one's free time are what drive the masses so enthusiastically into the streets. Since the emergence of the labor movement, the fight for shorter working hours has been a central theme of labor disputes, and in recent years the struggle for free time has experienced a resurgence. This also involves greater self-determination and flexible working time models that benefit wage earners.