Wir lernen im Vorwärtsgehen / We learn by moving forward: The Austrian workers' movement: For interested parties and activists who want to learn from history

We learn by moving forward: The Austrian workers' movement. For roughly 200 years, workers in Austria and its predecessor states have fought for a better life. It is a turbulent history. The experience of the bourgeoisie's defection in 1848 is just as important as the experience of repeated hesitation, even betrayal, by their own Social Democratic leadership. The fact that the Austrian proletariat was the first to take up arms on a large scale in 1934 to oppose the rise of fascism, as well as the numerous resistance fighters, testifies to both despair and courage. That workers resisted the forerunners of social partnership in a general strike in 1950 is more than just fascinating in times of recurring economic crises. In 2003, it was not civil society, but a general strike that threatened the continued existence of the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition. This is an experience that is highly relevant today, given the question of how to push back right-wing extremism. For those interested in and involved in these issues, knowledge of one's own history is also important in order to do better. Because what works—and what doesn't—is crucial for being prepared for the struggles ahead.