Gathering of workers in front of Scheibler factory in 1898

Gathering of workers in front of Scheibler factory in 1898

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the situation of factory workers was bleak. The low pay and grueling work, that was also done by children, caused the laborers to take to the streets. In the last years of the 19th century, workers protests became more frequent to culminate in the Revolution of 1905, which lasted two years. In Łódź, these events were particularly intense and bloody. The scale of protests was unprecedented: workers risked their lives as they demanded improvement of working conditions and higher pay. They also asked for access to public education for their children. In the picture, 1898 protest of workers from Scheibler's textile factory.

The State Archives in Łódź

1898