Unveiling the concealed past of the 1910 Moabit Uprisings

In the heart of Berlin, on an island surrounded by rivers and canals, a significant historical event unfolded 100 years ago. The Moabit Unrest, as it came to be known, was a two-month-long labour dispute that echoed around the globe.

The conflict began at the Kupfer & Co. coal depot in 1910, where 136 workers initiated a strike, demanding a seven pfennigs raise per hour. The company's owner, at the time, remains unidentified in historical records. Hugo Stinnes, a ruthless capitalist, had later acquired Kupfer & Co. and refused to give the workers a raise, aiming to take over the Berlin coal market.

As the days passed, the strike escalated when police began escorting coal wagons, leading to clashes between workers and the police. The Battle of Rostocker Straße, the highpoint of the riots, saw police discharging 173 rounds. Two striking workers were tragically killed by sabre blows to the head during these confrontations.

Union officials had been desperate to extricate themselves from the fighting, but the residents of Moabit, a neighbourhood largely forgotten today, rallied together. They bellowed socialist anthems at the police lines in the evenings, and some even donated to the police for their help, despite their opposition to the authorities' actions.

The exact number of injured Moabiters is unknown due to detectives waiting in the local hospital to arrest anyone who came in for treatment. Just 14 people were convicted of disturbing the peace after the riots. The two-month trial that followed turned into a marathon exposé of horrific police violence.

Despite the workers' defeat, some of the factories still exist in Moabit. Some have been refurbished as offices, while others continue the same production line as a century ago. The name Moabit is believed to be a mispronunciation of "Moorgebiet", or "swamp area". It began as a settlement inhabited by Huguenot refugees in the 1600s, and in the second half of the 19th century, it became Berlin's industrial centre due to the construction of factories.

Today, Moabit stands as a testament to a significant chapter in Berlin's history, a reminder of the struggles and resilience of its people in the face of adversity. The Moabit Unrest may have been forgotten by many, but its echoes continue to resonate in the heart of the city.