16. Union Front Effort | Walter Ballhause

16. UNION FRONT EFFORT OF THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY (SAP)

Walter Ballhause / Union Front Effort of the Socialist Labor Party (SAP) / 16.01 / With the Brennabor on wooden wheel spokes to the founding party conference in Berlin

16.01 / With the Brennabor on wooden wheel spokes to the founding party conference in Berlin

[Photo taken: October 1931]

16.05.02 / The Agitprop Group (with W. Ballhause)

"The National Socialists were the beneficiaries of the discord within the workers' movement, the, one might say, insurmountable hatred that developed there. And we ourselves were in the middle of it, we tried to bring about a unity of action at the last minute, but much too late, in March 1931. We did not succeed, but in January 1933, when Hiltler was already in power, or was supposed to come to power, we still put the slogans on the wall ourselves. Our slogan was: If the SPD and KPD go together, Adolf Hitler must go on the dole."
(Walter Ballhause in the documentary film "Linden – Ein Arbeiterlied", Wallat, Winfried / Jost, Wolfgang, Lumiére-Film Produktion, 1991)

[Photo taken: Restaurant Karl Meyer ("Grütscher") with cinema hall, house 25, today Bährenkampstraße 3, Wennigsen/Deister, 19.06.1932]

16.12.01 / The song in the evening

"This is an overview picture of a group of young people who belong to the Socialist Youth League. They are singing and playing a song on the hillside in the evening. And at the top of the picture, villagers look on curiously. This camp had a purpose. The last day fell on Whitsun 1932, it was practically the last big meeting of the Hanover Socialist Youth Association. [...] I first met my present wife (1st R., 1st from left) at Whitsun 1932 at the training and holiday camp on the Örtze near Wolthausen [...]. In autumn 1934 we became close, my present wife and I, and tied the knot in August 1936. During my imprisonment she bore all the suffering with me."
(Walter Ballhause, in a tape recording for Dr. Michael Stiegler, 1987)