13 May
19 Oct

Guesting at the Philologicum: The archive of the Münchner Arbeiterbewegung (Munich Labor Movement)

Opening hours / Beginning:

Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

13 May 2025 - 19 October 2025

Venue:

Foyer of the Philologicum library (ground floor) Ludwigstraße 25 80539 München

Who owns time? Testimonies from the fight for better working hours

Drawing on contemporary flyers, postcards, newspaper clippings, photographs, textiles and other objects, this exhibition tells the story of workers and their fight for more free time and more time for themselves.

Three key topics are in focus:

  • The “introduction of the eight-hour day” was one of the oldest and most important demands of the labor movement. The eight-hour day was written into law in Germany when the November Revolution broke out in 1918. However, it was gradually rescinded in the years that followed and under National Socialist rule.
  • During the “Munich disputes over shop closing times in 1953/54”, demonstrations against longer opening hours on Saturdays triggered tumultuous scenes.
  • In the 1980s, industrial disputes surrounding the “introduction of the 35-hour week” – especially in the metalworking and printing industries – became some of the hardest-fought labor struggles in the history of collective bargaining in Germany.

For more information, please visit the University Library website.

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