The Silesian Weavers

It is about the misery of the Silesian weavers, who in 1844 ventured an uprising against exploitation and wage decreases, and thereby drew attention to the grievances originated in the context of industrialization.

Unlike many poems at the time, the so-called weaver-song complains not only about exploitation by the factory owners, but also tackles the authorities, criticizing general political circumstances and pushing for change.

The King is accused of supporting the rich and taking action against protesters by brute force, instead of addressing the suffering of the workers.

In the outer verses it is clear that the weavers are ready, self-confident in promoting their interests, and persistent in working towards a fundamental change in Germany.

The poem shows that Heinrich Heine considers the concerns of the 19th century workers to be justified, and most of all holds the political system responsible for their misery.

As part of "The Revolution of the Citizens", the second stage of the socio-historical work Proletenpassion (Proletarian Passion) by the Austrian band Schmetterlinge, a slightly altered version of the poem was set to music.