Labour Day in Germany has shifted from a revolutionary workers' holiday to a Nazi propaganda tool, to Cold War symbol, and today a mix of peaceful demonstrations, political statements, and spring festivities. It remains one of the country's most significant social and political holidays.

When is Labour Day?

Labour Day in Germany is celebrated every year on May 1.

The following is the list of Labour Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Labour Day?

Labour Day on May 1 grew out of the international workers' movement of the late 19th century. The movement began after the 1886 Haymarket events in Chicago, where workers demanded the eight-hour workday. By 1890, May 1 was adopted as a day of worker solidarity worldwide.

In 1919, the new Weimar government declared May 1 a holiday for the first time (though initially only for that year). Throughout the 1920s, left-wing parties and unions held rallies. Tensions sometimes turned violent, for example, the Bloody May of 1929 in Berlin, when police clashed with banned Communist marches, leaving many dead.

After seizing power, the Nazis rebranded May 1, 1933 as the "Day of National Work" and made it a paid public holiday. The very next day (May 2, 1933), they banned free trade unions and replaced them with the state-controlled German Labour Front (DAF). The regime used May 1 for large propaganda events and parades, stripping it of its worker-led roots.

In 1946, the Allied Control Council confirmed May 1 as a holiday. Both West Germany (FRG) and East Germany (GDR) celebrated it, but differently.

– In the GDR, the day was marked with state-organized parades showcasing workers and socialist achievements.
– In the FRG, it was a day of union-led demonstrations, focusing on workers' rights and social justice.

Today, Labour Day remains a nationwide public holiday. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) organizes rallies and speeches.