Anarchist Manifesto to the People of Mechelen
Pamphlet, 1894. (SAM, Modern Archive, V 390/2, election printed matter, 1894)
The struggle for universal suffrage at the end of the 19th century was often very turbulent, even within the socialist movement. For instance, anarchist dissidents could not always accept the compromise approach of the BWP leadership.
In 1893, this anarchist resistance reached a peak in a number of Flemish cities. In Antwerp and Ghent, among others, the revolutionary movement was short-lived, but in Mechelen it proved more steadfast. Somewhat surprisingly, the city on the Dyle grew into a hotbed of anarchism in Flanders.
It could count on a hard core of trade union militants within the Mechelen furniture industry, particularly among the chair makers. In the run-up to the 1894 elections, the Mechelen anarchists attempted to convince voters with, among other things, a speech commemorating the bloody suppression of the Paris Commune in 1871.
Women in the Mechelen chair-making industry, late 19th century
(Regional Image Bank, SME001005296, watch online)
Chair making was very typical within the Mechelen furniture industry. Weaving chair seats from straw was work often done by women and largely carried out at home.
The Mechelen chair was a cheap but solid mass-produced item. However, the low cost often led to abuses for the workers, such as mandatory payment in kind, for example with bread.
Take a closer look at the images
More about the anarchist movement in Mechelen
- Jan Moulaert, Red and Black, The Anarchist Movement in Belgium, 1880-1914, Leuven, 1995
- Dirk Wouters, The Mechelen anarchists (1893-1914) in the context of the rise of socialism, sn, 1981
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The Mechelen City Archives is the central historical documentation centre of Mechelen and the repository of the archival heritage. As a city service, it collects and preserves documents about the city, the region, and its inhabitants, and makes them accessible to the public.
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