Congress of the Democratic and Workers' Associations

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Simultaneously with the Congress of Workers Associations of the Rhine Province and Westphalia (about the preparations for which see this volume, p. 392) on May 6, 1849 in Cologne a congress of the democratic organisations of these provinces, and then a joint sitting were held. Both congresses took place at a time when the authorities were preparing reprisals against those who engaged in revolutionary disturbances. It was expected that a state of siege would be declared in Cologne. The sittings of the congresses were therefore short and reports on their resolutions were not published in the newspapers. These resolutions evidently concerned urgent measures to combat the counter-revolution. The joint sitting of the congresses showed that, despite the organisational break with the petty-bourgeois democrats, the workers organisations led by Marx and Engels did not reject combined actions with them in the struggle against the counter-revolution.

Cologne, May 6. The Congress of the Democratic Associations of the Rhine Province began early today under the chairmanship of Dr. Becker. Represented were: the Democratic Club in Aachen, the Democratic Association in Bonn, the Democratic Association in Coblenz, the Democratic-Constitutional Association in Neuwied, the Political Association in Opladen, the Democratic Association in Lamersdorf, the Democratic Association in Uckerath, the Democratic Workers’ Association in Honnef, the Citizens’ Association in Eupen, the Democratic Association in Plittersdorf, the Democratic Association in Lohmar, the Democratic Socialist Association in Hersel, the Democratic Readers’ Association in Xanten, the Democratic Association in Kessenich, the Democratic Association in Saarburg, the Democratic Association in Burscheid, the Citizens’ Association in Neuss, the Democratic Association in Siegburg, the Democratic Association in Eitorf, the Democratic Association in Winterscheidt, the Workers’ Association in Lennep, the People’s Association in Eschweiler, the Democratic Association in Mülheim an der Ruhr, the Democratic Association in Sieglar. (46 persons.)

The Workers’ Congress, presided over by Schapper, had delegates from the Associations in Solingen, Eschweiler, Aachen (Workers’ Association and Army Reserve Association), Heinsberg, Coblenz, Barmen, Ratingen, Stolberg, Eilendorf, Hamm, Münster, Kreuznach, Hersei, Honnef, Overath, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Scheiderhöhe, Königswinter, Merzenich, Bork, Wiesedorf, Bielefeld, Ems, Bonn, Cologne (Workers’ Association and Cigarmakers’ Association). (120 persons.)

In the afternoon the two meetings united for a joint consultation.

A number of private discussions took place with the DemocraticConstitutional Associations that were in session in Deutz. Many representatives of these Associations declared that in all probability their Associations would be wholly merged in the District Federation of Democrats.