Bauern, Bonzen und Bomben

In 1929, a peasant uprising against the government erupted in Schleswig-Holstein. The backdrop to this was the increasingly dire economic situation resulting from crop failures and outdated machinery. Although partly self-inflicted, the farmers blamed the then-ruling Social Democratic government of the Weimar Republic. The "hated republican system," as the farmers called it, exacerbated the situation through its oppressive bureaucracy and higher taxes. Demonstrations, clashes with state officials, and even bomb attacks ensued. Hans Fallada, who as a young reporter for a local newspaper had witnessed these real events, transposed the story to the fictional town of Altholm in Pomerania.