Strindberg and the labour movement
5 December 2009 - 30 December 2010
Moved by the General Strike of 1909 and the unrest in society, Strindberg allied himself with the labour movement in Sweden. His inflammatory newspaper articles on the social issues of the day led to what became known as the ‘Strindberg Feud’. The labour movement needed allies and gratefully made use of Strindberg who began to label himself a socialist in the 1880s and who launched the concepts of ‘underclass’ and ‘overclass’. The labour movement collected money for a donation to him and celebrated his 63rd birthday in great style in 1912, continuing to make use of him in adult education long after his death.