Norwegian Workers Association Raid (1851)

Mon Jul 07, 1851

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Image: Marcus Thrane photographed in Chicago in the 1870s [nbl.snl.no]

On this day in 1851, police raided the Norwegian Workers Association, seizing documents, suppressing their newspaper, and arresting five board members, including founder Marcus Thrane, who served seven years in prison. Between this and other anti-labor crackdowns, approximately 200 members were arrested.

This suppression took place in the context of a broader political struggle against the state which was spearheaded by the union. A year earlier, the Norwegian Workers Association had delivered a petition, signed by more than 13,000 people, to King Oscar II of Sweden, demanding equality before the law, military conscription to be extended to property owners, and universal suffrage. When the government dismissed the petition, the union began agitating for revolution.

The Workers Association was one of the first major labor movements in Norway. It was founded by Marcus Thrane in 1848, who was inspired by the ongoing revolution in France. The association grew rapidly through 1849 and 1850.

At its peak, the group boasted 273 chapters and 25,000-30,000 members. Following the crackdown and Thrane’s imprisonment, the movement collapsed.