Berlin earned the nickname 'reddest city in Europe' by the 1920s due to its massive industrial working class and radical socialist movements that challenged traditional bourgeois politics. The Spartacist Uprising of 1919 and 'Bloody May' of 1929 marked violent turning points, while Cold War-era student sit-ins and 1970s squatter movements continued the tradition of radical organizing.
Berlin's radical legacy: From 19th-century labor uprising to modern tenant revolt
The Spartacist Uprising of 1919 resulted in scores of deaths including Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg; 'Bloody May' 1929 left over 30 people dead; Benno Ohnesorg was fatally shot by police in 1967.