The land at Rhine and Ruhr was a very poor region in the time before the land was industrialized. The name "Sauerland" (sauer = sour = poor) expresses the economical poorness of people in former times.

This situation caused the development of very strong revolutionary powers in our region, which should change the world. Karl Marx was born in Trier (Rhinland Palatine) not dar away, his protégé Friedrich Engels comes from Barmen (Wuppertal). One can´t Marx and Engels blame for that their ideals later should have been double crossed by the real existing "communistic" dictatorchips. But the neglection of the liberal parts of the Marxism should cause the end of the "communistic system" in our days, and so this problem does no longer olay a roll.

The socialism and communism were always present in the proletarian spirit of the Ruhr - district. There were no universities and military baracks in the Ruhr - district during the time of Kaiser Wilhelm. The SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) had nowhere an absolutely majority before the Nazis took over the power in 1933. In some towns the KPD (Communistic Party of Germany) got the most votes. The Nazis had to do a hard work to establish themselves in the Ruhr - district, although the Ruhr - district had also been strucked with the hard business depression of the 1920s. Besides them the vexatious occupation of the Ruhr - district and the Rhineland from France in 1923 pressed people.

After the end of the Second World War the western victor nations prevented a new coming up of the left parties. The Englishmen found Northrhine - Westphalia, which is very big populated, in order to prevent a people´s front governement of SPD and KPD.

The prohibition of the KPD in 1954 and the following German "Wirtschaftswunder" (miracle of economical recover) destroyed the socialistic and communistic powers in the Ruhr - district at least. Besides them the SPD turned to become a "normal" people - party after its new programme of Godesberg in 1958.

Today nearly every town in the Ruhr - district has been ruled for centuries alone by the SPD. You may doubt, if this situation is good for our region, because the necessary cooperation of the towns isn´t fact normally. So shopping centers are build next to the town boarder, which demage the economics of the neighbour town. A narrow - minded behaviour and nonsense petty jealousies often prejudices people.

Today the political abstinence of people is very hight in the Ruhr - district too. May be, our region is missing the old metality of the pioneer of the time of the end of the 19th century. Perhaps we should learn something about the affords of our forefathers. We can make a lot, the human and economical conditions are available.