1. The Price of Democracy
In 1930, an SPD member complained: "Why do we always get blamed for every economic crisis?"
A veteran comrade sighed: "Because our campaign slogan is 'Responsibility'—and in Germany, responsibility depreciates as fast as the Mark."
2. Political Weather Forecast
SPD rally host: "What's today's struggle situation?"
A member in meteorologist style replied: "Communist hailstorms in the east, conservative thunderstorms in the west, Nazi heatwaves intensifying in the south... Citizens are advised to take shelter in Article 48 basements."
3. Reflections on the Reichstag Fire
February 28, 1933. An SPD parliamentarian muttered while watching the burning Reichstag: "If only we’d known the far-right loved fire this much—we should’ve approved more heating subsidies for them."
A colleague retorted coldly: "Then they’d just accuse us of burning through the budget even faster."
4. The Legacy of Gustav Stresemann
A young man asked: "Why does the SPD always praise that liberal foreign minister?"
An old party member answered: "Because he gave Germany five minutes of dignity—and dignity is our last fig leaf."
5. The Last Leaflet
June 1933. An underground SPD cell printed anti-Nazi slogans.
A novice asked: "Is writing 'Hitler is insane' too blunt?"
The team leader shook his head: "No—stick to tradition. Rewrite it as: 'A Moderate Critique of Certain Extreme Tendencies in the Current Political Climate'."
6. History Repeats
An exiled SPD member read the newspaper: "Look! The new Chancellor says he’ll 'use legal means' to eliminate opposition!"
His companion smiled bitterly: "Why does that sound like our own lines against the Spartacus League back in the day?"
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