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A curious example of the content of the archives is the Alfred Kruse case in the HK Copenhagen archive.
By Jesper Jørgensen
The case originated from Alfred Kruse and the communist cell The Free Opposition Group’s attempt to challenge the Social Democrats in HK Copenhagen’s governing bodies in 1922. The file contains, among other things, flyers from the opposition group, which show that the opposition primarily focused on opposition to a DKK 1 dues increase and against the Social Democratic ‘leadership coup’.
HK Copenhagen Archive: Subject files: 1915-1931
The case also includes Jens Johansen’s response to the success the opposition actually achieved with a majority at two general meetings in HK’s unemployment fund in Copenhagen, and a not entirely unrealistic opportunity to conquer the chairmanship of HK Copenhagen. In a ‘confidential’ message to all Copenhagen members in November 1922, Jens Johansen explained the disastrous consequences it would have for the union if the opposition gained power as they intended. The commercial and office workers would be divided, and the respect and results they had achieved would be lost. However, the decisive factor was probably Jens Johansen’s characterizations of the opposition’s leading figures, where not least Alfred Kruse was compromised.
Alfred Kruse was a controversial figure in the labor movement. As a revolutionary socialist, Kruse had started his political career on the left in the Social Democratic Youth League (SUF). In 1912, he became chairman of the Copenhagen branch. Later, he co-founded the Socialist Youth Association, which was affiliated with the Union of the Trade Union Opposition.
The discussions about Kruse were mainly due to his time in Sweden during World War I. He was accused of acting as a German agent in connection with an anti-militarist workers’ congress in 1916 in Stockholm. Kruse was blamed (along with Estonian Alexander Keskäla) for the imprisonment of Zeth Höglund (SKP chairman 1917-1924) for high treason and the expulsion of a group of Russian Bolshevik emigrants from Sweden. Although the accusations were, by all accounts, groundless, Kruse never got away with them. Neither the Social Democratic Party nor the DKP would recognize him afterwards.
See also: Alfred Kruse Archive
Jens Johansen was therefore fishing in troubled waters when he accused Kruse of being ‘an adventurer who is now trying to turn our organization into a playground for his private interests’. Kruse tried in vain to defend himself against the many accusations, but the Social Democrats won the power struggle, abolished the problematic general assemblies in HK Copenhagen and installed Gustav Pedersen as the new chairman in Copenhagen. In the end, Kruse lost another defamation case brought against Jens Johansen, which finally put a stop to the Free Opposition Group’s advance within HK.
The contents of the file document that the Social Democratic leadership in HK took the challenge from the revolutionary left seriously. In addition to what has already been mentioned, there is also a series of copies of letters from head treasurer Julius Hansen to Swedish trade unionists, where it appears that Julius Hansen was collecting material to bring him [Alfred Kruse] down before it was too late. What was of particular interest was a report on Kruse, prepared by a commission of inquiry set up by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, which allegedly concluded that all workers’ organizations had to be warned against Alfred Kruse. Whether Julius Hansen got what he was looking for is not clear from the sources in the archive. However, HK did get rid of Alfred Kruse, and that was the main point for HK in this story.
