The Vokouns of Chicagoland

The Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire. - Voltaire Golden Seal of Emperor Charles IV So I have covered ancient history and the early middle ages, the next period is regarded as the golden age of Bohemia. It was the age during which this small region became the seat of Europe's largest empire. Prague and Bohemia flourished like never before or since. This was the result of the accomplishments of a man who was half Bohemian through his mother yet favored her heritage over his fathers. Charles IV was arguably the most powerful Czech who ever lived. This is not a European history blog so I am not going to recount the  long, tedious fascinating history of the Holy Roman Empire but I think some background is helpful in order to set the stage for this next chapter in Bohemian history. The HRE was founded about 800 AD when Charlemagne was crowned and lasted one thousand years until Napoleon defeated its armies in 1806. In theory, it was holy because of the blessing

I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list. - Susan Sontag Lise the Bohemian Lise Tréhot was Auguste Renoir's muse. She was the subject of more that twenty of his paintings including this one depicting the Bohemian Roma of Paris of his time. It so happens that she was neither a Bohemian nor a gypsy but details, details.  The Roma people are Europe's gypsies but they share a name with Bohemians thanks to the permissive protection granted by a former King of Bohemia, Zikmund in the 15th century and courtesy of turn-of-the-century Parisians who romanticized the gypsies' artistic and unconventional lifestyle. Hence the opera,  La Boheme , which was in turn the inspiration for the musical, Rent .  It is unlikely that we will ever find any photos of Anna so I chose Renoir's rendition of a Bohemian gypsy. Kočovník (KOE-cho-VEE-neek) is the Czech word for nomad or wanderer. It seemed appropriate for Anna and her husband James lived a life that never seemed entirely settled.

Not in a good way. The strike finally ends after and vote and nothing changes. The writer notes that "the sweatshops will still flourish...the old wages will still be paid and twelve to fourteen hours of toil will still constitute a day's work." In other words, the Manufacturers win big. To add salt to the wound, they make no commitment to rehire the strikers who haven't already crossed the picket line having made ample use of scabs. Then there is the future status of the union, about which one manufacturer states "From this day forward, we will recognize no unions of any kind and will run our business free from any outside dictation." The union officers try to stress what was gained but then what else is there to do. Still behind the polished statements of both sides, one can't but sense the bitterness of feelings and the resolve for the future fights ahead. It sets the stage for more strikes including the massive 1911 strike, lead by women, that made r

Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. - James 5:4 Al Capone's soup kitchen (circa 1931) When things start to look dire, nothing like images of heaven and hell to set the stakes as the union accuses the manufacturers of creating "an inferno for the souls of the oppressed." Nevertheless, clearly being out of work was straining workers six weeks into the strike in spite of efforts by their neighbors and fellow unions to help out. As hunger for workers and their families loom, even more workers, mostly Bohemians, quit their shops which shows that the conditions in the shops must have been pretty dang miserable. Our family tailors were likely also existing at bare sustenance level along with their immigrant neighbors. How much longer will they last? To make my point, I couldn't resist posting a picture of Al Capone's soup kitchen which i

And you thought your boss was bad. Three weeks into the strike and the Cutters get a gut punch. (I don't know if starvation makes that easier or harder to absorb that but I'm thankful I don't have to find out first hand.) The plot thickens as one of the union bosses quits the strike, and...wait for it... returns to work as a foreman in a cutters shop! All while being accused of passing union secrets to the Manufacturer's Association. We've read about threats, assaults, gunshots, and police rolls as the workers situation grows more desperate. The guy is a traitor but I have to give him credit for some big  cojones . He does assure us that he "made this organization" (meaning the union) and can "break it." I am going out on a limb to suggest that he kept his doors locked at night.

Don't blame me for the puns. I'm just the messenger here. The Cutters and Trimmers make their reply to the Manufacturer's Association statement from my last post. They are seeking recognition of the union, a minimum wage scale with some predictability, and an eight-hour workday. The cutters announce their solidarity with sweatshop tailors striking in support. We also learn that a prominent manufacturer has admitted that since the tailors exist on the verge of starvation, joining the cutter's strike makes little sense. What I find amazing is the issue seasonal work such that only 10% of workers were able to work year-round while half work only six months per year. If you are on the verge of starving then why push it, seems to be the logic of the most admirable stewards of the clothing industry. Nice. We shall see how it plays out.