"Die Arbeiter von Wien" ("The Workers of Vienna") is an Austrian socialist song, which probably was written in 1927 when 89 protesters were killed during the July Revolt by police forces which were firing into the outraged crowd. The text of this was written by the Viennese poet and essayist Fritz Brügel (1897âÂÂ1955). The song's melody is derived from the Soviet march "White Army, Black Baron" by Samuel Pokrass.
The song was performed for the first time in 1929 at the 2nd International Workers' Youth Day in Vienna. The song became more widespread in 1934 during and after the Civil War between the Austrian labor movement and Social Democratic Party and the fascist authoritarian dictatorship and its organizations. In Vienna, Styria and Upper Austria in particular, workers spontaneously rose up against Austrofascism without any central leadership. Their struggle was suppressed through violent means. The song "Die Arbeiter von Wien" became part of the international anti-fascist song repertoire.