Ulrich Schneider's 'Mutti, komm ans Fenster!' Recounts a Working-Class Childhood in the Ruhr

Ulrich Schneider, Germany's most prominent social lobbyist, has published a new book titled 'Mutti, komm ans Fenster!' (Mom, Come to the Window!), released by Westend Verlag. The book recounts his childhood as a working-class child in Oberhausen, in the Ruhr region, often called the 'cradle of Ruhr industry.' Schneider grew up as the second child of Joseph Schneider, a trained bookbinder and picture framer who later worked shoveling sludge at a sewage treatment plant. His father died at age 61, exhausted from a life that never truly belonged to him. In an interview with the Freitag, Schneider reflects on how his upbringing shaped him, noting that under Willy Brandt's chancellorship, conditions for working-class children were considerably better. He also addresses who he holds responsible for his father's exploitation. The book offers a personal narrative of working-class life in post-war Germany, touching on themes of social mobility, labor, and political change.