From the white cross to the red flag
From the white cross to the red flag is an autobiography of the councilor communist Max Hoelz published in 1929 .
This autobiography was published in 1929 half a year after his release from Münster prison . The first part of the book describes Max Hoelze's youth, war and revolutionary experiences. In addition, the reader learns how the formerly religious person became a deviating revolutionary leader for the German and Russian workers. In the second part of this book, Max Hoelz deals with the time he spent in prison and draws attention to the abuses there (abuse, lack of hygiene and food, etc.).
Quote from Max Hoelz: "What I experienced in prison was only a part of the reality that capitalist society hides behind the resounding words: justice, justice, humane penal systems, welfare and moral elevation." Furthermore, it was important to him, to refute numerous defamations of his person which arose during his imprisonment.
Max Hoelz about his book: “I describe my experiences in order to awaken and sharpen the will to fight against bourgeois class rule in the readers - especially the young, uncalcified ones. I bring up a lot of personal information. That was inevitable, because everything personal was also common. Not only I was beaten as a servant, ran away, looked for work starving, believed in God and went to war, not only my eyes opened so that I turned my rifle against the oppressors, not only I stood before the class judges, not I was lying naked and bloody alone in the torture chambers of German prisons! Thousands of people experience and suffer the same as me. You are dumb. I speak on their behalf. "