1 - Introduction: Cradle Communists and Oral History

Summary

Abstract

Growing Up Communist in the Netherlands and Britain offers a comparative analysis of the Dutch and British communist movements in the twentieth century and interrogates how far Moscow and/or indigenous social, political, economic and cultural factors influenced the experiences of communist parties and their members. Informed by oral history and memory studies, it draws on a series of interviews with 38 British and Dutch cradle communists, auto/biographies, archival materials, and existing historiography of both movements. Chapter One discusses the oral history project this book is based on, examines the variables that influence participants’ experiences, discusses similarities between the two communist movements as well as national peculiarities, and briefly surveys the different trends that can be observed within communist historiography in both countries.

Keywords: Communist Party of Great Britain, Communist Party of the Netherlands, oral history, comparative research, cradle communists

I never felt as though I lived in two separate worlds. I even went to a Christian club – my mother felt doing so was important. We also had a Bible at home, one of those thick ones, with really thin pages. The Christian club was a children's club, which was part of the Maranatha Church in Overschie. We would first pray, then we would read from the Bible, and sing. Afterwards we would do fun things. We would make mittens, play games, that kind of stuff. The children from my school went there, so I wanted to go too. My father said, ‘Can't you think of anything else?’ But my mother said, ‘You should go, you’ll learn a thing or two’. But I didn't get along with the woman who ran the club, because she said that communists were really bad people. I was always fighting with that woman,

but I kept on going to the club nonetheless because all my girlfriends were going and we would have a good time together. There was also a Christmas celebration. And at Christmas we would get an orange. That was such a treat. Because we didn't have much money at home (Mieke b. 1948, Rotterdam).

Mieke grew up in Overschie, a neighbourhood in Rotterdam. Her mother was raised in a socialist working-class family and became involved in the communist resistance during the Second World War.