Why did many industrial workers support the Social Democratic Party despite rising wages?

During the era of the German Empire, industrial workers experienced significant economic gains, including a rise in real income and a reduction in working hours. Despite these improvements in their material conditions, many workers—including those from Roman Catholic backgrounds—supported the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) primarily because they lacked full political rights.12

The German political system at the time was dominated by an alliance of landed elites, major industrialists, the military, and the civil service, who actively sought to prevent further political liberalization and forestall the rise of social democracy. Because the working class was excluded from meaningful political participation and faced an authoritarian employer class that was hostile to collective bargaining, they turned to the SPD as a vehicle for achieving social and economic justice through democratic representation. The party’s growth persisted even during periods when it was officially outlawed by Otto von Bismarck, reflecting the deep-seated desire among workers for a voice in the governance of the newly unified Reich.34512