Abstract: The invention relates to organic polymers which can be crosslinked under the action of light and which are suitable for carrying out photomechanical processes. These polymers are photochemically considerably more sensitive than known comparable polymers and their sensitivity can additionally also be further increased by means of a combination with sensitizers. The molecular weight is at least 1,000. The polymers contain, as light-sensitive groups, groups of the formula I ##STR1## wherein R and R.sub.1 independently of one another denote alkyl groups with at most 4 C atoms, or R and R.sub.1 conjointly denote the remaining part of a 5-membered to 6-membered carbocyclic ring.