Central Union of Shoemakers of Germany

The Central Union of Shoemakers of Germany (German: Zentralverband der Schuhmacher Deutschlands, ZVdSch) was a trade union representing people working in the shoemaking industry in Germany.

Central Union of Shoemakers of Germany
Native nameZentralverband der Schuhmacher Deutschlands
FoundedAugust 1883 (1883-08)
SuccessorLeather Union
Date dissolved2 May 1933 (1933-05-02)
Members78,834 (1928)
JournalDer Schuhmacher
AffiliationADGB, IFBSO
Key peopleJosef Simon (President)
Office location1 Essenweinstraße, Nuremberg
CountryGermany

The union was founded in August 1883 at a meeting in Gotha, as the Support Association of German Shoemakers. Due to the Anti-Socialist Laws, it could not describe itself as a trade union, but it operated unemployment and relocation funds for workers. It established headquarters in Offenbach, and in 1887 renamed itself as the Union of German Shoemakers.[1][2] In 1890, it began admitting women, the first men's union in Germany to do so.[3]

In 1900, Josef Simon became the leader of the union, and led it through a difficult five years of strikes, lock outs, and economic struggles.[4] In 1904, it became the "Central Union of Shoemakers of Germany", and it began growing more rapidly.[2] It was the main founder of the International Federation of Boot and Shoe Operatives in 1907, and a founding affiliate of the General German Trade Union Confederation in 1919.[4] By 1928, it had 78,834 members.[5]

The union was banned by the Nazi government in 1933. After World War II, shoemakers were represented by the Leather Union.[6]

References
  1. Zinner, Dionys (31 July 1908). "Das Fünfundzwanzigjährige Jubiläum des Verbandes der Schuhmacher Deutschlands". Die Neue Zeit. 2 (44): 646–649.
  2. Protokolle und Berichte der Zentralbibliothek der Gewerkschaften. Zentralbibliothek der Gewerkschaften. p. 26.
  3. "100 Jahre Frauenwahlrecht in Deutschland". IG BCE. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  4. Weickers, Gustav (1931). Simon, Josef. ADGB. pp. 1488–1489.
  5. Heyde, Ludwig (1931). Internationales Handwörterbuch des Gewerkschaftswesens. Berlin: ADGB. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  6. "Simon , Josef". Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
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