German Wood Workers' Union


The German Wood Workers' Union was a trade union representing carpenters, joiners, and related workers, in Germany.
The union was founded in April 1893, at a meeting in Kassel. The meeting merged together the German Carpenters' Union, the German Union of Joiners, and the Union of German Wheelwrights, the Union of Woodturners in Germany, and the Central Union of Workers in the Sweep and Brush Industry in Germany. It initially had 23,774 members, but grew rapidly, absorbing the union of basket makers in 1896, the machine and cork workers in 1899, the gilders in 1906, the screen makers in 1910 and the sculptors in 1919. That year, it was a founding affiliate of the General German Trade Union Confederation.
In 1922, membership peaked, at 434,843. By this point, the union was divided into 15 districts, each with two full-time leaders. It then fell slightly, but was still 315,155 in 1929. By this time, it represented members in the following trades:
TradeMembers
Carpenters156,189
Machine workers28,866
Musical instrument makers15,832
Furniture workers5,157
Polishers and stainers10,552
Sculptors2,357
Wood turners4,092
Model carpenters8,949
Boat builders and ships' carpenters2,917
Cartographers9,409
Box makers5,137
Parquet layers1,059
Brush makers6,567
Stick and umbrella makers1,792
Basket makers3,074
Cork workers620
Gilders2,203
Button makers3,371
Comb makers1,407
Pencil makers2,499
Clog makers263
Shoe last workers1,018
Sawmill workers27,953
Other trades13,902

In 1933, the union was banned by the Nazis.

Presidents