German Wood Workers' Union

The German Wood Workers' Union (, DHV) 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 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 Union of Gilders in 1906, the German Umbrella Makers' Union in 1910 and the Central Union of Carvers 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:

Trade Members Carpenters 156,189 Machine workers 28,866 Musical instrument makers 15,832 Furniture workers 5,157 Polishers and stainers 10,552 Carvers 2,357 Wood turners 4,092 Model carpenters 8,949 Boat builders and ships' carpenters 2,917 Cartographers 9,409 Box makers 5,137 Parquet layers 1,059 Brush makers 6,567 Stick and umbrella makers 1,792 Basket makers 3,074 Cork workers 620 Gilders 2,203 Button makers 3,371 Comb makers 1,407 Pencil makers 2,499 Clog makers 263 Shoe last workers 1,018 Sawmill workers 27,953 Other trades 13,902

In 1933, the union was banned by the Nazis.

Presidents 1893: Karl Kloß 1908: Theodor Leipart 1919: Adam Neumann 1920: Fritz Tarnow

References