Hans Böckler


Hans Böckler was a German politician and trade union leader. He was the most influential re-founder of the unions in post-war Germany and became the first president of the German Trade Union Confederation.

Biography

Böckler was born in Trautskirchen near Neustadt an der Aisch and grew up in a family with limited means. When his father died in 1888 he quit school and worked as an apprentice goldbeater to support his family. In 1894 he joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the German Metal Workers' Union.
From 1914 to 1915 Böckler fought in World War I. He was badly injured and relieved from military service. He worked for the unions in Danzig, Kattowitz und Siegen until the end the war. From 1924 to 1926 he was an SPD city councilor in Cologne. In 1928 he was elected to the Reichstag where he remained until 1933.
In 1945 Böckler was instrumental in the reorganisation of the unions in the British Zone of Occupation. In April 1947 several unions joined to form the Gewerkschaftsbund in der britischen Besatzungszone and elected him as the president. In 1949 he became the first president of the German Trade Union Confederation.
On 25 January 1951, three weeks before his death, Böckler signed an agreement with German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to establish full co-determination in the coal and steel industries. Böckler died of a heart attack in Düsseldorf and was buried in the Melaten-Friedhof in Cologne.

Works

The is named in Böckler's honor. It was established by the German Confederation of Trade Unions in 1977 with the merger of the Hans-Böckler-Gesellschaft and the Stiftung Mitbestimmung. In 1995 the was integrated into the foundation. Based in Düsseldorf, the foundation has several research institutes and publishes a variety of books, journals and working papers. It also provides scholarships and student work placements with funding by the German government.
From 1980 until 2001, the foundation jointly awarded the Hans-Böckler-Preis with the German Confederation of Trade Unions. The prize was given annually to individuals or organizations for their achievements in improving the working and living conditions of workers and their families and promoting social cohesion and solidarity. The first recipient was Oswald von Nell-Breuning.