The Central Union of Commercial Employees (german: Zentralverband der Handlungsgehilfen, ZdH) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing white collar commercial workers in Germany. The union was founded on the 5 July 1897, and launched the journal ''Handlungsgehilfenblatt''. It affiliated to the

General Commission of German Trade Unions The General Commission of German Trade Unions (german: Generalkommission der Gewerkschaften Deutschlands) was an umbrella body for German trade unions during the German Empire, from the end of the Anti-Socialist Laws in 1890 up to 1919. In 1919, a ...

. Initially, it had just 253 members, and by 1904 this had only risen to 1,386. In 1912, the union moved its headquarters to Berlin. On 1 January 1913, the Union of Warehouse Workers merged in. The union became divided between anti- and pro-

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

tendencies, with president

Otto Urban Otto Urban (25 March 1877 – 31 March 1947) was a German trade unionist. Born in Berlin, Urban completed an apprenticeship as a commercial assistant. He then became an accountant, before moving to become an agent. In 1896, he joined the Fre ...

trying to maintain a middle course. The end of the war led to a boom in membership, which by 1918 had reached 66,228. In 1919, it was a founding constituent of the

General German Trade Union Federation The General German Trade Union Federation (german: Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, ADGB) was a confederation of German trade unions in Germany founded during the Weimar Republic. It was founded in 1919 and was initially powerful enough to ...

, but in October, it merged with the

Union of Office Employees of Germany The Union of Office Employees of Germany (german: Verbandes der Bureauangestellten Deutschlands) was a trade union representing office workers in Germany. The union was founded in 1895 as the Central Union of Office Employees in Germany, on the ini ...

, to form the

Central Union of Employees The Central Union of Employees (german: Zentralverband der Angestellten, ZdA) was a trade union representing white collar, private sector workers in Germany. The union was founded on 9 September 1919 at a conference in Weimar, when the Central Uni ...

Presidents

:1897: Gustav Segnitz :1902:

Max Josephson Max Josephson (29 January 1868 – 2 February 1938) was a German trade union leader. Born to a Jewish family in Oberbarnim, Josephson became an office assistant in Hamburg, and in 1892 was a founder of a small trade union, initially aiming to ...

:1912:

References

{{Authority control Clerical trade unions Trade unions established in 1897 Trade unions disestablished in 1919 Trade unions in Germany