Friedrich Etzkorn (13 April 1874 – 14 January 1946) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

trade union leader. Born in

Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...

, Etzkorn completed an apprenticeship as a hairdresser, then travelled as a journeyman to the Rhein-Main area. In 1892, he joined the Union of German Barbers, Hairdressers and Wig Makers, and in 1893, he moved to

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...

, and formed a branch of the union there. Over the next two years, he was repeatedly sacked for union activity, and moved to new cities. In 1896, he was appointed as the editor of the union's newspaper, the ''Barbier- und Friseur-Zeitung'', and moved to Berlin to undertake the role. While Etzkorn was based in Berlin, the union's leader, Carl Wesche, was in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...

, and at the end of the year, Etzkorn also moved there. The union steadily lost members, and by 1898 was in serious financial difficulties. Etzkorn returned to Pforzheim, and focused his time on the

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

(SPD). Wesche was in serious disagreement with Etzkorn over the direction of the union, and in 1899, he had Etzkorn expelled. Etzkorn remained a popular figure among union members, and was admitted to the Stuttgart branch, in defiance of Wesche. In 1900, Wesche was voted out of office, and Etzkorn was narrowly elected as his successor. He moved the union's headquarters to

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, and polled 300 young union members on their experiences and priorities for the union. He focused on keeping the union united, and restricting the number of apprentices. The union grew steadily under Etzkorn's leadership, from 869 members in 1905, to 2,500 in 1914. In 1907, Etzkorn persuaded members to move the headquarters to Berlin. That year, he also founded the

International Union of Hairdressers The International Union of Hairdressers was a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing hairdressers. In the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, many German hairdressers found work in other European countries, and th ...

, serving as its general secretary. He kept the union together during

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 ...

, although the union had to give up its headquarters and make all its paid staff redundant. From 1916, he supported himself by working as a clerk for the General Commission of German Trade Unions, although after the November Revolution, he was again able to work full-time for the union. Etzkorn resigned as president of the union, now called the

Union of Hairdressers and Assistants The Union of Hairdressers and Assistants (german: Arbeitnehmerverband des Friseur- und Haargewerbes) was a trade union representing workers in the hairdressing industry in Germany. History The union was founded in 1889, as the Union of German Bar ...

, in 1921, and became the trade union editor of '' Vorwärts'', the SPD newspaper. He remained secretary of the international federation, and in 1928 was made honorary vice president of his old union. In 1932, it merged into the

General Union of Public Sector and Transport Workers The General Union of Public Sector and Transport Workers (german: Gesamtverband der Arbeitnehmer der öffentlichen Betriebe und des Personen- und Warenverkehrs, GV) was a trade union representing workers in various industries in Germany. History F ...

, and Etzkorn became an honorary president of its municipal section. In 1933, the Nazi government banned trade unions, and Etzkorn lost his job. He was unemployed until 1938, when he finally found work as a registrar. He survived

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and at the end of the war joined the refounded SPD, dying early in 1946.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Etzkorn, Friedrich 1874 births 1946 deaths German trade union leaders People from Kaiserslautern