Hans Böckler (26 February 1875 – 16 February 1951) was a German politician and

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

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.Rosenburger, Ruth (2014)
"The History of HRM in Germany"
in ''The Development of Human Resource Management Across Nations: Unity and Diversity'', p. 170. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Biography

Böckler was born on 26 February 1875, 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 The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...

(SPD) and the German Metal Workers' Union.Borsdorf, Ulrich (1982). ''Hans Böckler. Arbeit und Leben eines Gewerkschafters von 1875 bis 1945]''. Köln Bund-Verlag, 1982.
Online version
retrieved from the library of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung 22 May 2018 . From 1914 to 1915, Böckler fought in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. 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 Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

. 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 Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman and politician who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of th ...

to establish full co-determination in the coal and steel industries. Böckler died on 16 February 1951, aged 75, of a heart attack, in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

. He was buried in the Melaten-Friedhof in Cologne.

Works

* 1906: ''Es werde Licht! In ernster Zeit – Ein ernstes Wort an die Hüttenleute und Metallarbeiter im Saargebiet'' – Verlag von J. Böckler, Saarbrücken

Hans-Böckler-Stiftung

The (Hans Böckler Foundation) is named in Böckler's honour. It was established by the

German Confederation of Trade Unions The German Trade Union Confederation (; DGB) is an umbrella organisation (sometimes known as a national trade union center) for eight German trade unions, in total representing more than 6 million people (31 December 2011). It was founded ...

in 1977 with the merger of the Hans-Böckler-Gesellschaft (Hans Böckler Society) and the Stiftung Mitbestimmung ( Co-determination Foundation). In 1995 the (Institute of Economics and Social Sciences) was integrated into the foundation. Based in

, 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 Prize'' 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.Hans-Böckler-Stiftung (2014)
"Engagement für bessere Lebens- und Arbeitsbedingungen"
Archived version at archive.org retrieved 21 May 2018 .

Notes

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