Hans Nätscher (13 November 1896 – 28 February 1980) 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 unionist. Born in

Lohr am Main Lohr am Main (officially: ''Lohr a. Main'') is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany and the seat (but not a member) of the ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' (muni ...

, Nätscher completed an apprenticeship as a butcher in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

, which was interrupted by serving in the military from 1915 to 1918. He joined 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) and the

Central Union of Butchers The Central Union of Butchers and Kindred Trades of Germany (german: Zentralverband der Fleischer und Berufsgenossen Deutschlands) was a trade union representing butchers and abattoir workers in Germany. In 1898, Theodor Keslinke founded the Local ...

in 1914, and in 1920 was elected as chair of the union branch. He rose quickly in the union, becoming the secretary for its Northern Bavaria region, then moved to

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

to work full-time for the union at its headquarters. When the union merged into the Union of Food and Drink Workers, he retained his position. The Nazi government banned trade unions in May 1933, and Nätscher was arrested, and was in custody for most of the next three years. In 1939, he was drafted into the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

, but managed to get himself released the following year, and found work as a gravedigger. After

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 ...

, Nätscher was involved in reconstructing the unions. In 1946, he became chair of a

consumer co-operative A consumers' co-operative is an enterprise owned by consumers and managed democratically and that aims at fulfilling the needs and aspirations of its members. Such co-operatives operate within the market system, independently of the state, as a fo ...

in Nuremberg-Fürth, then in 1947 he became the first chair of the executive of the Bavarian Food, Beverages and Catering Union. In 1949, this merged with other regional unions to become the national

Food, Beverages and Catering Union The Food, Beverages and Catering Union (german: Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten, NGG) is a trade union in Germany. It has a membership of 205,900 and is one of eight industrial affiliates of the German Confederation of Trade Unions. Mem ...

(NGG), and Nätscher served as the chair of its executive. In this post, he was highly critical of president Ferdinand Warnecke, who wished to centralise the union. In 1951, Nätscher was elected as president of the NGG, in which role he campaigned for the union to be politically active, and in particular to oppose right-wing extremism. In 1958, he was also elected as president of the International Union of Food, Drinks and Tobacco Workers' Associations (IUF), the first German to hold the post. He retired from the NGG in 1962, and the IUF in 1964, although he was then made honorary president of the IUF, and continued voluntary work for the NGG.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nätscher, Hans 1896 births 1980 deaths German military personnel of World War I German people of World War II German trade unionists People from Lohr am Main