Josef Simon (23 May 1865 – 1 April 1949) 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 and politician. Born in

Schneppenbach Schneppenbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Kirner Lan ...

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

, Simon completed an apprenticeship as a shoemaker, and worked in a factory. In 1885, he heard

Wilhelm Liebknecht Wilhelm Martin Philipp Christian Ludwig Liebknecht (; 29 March 1826 – 7 August 1900) was a German socialist and one of the principal founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).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 ...

and the Support Association of German Shoemakers. Although, due to the

Anti-Socialist Laws The Anti-Socialist Laws or Socialist Laws (german: Sozialistengesetze; officially , approximately "Law against the public danger of Social Democratic endeavours") were a series of acts of the parliament of the German Empire, the first of which was ...

, this operated as a mutual benefit organisation rather than a trade union, Simon led a strike in

Offenbach am Main Offenbach am Main () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Hesse, Germany, on the left bank of the river Main (river), Main. It borders Frankfurt and is part of the Frankfurt urban area and the larger Frankfurt Rhein-Main Regional Aut ...

later in the year. He was sacked for his trade union work on several occasions, but found work as a supervisor, and finally as managing director of a co-operative factory. The Support Association openly became a trade union in 1890, and in 1894, Simon was elected as the chair of its executive committee. In 1900, he was elected as the union's president. He led the union through five difficult years of strikes, lock outs, and economic struggles, but was considered a success in the role, and remained in post. In 1904, the union became the Central Union of Shoemakers of Germany. In 1907, the union led the formation of the International Federation of Boot and Shoe Operatives, and Simon became its first general secretary. That year, he was also elected to Nuremberg City Council, and the Bavarian Chamber of Deputies. In 1912, he was elected to the Reichstag, but in 1917, he left the SPD, joining the ;eft-wing

Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, USPD) was a short-lived political party in Germany during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The organization was establish ...

(USPD). As a USPD member, he was elected to the

Weimar National Assembly The Weimar National Assembly (German: ), officially the German National Constitutional Assembly (), was the popularly elected constitutional convention and de facto parliament of Germany from 6 February 1919 to 21 May 1920. As part of its ...

and the Weimar Reichstag, but he became associated with the right-wing of the party, and in 1922, he rejoined the SPD. In 1919, he briefly served as the Bavarian Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, but resigned in protest at the government's backing for the Whites in the

Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...

. In 1933, the Nazi government banned trade unions, and arrested Simon, taking him to

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

. He was released and engaged in underground trade union work, with Wilhelm Leuschner. In 1935, he was again arrested, taken to Dachau, and released after a few months. He survived the war, and in 1945, returned to local politics in Nuremberg. He also gave a speech at the founding conference of the new

Leather Union The Leather Union (german: Gewerkschaft Leder, GL) was a West German trade union representing workers in shoemaking, tanning, saddlery, and other work related to leather. The union was founded in 1949 and affiliated to the German Trade Union Confed ...

, dying later in the event.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Josef 1865 births 1949 deaths German trade unionists Members of the Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the Weimar National Assembly Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic People from Bad Kreuznach (district) Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians