Martin Etzel (1867 – 1914) was a

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trade union leader. Etzel was born in

Rothenburg ob der Tauber Rothenburg ob der Tauber () is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. It is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the ...

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...

. He completed an apprenticeship in brewing, and joined the Central Union of Brewery Workers in 1895. He devoted much of his time to the union, and served on its agitation committee for Northern Bavaria. In 1899, suffering with poor health, he began working in a hotel, but remained active in the brewery union, working unpaid as its leader in Northern Bavaria from 1900. In 1904, Etzel began working full-time for the union, based in

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, and in 1907, he was elected as its president. He was also a leading figure in the formation of the International Secretariat of Brewery Workers, serving as its general secretary. In 1910, Etzel led the union into a merger which formed the Union of Brewery and Mill Workers. The new union was dominated by the brewery workers, and Etzel remained its leader. The union grew significantly, and by 1913, had 51,537 members. Etzel died in 1914, still in office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Etzel, Martin 1867 births 1914 deaths German trade union leaders Rothenburg ob der Tauber People from Ansbach (district) People from the Kingdom of Bavaria