The Union of Art (german: Gewerkschaft Kunst) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing art, media and heritage workers in

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. The union was founded in 1949, when the

Free German Trade Union Federation The Free German Trade Union Federation (german: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or ''FDGB'') was the sole national trade union centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisat ...

(FDGB) reorganised. The Union of Art and Literature was split up, with workers in theatre, film, television, orchestras, choirs, dance, cabaret, museums, memorials, palaces, gardens, and the visual arts, placed in the new Union of Stage, Art, Film and Music. It initially had 56,400 members. In 1951, it shortened its name to the "Union of Art". In 1953, the presidency of the union was made an honorary position, with the actual leadership coming from the vice president: Walter Maschke until 1959, then Heinz Schnabel until 1971, and Herbert Bischoff. In 1975, the presidency ceased being honorary, with Bischoff being promoted to it. Membership of the union grew only slowly, reaching 60,000 by 1964, and 82,557 in 1989. In October 1989, a group of artists in East Berlin called for protests against the ruling regime. The union decided to back the

Alexanderplatz demonstration The Alexanderplatz demonstration (german: link=no, Alexanderplatz-Demonstration) was a demonstration for political reforms and against the government of the German Democratic Republic on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin on Saturday 4 November 1989 ...

, held on 4 October, which led Bischoff to resign as president. It became independent in March 1990, and renamed itself as the Union of Art, Culture and Media. It dissolved in October, with members transferred to the

Media Union The Media Union (german: IG Medien – Druck und Papier, Publizistik und Kunst) was a trade union representing German workers in the printing, paper, journalism and arts. The union was founded on 15 April 1989 at a meeting in Hamburg, with the me ...

Presidents

:1950: Kurt Pfannschmidt :1953: Heinrich Allmeroth :1959:

Konrad Wolf Konrad Wolf (20 October 1925 – 7 March 1982) was an East Germany, East German film director. He was the son of writer, doctor and diplomat Friedrich Wolf (writer), Friedrich Wolf, and the younger brother of Stasi spymaster Markus Wolf. "K ...

:1966:

Hans-Peter Minetti Hans-Peter Minetti (21 April 1926 – 10 November 2006) was a German actor. He studied at the Theaterhochschule Leipzig The Theaterhochschule Leipzig was a theatre school in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, which existed from 1953 to 1992. The official ...

:1975: Herbert Bischoff :1989:

Walfriede Schmitt Walfriede Schmitt (March 26, 1943 in Berlin;) is a German actress. She is the daughter of the actress Elfriede Florin. Schmitt is best known in Germany for starring in the television series Für alle Fälle Stefanie. She played 'Philipp's mothe ...

References

{{Authority control Trade unions established in 1949