Werner Peplowski (born 4 January 1944) is a former

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 **Ge ...

trade union leader. Born in

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

, Peplowski completed an apprenticeship as a toolmaker, then studied biology and agriculture at the

University of Potsdam The University of Potsdam is a public university in Potsdam, capital of the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is mainly situated across three campuses in the city. Some faculty buildings are part of the New Palace of Sanssouci which is known ...

; while there, he served as leader of the Free German Youth at the university, then completed a PhD in 1972. He joined the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (german: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, ; SED, ), often known in English as the East German Communist Party, was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR; East German ...

(SED) in 1964, and from 1972 he was the secretary of the SED on the university campus, also working as a lecturer. Peplowski undertook further study at the Party University of the CPSU in the Soviet Union, before returning to Potsdam. From 1980, he was Secretary for Science, Popular Education and Culture in the Potsdam City district, then in 1984, he became Secretary of Labor and Law in the

Union of Education and Training The Union of Education and Training (german: Gewerkschaft Unterricht und Erziehung, Gew. UuE) was a trade union representing education workers in East Germany. The union was founded in 1946, and was a founding affiliate of the Free German Trade Un ...

. In 1985, Peplowski was appointed as president of the Industrial Union of Printing and Paper (IG DuP), also serving on the executive of 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 organis ...

(FDGB). The following year, he additionally became president of the

Standing Committee of Trade Unions in the Graphic Industry The Standing Committee of Trade Unions in the Graphic Industry, also known as the Permanent Committee Graphic Arts Unions, was an international trade union federation for workers in the graphic arts industry. History The organization was found ...

. In 1989, Peplowski wrote to

Harry Tisch Harry Tisch (March 28, 1927, Heinrichswalde – June 18, 1995) was an East German politician and trade unionist who served as Chairman of the Free German Trade Union Federation between 1975 and 1989. He was also a member of the State Council fro ...

, leader of the FDGB, proposing that Tisch resign. He did so, and Peplowski was given charge of arranging a special congress of the FDGB at the end of the year. He stood for the vacant presidency of the FDGB, but was defeated by Helga Mausch. Instead, he remained with the IG DuP, arranging for its dissolution and the transfer of its members to other unions, mostly 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 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peplowski, Werner 1944 births German trade unionists People from Saxony Living people