Abstract
Many issues proved controversial in Germany in 1945, but not the decision by most trade unionists to unite in a single labor federation for workers of all political and religious backgrounds. Laborites in exile from the Third Reich and those who met within Germany to discuss the future all agreed that their division before 1933 into rival unions for socialist, Christian, and liberal workers had gravely weakened democratic forces and facilitated the rise of Hitler. When democracy was restored, they insisted, one of its pillars must be a unified labor federation. The surviving leaders of the Christian trade unions in particular all agreed on the need to unite with their former rivals in the much larger “Free” (i.e., socialist) unions. Thousands of former Christian trade unionists were founding members of the unified trade unions that eventually banded together in the German Labor Federation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, or DGB). Their role was especially important in Rhineland-Westphalia, where the Christian labor movement had always offered serious competition to the Free unions.1 These veterans of the Christian trade unions also threw their
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
