German Labour Delegation
Encyclopedia
The German Labour Delegation (GLD) was a social-democratic organisation of German emigrants in the United States during the time of Nazi Germany
.
The GLD was founded on 10 March 1939 in New York City
, with the support of the Jewish Labor Committee
, the Social Democratic Federation
, and the American Federation of Labour. Its goal was to build up contact between the German social-democratic emigrants and the American labor movement. Amongst other things, it was to try to secure financial support in America for the work of Sopade
, the exile organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(the SPD). The former Prussian Minister of the Interior Albert Grzesinski
was elected the first chairman, and Rudolf Katz became the secretary, who would later become a minister in the government of Schleswig-Holstein
. Other founding members included the former mayor of Altona Max Brauer
, Hedwig Wachenheim, the Austrian Social Democrat Alfred Braunthal, Gerhart Seger (a former member of the Reichstag
), and the economist Alfred Kähler. People who later became members of the committee included Friedrich Stampfer, the former editor of Vorwärts
, the trade unionist Siegfried Aufhäuser, Erich Rinner and Wilhelm Sollmann
. In 1943 Brauer and Aufhäuser took over the chairmanship.
The German Labour Delegation published the Neue Volkszeitung, which was at first a daily, then later a weekly newspaper. The organisation did not have a large membership. Its members were those who in the Weimar Republic
had generally belonged to the right wing of the SPD. The organisation was therefore strongly against any cooperation with the Communist Party of Germany
, the KPD. However, its effectiveness was also constrained by internal conflicts. Amongst these were the dispute over Grzesinski's work in the Council for a Democratic Germany
, which saw itself as a gathering point for all the German emigrants, including members of the KPD. There was also very little success in securing financial donations. The GLD was only able to maintain an office with the support of the Jewish Labor Committee. However, the GLD did manage to contribute to saving several hundred endangered Social Democrats from arrest by the German authorities and getting them out of France in 1940. The GLD also worked on developing plans for the reconstruction of the workers' movement and the introduction of democratic structures in post-Nazi Germany. Due to its small size and its activities in planning, the organization is sometimes seen by scholars as a research institution.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
The GLD was founded on 10 March 1939 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with the support of the Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish Labor Committee
The Jewish Labor Committee is an American secular Jewish organization dedicated to promoting labor union interests in Jewish communities, and Jewish interests within unions. The organization is headquartered in New York City, with local/regional offices in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago...
, the Social Democratic Federation
Social Democratic Federation
The Social Democratic Federation was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on June 7, 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury and Eleanor Marx. However, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx's long-term...
, and the American Federation of Labour. Its goal was to build up contact between the German social-democratic emigrants and the American labor movement. Amongst other things, it was to try to secure financial support in America for the work of Sopade
Sopade
Sopade was the name of the exile organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . It operated in Prague from 1933 to 1938, from 1938 to 1940 in Paris and until 1945 in London....
, the exile organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(the SPD). The former Prussian Minister of the Interior Albert Grzesinski
Albert Grzesinski
Albert Carl Grzesinski was a German SPD politician and Minister of the Interior of Prussia from 1926 to 1930. Grzesinski was born the illegitimate son of a maid in Berlin and grew up with grandparents...
was elected the first chairman, and Rudolf Katz became the secretary, who would later become a minister in the government of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
. Other founding members included the former mayor of Altona Max Brauer
Max Brauer
Max Julius Friedrich Brauer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party and First Mayor of Hamburg....
, Hedwig Wachenheim, the Austrian Social Democrat Alfred Braunthal, Gerhart Seger (a former member of the Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
), and the economist Alfred Kähler. People who later became members of the committee included Friedrich Stampfer, the former editor of Vorwärts
Vorwärts
Vorwärts was the central organ of the Social Democratic Party of Germany published daily in Berlin from 1891 to 1933 by decision of the party's Halle Congress, as the successor of Berliner Volksblatt, founded in 1884....
, the trade unionist Siegfried Aufhäuser, Erich Rinner and Wilhelm Sollmann
Wilhelm Sollmann
Friedrich Wilhelm Sollmann was a German journalist, politician, and interior minister of the Weimar Republic. In 1919 he was a member of the German delegation to the Treaty of Versailles...
. In 1943 Brauer and Aufhäuser took over the chairmanship.
The German Labour Delegation published the Neue Volkszeitung, which was at first a daily, then later a weekly newspaper. The organisation did not have a large membership. Its members were those who in the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
had generally belonged to the right wing of the SPD. The organisation was therefore strongly against any cooperation with the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
, the KPD. However, its effectiveness was also constrained by internal conflicts. Amongst these were the dispute over Grzesinski's work in the Council for a Democratic Germany
Council for a Democratic Germany
The Council for a Democratic Germany was founded on 3 May 1944 in New York City. Its founding was a reaction to the founding of the National Committee for a Free Germany in Moscow in July 1943. Some of the founding members brought experiences of previous similar organizations with them, such as...
, which saw itself as a gathering point for all the German emigrants, including members of the KPD. There was also very little success in securing financial donations. The GLD was only able to maintain an office with the support of the Jewish Labor Committee. However, the GLD did manage to contribute to saving several hundred endangered Social Democrats from arrest by the German authorities and getting them out of France in 1940. The GLD also worked on developing plans for the reconstruction of the workers' movement and the introduction of democratic structures in post-Nazi Germany. Due to its small size and its activities in planning, the organization is sometimes seen by scholars as a research institution.