The General Federation of Free Employees (, AfA-Bund) was an amalgamation of various

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

-oriented

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s of technical and administrative employees in the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

. It was one of the founding members of the

Iron Front The Iron Front () was a German "extraparliamentary" and paramilitary organization in the Weimar Republic which consisted of social democrats, trade unionists, and democratic socialists. Its main goal was to defend democracy against totalita ...

on 16 December, 1931. Member organizations encompassed groups as diverse as artists, theater workers, bank clerks, foremen, and technical employees and managers. It was founded in 1920 and was dissolved in on March 30, 1933, just before the newly empowered Nazi regime began crushing the Free Trade Unions. Throughout its existence, it was led by Siegfried Aufhäuser.

Affiliates

The following unions were affiliated to the federation: * Central Union of Employees (ZdA) *German Workers' Union (DWV) *Union of Technical Staff and Officials (Butab) *Polishing, Works and Shaft Masters' Unions *General Association of German Bank Employees *Co-operative of German Stage Members * International Artists' Lodge (IAL) *Union of German Ship Engineers *Master Craftsmen's Association of the Shoe Industry *German Choir and Dancers' Union *German Union of Carriers *Union of cutters, directors *Union of German Captains and Helmsmen of Merchant Shipping and Deep Sea Fishing *AfA Association of Polish Upper Silesia

References

External links

List of PDF articles related to the Allgemeiner Freier Angestelltenbund

Friedrich Ebert Foundation The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (''German: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.; Abbreviation: FES'') is a German political party foundation associated with, but independent from, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Established in 1925 as t ...

. Retrieved December 12, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Allgemeiner freier Angestelltenbund Organizations based in the Weimar Republic Trade unions disestablished in 1933 Trade unions established in 1920 1920 establishments in Germany Defunct trade unions of Germany