Union of Lithographers and Lithographic Printers

The Union of Lithographers, Lithographic Printers and Kindred Trades (German: Verband der Lithographen, Steindrucker und verwandten Berufe) was a trade union representing printers in Germany. It was sometimes referred to as the Senefelder Union, after Alois Senefelder, the inventor of lithography.

Union of Lithographers and Lithographic Printers
Union of Lithographers, Lithographic Printers and Kindred Trades
Verband der Lithographen, Steindrucker und verwandten Berufe
SuccessorIndustrial Union of Printing and Paper (E Germany),
Printing and Paper Union (W Germany)
Founded1 April 1891 (1891-04-01)
Dissolved2 May 1933 (1933-05-02)
HeadquartersElsässer Straße 86/88, Berlin
Location
  • Germany
Members
23,719 (1928)
PublicationGraphische Press
AffiliationsADGB, LI

History

Various local unions of lithographers were formed in Germany in the 1880s, and in 1888, they launched the Graphische Press as a joint journal. This led the unions to organise joint conferences in 1889 and 1890, the latter one agreeing to form a national union. This was established on 1 April 1891, and was initially based in Magdeburg, and led by Otto Sillier. On founding, it had 2,768 members, and this grew rapidly, reaching 11,497 by 1905. It affiliated to the General Commission of German Trade Unions.[1]

In 1919, the union was a founding affiliate of the General German Trade Union Confederation. Within the federation, it was part of the Graphic Block. For many years, the union also hosted the headquarters of the International Federation of Lithographers, Lithographic Printers and Kindred Trades.[1] The Music Printers' Assistants' Union merged in July 1920,[2] followed by the German Xylographers' Union on 1 January 1921.[3]

The union represented workers in various printing processes. The most important was lithography, in which a distinction was made between the lithographers who drew an image to be printed, and lithographic printers, who did the actual printing. By the start of 1932, the union had 20,691 members, divided between the following trades:[1]

TradeMembers
Art photography printing115
Collotyping476
Copperplate printing92
Intaglio577
Lithography3,474
Music engraving301
Portrait photography135
Related trades116
Lithographic printing9,984
Woodblock printing446
Xylography118
Zincography4,857

The union was banned by the Nazi government in 1933. After World War II, printers were represented as part of the Printing and Paper Union.[4]

Presidents
1891: Otto Sillier
1919: Johannes Haß

References
  1. Ronnger, Hans (1931). Verband der Lithographen, Steindrucker und verwandten Berufe. ADGB. pp. 1849–1851. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  2. "50 Jahre Treue und Kampf!" (PDF). Graphische Presse. 43 (2): 11. 10 January 1930. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. "Zum Anschluß des Deutschen Xylographen-Verbandes" (PDF). Graphische Presse. 34 (9): 49–50. 25 February 1921. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. "Industriegewerkschaft Medien - Druck und Papier, Publizistik und Kunst (IG Medien)". Ver.di. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
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