Trade association

A trade association is an association that has set itself the goal of promoting economic and political interests of its members.

The main difference to guilds is that trade associations are mostly organized geographically and have members from different industries. Most trade associations have the name of a town or region in the name. Such associations are often constituted as a " registered association " (eV), and it is not uncommon for them to be called "trade and trade association". The focus of the activities is, in addition to joint advertising campaigns and local lobbying, often also on informal exchange between the members.

history

Many trade associations emerged as a result of the politicization of the middle class in the late 19th century. Another motivation was the fear of being crushed between industry and big business on the one hand and the labor movement on the other.

The “Craftsmen and Trade Association” in Erbach / Donaurieden, founded in 1722, is the oldest trade association . The common umbrella organization of the German trade associations is the "Federal Association of Self-Employed Persons / German Trade Association", founded in 1891.

Various trade associations

The " General German Trade and Industry Association ", co-founded by Friedrich List in 1819, pursued the abolition of internal German customs borders and the introduction of uniform weights and measures.

The Austrian Trade Association , founded in 1839, played a key role in the 1873 World Exhibition , the founding of Urania in Vienna and the Vienna Technical Museum .