Horst Klaus

Horst Klaus (* 1930 in the Lauban district , Lower Silesia Province ) is a German trade unionist.

biography

Horst Klaus was born into a social democratic family. His parents were active in Lauban's social democratic milieu structures. His mother was involved in the textile workers' association.

Klaus began an apprenticeship as a mechanic in 1944, which he was unable to complete due to the war. After fleeing from the advancing Red Army , Klaus settled in Nuremberg. Here he trained as a machinist. He became a member of IG Metall and was involved in the groups of the union youth . As a member of the SPD from 1949, he experienced intensely the conflicts between communists and social democrats in the factories.

Since the debate about rearmament in the 1950s, Horst Klaus, himself a “white year”, has been active in the peace movement. He organized the consultation for conscientious objectors initially in the Nuremberg trade union building together with the IdK. In 1960 he participated as a member of a delegation of the union youth in the Easter march in England (Aldermaston-London). In the following year 1961 he organized the first Easter march in Nuremberg, followed by many more. (see Youtube: Easter March speech by Horst Klaus 2011).

In 1956, Klaus became the youth secretary of IG Metall's administrative office in Nuremberg and, in 1964, secretary for educational and organizational issues. In 1968 Georg Benz brought him to the youth department in Frankfurt as a clerk on the board of IG Metall, which he took over as head. He gave up this office at the end of 1973 when he was elected first representative of the Nuremberg administrative office.

As a so-called volunteer, he became a member of the Executive Board of IG Metall. In 1983 he ran for a post as executive board member. He succeeded his friend Benz, who left the board after more than 30 years. Klaus was counted on the left, but received recognition from all wings, which can be seen in his good election results for the board.

Klaus also took over responsibility for youth and works council work from Benz. In 1986 he gave up the youth work, in return he received the shop steward work.

In 1990 he became a member of the supervisory board of the Treuhandanstalt as a representative of IG Metall .

In 1992, Klaus left the board. Today Klaus lives again in Nuremberg and is involved there in circles of friends of trade unionists from the very beginning.

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personal data
SURNAME	Klaus, Horst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German trade unionist
DATE OF BIRTH	1930
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lauban, Lower Silesia