Polish professional association
The Polish Professional Association (pl. Zjednoczenie Zawodowe Polskie ) (ZZP) was a union founded in 1902, primarily by Polish immigrants ( Ruhr Poland ) in the Ruhr area . In this region it developed into an important organization, especially in the mining industry, before the First World War . It lost a lot of its importance during the Weimar Republic and dissolved in 1934.
prehistory
In the 19th century, the Ruhr area was a destination for Polish immigrants, especially in the wake of the highly industrial development . About 500,000 Poles and Mazury came to the region. Most of them worked in coal mining . These Ruhr Poles were a numerically significant group of the population in the region. They formed a wide-ranging network of clubs, education and support. At first, the representation of economic interests hardly played a role. The German miners' unions also tried to organize the immigrant workers by publishing Polish-language association magazines. The Polish side criticized the fact that the existing trade unions barely complied with various demands and wishes. This applies in particular to the recruitment of Polish trade union officials.
history
The initiative to found their own Polish trade union organization came from the brothers Jan and Anton Brejski. These were publishers of the Wiarus Polski newspaper in Bochum . In November 1902 they called a meeting to establish the Polish Professional Association. This ideologically orientated itself partly on the Christian trade unions . The free trade unions spoke disparagingly of an organization founded by "priests and merchants".
As early as 1905, the organization took part in the great miners' strike in the Ruhr area. She sent two delegates to the Strikers' Committee of Seven. The existing trade unions thereby recognized the Polish organization.
In the first few years, the union accepted Polish-speaking workers of all professions. Similar organizations already existed in the eastern Prussian regions in Upper Silesia , West Prussia and the Province of Posen . These merged in 1908 with the association in the Ruhr area. In 1909 specialist departments were created. The department for miners was based in Bochum, the department for craftsmen was located in Posen and the department for metal and ironworkers was located in Königshütte . The seat of the central board was in Bochum.
The largest division was that of the miners. They had members in Rhineland - Westphalia , Upper Silesia , Saxony and Lusatia . In 1903 this department had about 50,000 members in 361 paying agents. The majority of 80% came from the Ruhr area. There she was able to organize most of the Polish workers. Another focus was West Prussia.
In 1912, the Polish organization was the third largest union with 5.9% of all miners in the Ruhr area after the free trade union Old Association (12.7%) and the Christian Miners' Association with 9%. This year the Polish organization, unlike the Christian miners' association, took part in the strike in the Ruhr mining industry. The First World War led to an interruption of the association's work in Germany, instead the organization was active in the emerging Poland. In 1917, activities in Germany began again. The party Narodowe Stronnictwo Robotników (National Workers' Party) was founded in 1917 in the union's environment .
In 1919, the number of members was 51,722 with 288 paying agents, barely higher than in 1905. With the establishment of the second Polish republic , the association lost 10,000 members, in particular due to return migration. He lost another 20,000 members in 1922/1923. The association had sent a delegation to Paris to offer the work of Polish miners in French mines. This led to a mass emigration to northern France. In 1924 the organization still had 21,000 members. According to Christoph Kleßmann , their importance was already considerably less. After that, only about 5000 miners were organized in the towering stronghold in the Ruhr area. In the iron and metal industry, there were another 3,000 workers. In 1929 both groups together had only 2923 members. In the works council elections of 1930, the association won just three seats. In 1931 he got 161 votes and received no more mandate. In 1934 the organization disbanded itself.
Individual evidence
- ^ Christoph Kleßmann: On the legal and social situation of the Poles in the Ruhr area in the Third Reich. In: Archive for Social History 17/1977 p. 178.
literature
- Franz Kopacki: Polish Professional Association. In: Ludwig Heyde (Hrsg.): International dictionary of trade unions. Vol. 2 Berlin, 1931 p. 1274 f.
- Detlef Schmiechen-Ackermann : Solidarity representation of interests and cultural self-assertion. The Polish professional association Zjednoczenie Zawodowe Polskie (ZZP) and the establishment of a trade union organization in the Hanover cement industry before 1914. In: Archive for Social History 32/1992 pp. 57–79.
- Christoph Kleßmann: Zjednoczenie zawodowe Polskie (ZZP-Polish Professional Association) and Alter Verband im Ruhrgebiet. In: IWK 1/1979 p. 68 ff.