Christian Democratic Workers and the Forging of German Democracy, 1920–1980

How a distinctive approach to social policy led democracy to flourish in the Federal Republic of Germany despite its past.

William L. Patch (Author)

9781108439367, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 29 October 2020

341 pages
15 x 23 x 2 cm, 0.5 kg

'… the book is a massive achievement, and one that extends the analysis of Patch's previous, and rightly influential, scholarship. It is recommended reading for anyone interested in postwar German history, labor history, or the history of religion and politics.' James Chappel, ,H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online

Why has democracy flourished in the Federal Republic of Germany despite that country's troubled past? Exhaustive research in German historical archives illuminates the pivotal role played by the veterans of the Christian trade unions of the Weimar Republic, the only group to participate in both of Germany's most successful political experiments after 1945, a 'Christian Democratic' party to unite Catholics and Protestants, and unified labor unions for workers of all political outlooks. They perceived that feuds between the religious confessions and competition among three rival labor federations had greatly facilitated Hitler's rise, and they resolved to bridge both chasms. Playing an influential role on the left wing of the CDU from the 1950s to the 1970s, Christian laborites alleviated class conflict through new welfare programs and laws to grant workers a powerful voice in management decisions. They took the lead in forging the distinctive 'German Model' for labor relations.

Introduction: democratization and the 'German model' for labor relations
1. Christian trade unionists and the dissolution of the Weimar republic
2. Christian laborites and the founding of the federal republic
3. The debate over co-determination (mitbestimmung), 1949–1953
4. The influence of Christian democratic workers on welfare legislation, 1953–1957
5. Seeking a new path in the twilight of the Adenauer era
6. The political success and organizational decline of Christian democratic workers, 1966–1980
Conclusion: the legacy of the Christian labor movement.

Subject Areas: Christianity [HRC], Religion & beliefs [HR], National liberation & independence, post-colonialism [HBTR], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], History: earliest times to present day [HBL], European history [HBJD], Regional & national history [HBJ], History [HB], Humanities [H]