August Brey

August Brey (1 August 1864 – 28 July 1937) was a German politician and trade unionist.

Born in Gelnhausen, Brey completed an apprenticeship as a shoemaker, and joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1885. In 1890, he was a leading founder of the Union of Factory, Agricultural and Commercial Support Workers in Germany (FAV), a general union, and became its president. From 1892, he was also the editor of the union's newspaper, Der Proletariat. In 1906, he led the reform of the FAV as an industrial union, renamed as the Factory Workers' Union of Germany.[1][2][3]

In 1906, Brey was elected as the chair of the SPD organisation in Hannover, and he was also elected to represent the party in the Reichstag. He served until it was replaced by the Weimar National Assembly, and then in the Reichstag again. From 1919, he also served in the Prussian State Assembly. In 1925, he was elected as president of the International Federation of General Factory Workers.[1][2][3]

In 1931, Brey retired as president of the FAV, and he left his political roles in 1932.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "August Brey". Biographien deutscher Parlamentarier 1848 bis heute. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Brey, August", Hannoversches Biographisches Lexikon, p.72
  3. ^ a b Haupt, G. (1931). August Brey. ADGB. pp. 266–267. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
Trade union offices
Preceded by
New position
 President of the Factory Workers' Union of Germany
1890–1931 		Succeeded by
Karl Thiemig
Preceded by President of the International Federation of General Factory Workers
1925–1931 		Succeeded by
Robert Nielsen