Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics
former East German trade union (1946–1991)
The Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics (German: Industriegewerkschaft Chemie, Glas und Keramik, IG CGK) was a trade union representing workers in various industries in East Germany.
The union was founded by the Free German Trade Union Federation in 1946, initially as the Industrial Union of Chemicals, Paper, Stone and Earth. It initially had 230,464 members. In 1947, its name was changed to the Industrial Union of Chemicals, Paper and Ceramics, and then in 1950 it was shortened to the Industrial Union of Chemicals.
The remit of the union also changed over the years. In 1955, its members in the building materials sector were transferred to the Industrial Union of Construction and Wood, and in 1956 various members moved to the Industrial Union of the Local Economy, although they returned in 1958. The biggest changes came in 1957, when the union's headquarters moved from Berlin to Halle, and its members in textile manufacturing and forestry were transferred to other unions.
Internationally, the union affiliated to the Trade Unions International of Chemical, Oil and Allied Workers. The union became involved in sports associations, their names starting with "SV Chemie".
The membership of the union continued to change until the 1972, when it also adopted its final name, the "Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics".
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics” is former East German trade union (1946–1991). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Industrial, Union and Chemicals, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “former East German trade union (1946–1991)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q97164113. VIAF identifies the subject as 122696252. The Library of Congress control number is no2016117687. 1 of 7 selected statements include explicit references; 6 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1946, 1947, 1950 and 1955.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics primary sources, Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics archive and Industrial research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Industrial Union of Chemicals, Glass and Ceramics” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.