Friedrich Wilhelm Fritzsche formed the General German Cigar Workers' Association in Leipzig in 1865, and within two years it had 6,500 members, making it one of the largest unions of the day.
It was linked closely with the General German Workers' Association (ADAV), whose leader wished to establish dictatorial powers.
Fritzsche and the majority of the union rejected this, but a minority split away, in order to remain with the ADAV.
From 1889, it could operate legally once more, renaming itself again as the "German Tobacco Workers' Union", and it grew to have 14,538 members by 1890.
[2] After World War II, tobacco workers were represented as part of the Food, Beverages and Catering Union.