Born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Gottfurcht worked in the textile industry, joining a trade union when he was 17.
He was arrested in 1937 and charged with treason, but was released due to a lack of evidence, and in 1938, he was able to emigrate to the United Kingdom.
[1][2] In the UK, Gottfurcht joined the Labour Party and tried unsuccessfully to influence British government policy on Germany after the war.
[1][2][3] When the war ended, Gottfurcht returned to Germany, where he acted as a liaison officer for the British Trades Union Congress.
In 1949, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was established, and he was appointed to its secretariat, with responsibility for education.