This was distributed across the country, and so when in 1893 a national agitation committee for the industry was formed, Poetzsch played a leading role.
He saw his primary role as informing workers in the industry about their relationship with business owners and recruitment agencies.
In 1912, Poetzsch resigned as leader of the union to become editor of the Social Democratic Party of Germany's journal, Sozialdemokratischen Partei-Korrespondenz.
He maintained his links with the hospitality workers, serving as general secretary of the IUHR until World War I, and as director of Der Gastwirtsgehilfe until 1919.
[1][2] In 1919, Poetzsch became a magistrate in Berlin, and resigned all his paid union posts, while remaining a member of the Restaurant Workers.