The Union of Hairdressers and Assistants (German: Arbeitnehmerverband des Friseur- und Haargewerbes) was a trade union representing workers in the hairdressing industry in Germany.
The union was founded in 1889, as the Union of German Barbers, Hairdressers and Wig Makers, largely on the initiative of Paul Heidmann, who became the first editor of its journal, Der Kundschafter, and later served as its leader.
[1] It struggled through the late 1890s, but after Friedrich Etzkorn became its president, in 1900, it grew rapidly.
[3] It was also central to forming the International Union of Hairdressers in 1907, with Etkorn becoming its leader, too.
In 1920, membership reached 12,000, but Etzkorn resigned the following year, and the union declined rapidly, membership falling to only 3,788 by 1925.