Original 1937 German Third Reich Bielefeld Industry Commerce Apprentice Contract – Eagle Swastika – Multiple Pages

Offered here is an original multi-page 1937 German apprenticeship contract (Lehrvertrag) issued through the Industrie- und Handelskammer Ostwestfalen zu Bielefeld — the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for East Westphalia at Bielefeld.

This is a particularly interesting pre-WWII employment and vocational-training document because it is named, dated, signed, and extensively filled out, and includes the period German national eagle and swastika emblem prominently printed at the upper left of the first page.

The contract was made between the Färberei Wilhelm Homann dye works in Bielefeld and apprentice August Pöpping, born December 21, 1920 in Horst-Emscher, and residing at Dorotheenstraße 13, Bielefeld. His occupation is recorded as Färberlehrling, or dyer’s apprentice.

The contract is dated April 22, 1937 in Bielefeld and bears multiple original signatures, including August Pöpping’s signature as the apprentice and the signatures/authorization of Wilhelm Homann and Pöpping’s legal representative.

Detailed Content

The large first page is headed:

“Lehrvertrag für gewerbliche Lehrlinge”
“Apprenticeship Contract for Industrial/Trade Apprentices”

The introductory text describes an apprenticeship not simply as an ordinary employment agreement, but as an educational relationship based upon mutual trust and loyalty. It states that the apprentice is to be trained to become a capable German skilled worker (deutscher Facharbeiter).

The subsequent pages contain the detailed regulations governing the apprenticeship, including:

§1 – Lehrzeit / Apprenticeship Period: The contract records the beginning of the apprenticeship as April 22, 1937, with the first three months serving as a probationary period.

§2 – Duties of the Master/Employer: Wilhelm Homann agrees to accept August Pöpping into the Bielefeld operation as a Färberlehrling and provide the practical training and knowledge necessary for his occupation.

The employer was also expected to supervise the apprentice’s training and welfare and prepare him to become a qualified skilled worker.

§3 – Duties of the Apprentice: Contains an extensive numbered set of obligations covering work, conduct, obedience to the master and supervisors, observance of company regulations, vocational-school attendance, care of tools and materials, confidentiality and other workplace responsibilities.

Special Bielefeld Training Supplement

An especially interesting part of the grouping is the separately typed “Anlage zum Lehrvertrage” — Supplement to the Apprenticeship Contract.

This describes the training system operated with the “Vereinigung für Lehrlingsausbildung und Nachwuchsschulung e.V.” in Bielefeld.

It explains that apprentices were trained in a Gemeinschaftslehrwerkstatt, or communal apprenticeship training workshop. Significantly, the document specifically mentions Färberlehrlinge (dyer’s apprentices) and explains that, because their training could not be carried out there for technical reasons, they would return to their individual businesses after the first quarter of the apprenticeship.

The supplement also discusses vocational-school instruction and the eventual Facharbeiterprüfung, or skilled-worker examination, before the examination committee of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Apprentice Pay

Another page provides a detailed schedule of the apprentice’s Erziehungsbeihilfe, essentially his training allowance/pay.

For the first apprenticeship year it lists:

1st quarter – RM 3 per week
2nd quarter – RM 4 per week
3rd quarter – RM 5 per week
4th quarter – RM 6 per week

The second year increases to RM 8 per week during the first half-year and RM 10 per week during the second, together with provisions for additional compensation based upon work performance.

The document also contains sections dealing with social insurance, vacation, termination of the apprenticeship, damages, legal guardians, apprenticeship certificates and the final skilled-worker examination.

Final Contract Page & Signatures

The final contract section is clearly dated:

Bielefeld, 22.4.1937

It retains several original signatures and a purple Wilhelm Homann company stamp.

Below this is an “Anhang zum Lehrvertrag” (Appendix to the Apprenticeship Contract) containing an extract from the Reichsgewerbeordnung, the German industrial/trade regulations governing apprenticeship relationships.

There is additionally a visible Bielefeld date stamp of 28 JUL 1937, adding another nice period administrative marking to the document.

Overall, this is much more than a simple employment paper. It provides a detailed look at vocational education, industrial training, wages, workplace obligations and skilled-worker development in Germany during the Third Reich period, while also connecting the document directly to a named apprentice, named Bielefeld company and the regional Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Condition

Original period-used condition with expected age toning, multiple storage folds, wrinkles, staining/soiling, punched filing holes, corner folds and edge wear. Writing, stamps and printed text remain largely clear and readable. Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition. The complete multiple-page document shown is included.

An excellent research piece for a collection focused on Third Reich civilian documents, German industrial history, labor history, vocational education, Bielefeld history or pre-WWII German ephemera.

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