dominant union organization in Germany. The DGB was founded in Munich in 1949 and soon became the largest labour organization in West Germany, with 16 constituent unions. With the reunification of Germany in 1990, workers of the former East Germany were incorporated into the DGB.

The DGB is primarily a blue-collar organization, but it also includes a large number of white-collar workers and civil servants. It has avoided ties with political parties, although on policy issues it has tended to support the Social Democrats (Social Democratic Party of Germany). By the year 2000 the federation had a total membership of about 8 million workers (including about 3.8 million workers from the former East Germany), which constituted about one-third of the total German workforce.