"Guest Work" in Germany

You can find audio walks on this topic at the end of this post

When we think of migrant workers who came to Germany in the 1950s, 60s and 70s as part of bilateral recruitment agreements, we often speak of “guest workers”. While the official term was simply ausländische Arbeitskräfte, which translates to foreign workers, the term ‘guest workers’ was soon used in media and everyday life.

Today, this term is controversial. The temporary nature of the word ‘guest’ both implies and emphasises that the workers would leave again. However, many of the so-called ‘guest workers’ decided to stay permanently and have long since become an integral part of German society. Still, the term persists to this day - perhaps an indication that society still has some catching up to do, in particular when it comes to issues of belonging and recognition.

But why were foreign workers recruited to Germany in the first place?

Today, there is a lot of talk about the shortage of skilled labour - a problem that already existed in a similar form in the 1950s. 

After the Second World War, the German population grew, as refugees and displaced persons arrived. However, this influx slowed over the course of the 1950s. At the same time, the German economy experienced a strong upturn: industry grew, new jobs were created - and there was an increasing shortage of labour.

To counteract this shortage, West Germany signed its first labour recruitment agreement in 1955 - with Italy. In the years that followed, many Italian migrant workers came to Germany to work. Initially, they were mainly employed in areas with physically demanding jobs, such as construction or heavy industry. With time, many of them also founded their own companies.

At the time of the first recruitment agreement, Italy had a high unemployment rate. The Italian government saw an opportunity to increase employment at home. Italy also expected economic benefits: Workers would invest part of their German wages in Italy. 

The reasons for coming to Germany varied from person to person. For many, the significantly higher wages were a decisive factor - often combined with the aim of saving money for a particular project, or being able to better support their own family. Some were simply seeking an adventure and wanted to explore new places. For some women, working abroad meant the opportunity to leave their home town for the first time.

The labour contracts concluded as part of the recruitment agreements were limited in time and included a rotation principle: At the end of the contract period, the workers were to return to their country of origin, while their positions were filled by new workers from the partner country.

As the agreement with Italy was deemed successful, a double agreement with Spain and Greece followed in 1960. One year later, in 1961, the West Germany signed a recruitment agreement with Turkey. As Turkey was not a member of the European Community, prejudice led to a one year limit on labour contracts with Turkish workers. However, this arrangement soon proved to be impractical. 

The demand for workers continued to rise and more agreements followed: In 1963 with Morocco, in 1964 with Portugal, in 1965 with Tunisia and finally in 1968 with Yugoslavia. People was also recruited from South Korea, the Philippines and India. 

The motives for these agreements were similar to those of Italy: the countries of origin hoped to gain economic advantages by employing their citizens abroad. The individual motives of the migrant workers were also diverse - many wanted to support their families or save for certain goals with the higher wages, others were looking for new experiences. 

The majority of migrant workers were employed in physically demanding jobs in heavy industry. Women, in particular, were often employed in the low-wage sector, for example in delicate manual labour in industrial production. Many also found work in healthcare - where there was already a considerable shortage of labour at that time.

1973 marked the end of the so-called ‘guest worker era in West Germany. In the wake of the oil crisis, there was growing concern about an increase in unemployment, while at the same time the social debate about ‘foreigners’ in Germany increased. As a result, the recruitment agreements were not renewed. 

This recruitment stop mainly affected people from countries outside the European Community - in particular Turkish workers. Despite this, many of the workers decided to stay in Germany permanently. Some feared that if they returned to their country of origin, they would not be allowed to re-enter Germany at a later date. For some, the stay became less temporary. Therefore, they were joined by their families. Many of them have stayed to this day.

1973 was also the year of the so-called ‘wildcat strikes’, a strike not sanctioned by the workers’ union. During these strikes, foreign workers all over Germany protested against poor working conditions and demanded higher wages. This was caused by the dismissal of Turkish workers and the unequal treatment of German and foreign employees, amongst other things. As the union did not consider foreign workers to be part of their responsibility, these strikes were referred to as “wildcat strikes”.

Two prominent examples are the strike at Ford in Cologne and the strike at the automotive supplier Pierburg in Neuss. At Pierburg striking women succeeded in abolishing a wage group of low wages, in which only women were employed, the so-called ‘Leichtlohngruppe II’. This was an important step towards equal pay.

In East Germany, workers were recruited in a similar way. In particular in the 1970s, so-called ‘contract workers’ arrived. Most of them came from so-called brother states. The first such contract was concluded with Hungary in 1967. Many of these workers were employed in the textile industry.

Further recruitment agreements followed from 1971 onwards. Most of the foreign contract workers in East Germany came from Vietnam, Poland, Cuba, Mozambique and Hungary.

Workers from Vietnam, Mozambique and Angola were particularly affected by the fall of the Berlin Wall. They had often arrived in East Germany in the late 1980s. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, their employment contracts and the associated residence permits ended abruptly. Suddenly they found themselves without a job - their future was uncertain.

Some were deported immediately, while others decided to stay and build a new life in Germany.

Of course, labour migration to Germany did not end with the recruitment stop in the 1970s. People are still coming to Germany to work here today. Even today, state regulations attempt to regulate migration - for example with the Skilled Immigration Act.

Finally, we should remember: The former so-called ‘guest workers’ - a term that is still used today - were never just ‘guests’. They, their children, grandchildren and now also great-grandchildren continue to live in Germany, including here in Stadtallendorf, and are a fundamental part of our society.

Audiowalks

Sources (in German):

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