Arbeitsfront, Deutsche

The Deutsche Arbeitsfront was founded on 10 May 1933 under the patronage of Hitler and directed by Robert Ley, Reichsorganisationsleiter der NSDAP. It soon grew to be a giant bureaucratic machine with a membership of 25 million and staff of 40,000 with a considerable influence within the Nazi regime. Conceived as an alternative to trade unions, it was supposed to be representative of employers and employees alike. It became part of the NSDAP organisation in October 1934, having its base in Berlin and modelling its structure of Gaue and Kreise on the party.