125 years of Chamber of Crafts Berlin: Tradition meets the future!

125 years of Chamber of Crafts Berlin: Tradition meets the future!

What a day for Berlin craft! On July 8, 2025, an important anniversary is celebrated: the Berlin Chamber of Crafts looks back at a proud 125 years. Founded in 1900 by order of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the chamber has long been more than just an administrative institution. She established herself as a contact point, impulse and voice for the craft businesses in Berlin and survived historical developments such as industrialization, two world wars and the division and reunification of the city. According to the Chamber of Crafts Berlin has continued to change and modernized, without ever its basic principles - Self -administration, advocacy and support for companies and trainees - to lose sight of.

This celebration not only offers the reason for looking back, but also for focusing on the future. The President of the Chamber of Crafts Berlin, Carola Zarth, underlines the importance of businesses for the history and future of the craft. In your sense, the advisory services are to be expanded and the equality between traditional and innovative craft is to be promoted. The high quality of training in the craft also remains a central point. The ruling mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, highlighted the role of the craft as an indispensable engine for urban development and the economy at the festival event. In addition, the Berlin Senate supports the craft through programs such as the master's foundation bonus and the master bonus.

a ceremony for the history and values ​​of the craft

As part of the anniversary celebration, around 400 guests from craft organizations, politics, business and society gathered. The evening was all about 'responsibility, values, future'. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held an impressive speech and emphasized the enormous importance of the voluntary work of craftsmen for democracy. This was also underpinned by Central Association of the German Crafts lived responsibility, which are characterized by self -government and voluntary commitment.

The history of the chambers of crafts is not just the story of a professional organization. It is also a testimony of adaptability that has helped the craftsmen over the decades to face the challenges. Since it was founded 125 years ago, the chambers have experienced numerous statutory milestones that were supposed to promote the quality and training in the craft. An example of this is the craft law of 1897, which laid the basis for the inclusive supervision of the apprenticeship and the formation of examination committees. The introduction of the championship title as a prerequisite for the management of a craft business and the training of apprentices forms the core of today's craft culture. According to historians, these developments and principles are crucial for the resistance and relevance of the craft to this day, as on German Handwerk Zeitung The achievements of the craft were recognized in a solemn framework, and a strong commitment was formulated for the future. The evening recalled that the craft is not only part of the economy, but also an essential part of society, which contributes with a lot of commitment and a sense of responsibility to deal with the challenges such as digitization and climate neutrality.