The story
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) has its roots in the Reich Federation of German Industry (RDI). On 19 June 1933, during the Nazi era, the Reich Federation of German Industry merged with the Federation of German Employers' Associations to form the Reich Industry Group. This body was responsible for the representation of industrial enterprises during the Nazi period and was subsequently dissolved at the end of the Second World War in 1945.
When the Federal Republic of Germany was established in 1949, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) was founded in Munich. The DGB was formed to exclusively represent the interests of employees. On 1 July 1949, the statutes of this representative body were approved by the representatives of the military government. On 19 October 1949, representatives of 32 trade associations and working groups established the Committee for Economic Issues of the Industrial Associations to counter the Allies' reservations regarding a regularly operating industrial umbrella organisation. At the beginning of 1950, this organisation was renamed the Federation of German Industry.
Between 1950 and 1999 the headquarters of the BDI were located in the House of German Industry in Cologne.
From Wikipedia’s article on Federation of German Industries, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5