Chamber of commerce

Chambers of commerce or trade chambers ( also commercial chambers, trade deputations, commercial elders quorums ) are organs for (self - ) representation of the commercial and industrial interests in a State or a particular region.

History

Merchants from the Middle Ages

The idea of self-help by the merchants association goes back to the Middle Ages. 1451, for example, the parent people ( Olderlüde of Koopmanns ) had given the Bremen merchants statutes. She was the previously recognized advocacy against the Council of the City of Bremen and from that forum, which later also called Collegium Seniorum, 1849, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce as a "state institution for the promotion of trade and navigation". As interest groups of merchants was founded in Hamburg in 1665, Commerz - Deputation, which then received the name in 1867 Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. 1675 founded the Lübeck College of Commerce and this merchant College in 1853 summarized for merchants. At the same time was a first Chamber of Commerce and in 1937 the two bodies in a Prussian Chamber of Commerce and Industry were combined.

France

In France, the first Chamber of Commerce was established in 1599 in Marseille free from the commercial stand out, 1700 and 1701, several such institutions were part of the French government set up. During the Revolution in 1791 repealed, they were again organized under Napoleon I. 1803. Their functions were determined in addition by later Regierungserlässe and laws further. After that exist in France, Chambres de commerce, trade councils, and the Chambres des arts et des consultatives manufactures, the industrial and factory councils. The former include larger and more industrially and commercially diverse districts; their costs are borne by all of the Patented individual districts, while being entertained consultatives Chambres des arts et des manufactures of the towns, which they possess. In the Chambres de Commerce, Trade and Commerce may be indiscriminately chosen by each other.

Dissemination

From France, the same device over most other countries spread. The first chamber of commerce in today's Germany was founded in 1803 in Mainz on Chaptal's decision of 3 nivôse of the year IX ( December 23, 1802 ) as a Chambre de Commerce. In some other countries (such as England, then in Baden 1862-78 etc. ) they consist only of freely formed associations, in most they have a legally recognized public position with compulsory contributions of the parties, one of which, for example, in Prussia the contributions to cover costs through surcharges on the business tax will be levied to provide an advisory vote for safeguarding the needs of trade and industry for the purpose of trade between state and government to reimburse reports, applications and expertise to support the Authority. In many cases they are also granted certain supervisory and administrative powers ( supervision of stock exchanges and other trading institutions). For the first time in this modern sense in Prussia and Germany, this happens in the first major industrial conurbation in Wuppertal and the Twin Cities Elberfeld- Barmen as this was then called. It arises here in 1830 with the first of Commerce and Industry Chamber of modern times.

June 22, 1830 - Approval of the new status of the Chamber of Commerce of Elberfeld and Barmen. The entrepreneurs have the right to regulate their affairs on their own responsibility and to elect their own representatives for the first time. The chamber is to represent the interests of the overall economy of the district and its administration and policy advice in all matters relating to the economy. The statute is a model for the Prussian and later the all-German Chamber of legislation.

Later, this translates then in other regions continued, as in Lübeck 1853. Bremen in 1849 from the " Collegium Seniorum " founded in 1451 emerged Chamber of Commerce has its headquarters in Schütting.

In Prussia, the Chambers of Commerce in 1848 and 1870 regulated by law. They are built with the approval of the Minister for Trade. The members of the chambers of commerce are elected by the holders of the registered in the commercial register of companies. Similarly as in Prussia in 1878, chambers of commerce were established in Baden. In some countries ( Saxony, Bavaria, Württemberg ) the trade chambers are connected in the interests of small businessmen with commercial chambers in Austria, where the chambers of commerce have broader rights and responsibilities as in Germany, they are usually from a commercial and a commercial section. In Bavaria, where in 1868 for each administrative region of a chamber of commerce was set up in conjunction with departments for industry, the district committees form subdivisions of the chambers of commerce, which include parts of the district and the latter have the same seat and voice. The whole of Germany is one under different names over 200 chambers of commerce with very different constitution and administration. In Belgium, 1874, the law organized chambers of commerce were canceled. In most countries, the chambers of commerce shall annually make a report on the progress of trade and industry. Not to be confused with the Chambers of Commerce Chambers of Commerce matters which form in Germany departments of the Court (see commercial courts ).

Germany

In Germany there are 80 regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( IHK). These are self-responsible public bodies of economic self-government and represent the interests of their respective companies, compared with municipalities, provincial governments, as well as politicians and the public. As an umbrella organization takes over the German Industry and Commerce ( DIHK), on behalf of and in consultation with the Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of the German economy against the decision makers in the federal policy and the European institutions.

The foreign economic relations of the German companies promote in more than 80 countries, 120 basically bilaterally organized German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, Delegations and Representations (AHK ) of the German economy. For the AHK takes over the DIHK the task of coordinating to the Federal Ministry of Economics and other domestic institutions.