{{Short description|German politician (1930-2000)}} '''Erwin Ferlemann''' (16 March 1930 – 24 September 2000) was a German trade unionist.
Born in Wuppertal, Ferlemann's father was interned by the Nazi government for several years in the 1930s. Ferlemann attended school during World War II, then completed two apprenticeships: one as an export clerk, and one as a lithographer. He joined the Printing and Paper Union (IG Druck), and became more active in it after moving to Cologne. He also joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany.<ref name="munzinger">{{cite web |title=Erwin Ferlemann |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/go/document.jsp?id=00000017146 |website=Munzinger |accessdate=29 January 2020}}</ref>
In 1969, Ferlemann wrote the book ''Druckindustrie und Elektronik''. That year, he began working full time for IG Druck, as head of its economics and technology department. He was elected as vice president of the union in 1976, then as president in 1983. He was also elected president of the International Graphical Federation.<ref name="munzinger" />
As leader of IG Druck, Ferlemann courted controversy for describing East German writers who had defected to West German as a "fifth column". In 1989, he took IG Druck into a merger with the small Arts Union, forming the Media Union, and he became its first president.<ref name="munzinger" /><ref name="medien">{{cite web |title=Industriegewerkschaft Medien - Druck und Papier, Publizistik und Kunst (IG Medien) |url=https://www.verdi.de/ueber-uns/idee-tradition/gruendungsgewerkschaften/++co++b75ea874-9847-11e1-4541-0019b9e321cd |website=Ver.di |accessdate=13 November 2019}}</ref> He retired in October 1992, and died in 2000.<ref name="munzinger" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{start box}} {{s-npo|union}} {{succession box|title=President of the Printing and Paper Union|years=1983–1989|before=Leonhard Mahlein|after=''Union merged''}} {{succession box|title=President of the International Graphical Federation|years=1983–1993|before=Leonhard Mahlein|after=Rene van Tilborg}} {{succession box|title=President of the Media Union|years=1989–1992|before=''New position''|after=Detlef Henschel}} {{end box}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferlemann, Erwin}} Category:1930 births Category:2000 deaths Category:German trade union leaders Category:People from Wuppertal