Dresden Chamber of Trades and Crafts is a statutory body under public law. It represents the interests of manual trades in the administrative district of Dresden. With 22,700 member companies who employ roughly 125,000 employees, this Chamber of Trades and Crafts is amongst those with the most members in Eastern Germany.

In addition to legal and business advice, the tasks of the Chamber of Trades and Crafts also include advising companies that offer apprenticeships, and advising apprentices and instructors on vocational training. Supervising trainees and completing exams are also tasks of the Chamber of Trades and Crafts. At the training centres of the Chamber of Trades and Crafts in Dresden, Grossenhain and Pirna, numerous possibilities for further education are offered, from specialist courses to master classes through to extra-occupational courses of study.

Membership of manual trades companies at the Chamber of Trades and Crafts is legally regulated and also regulated in the Code of Crafts (Handwerksordnung / HwO). Registration in the Register of Trades and Crafts must take place prior to the beginning of the independent practising of the trade or commercial activity. The independent running of a trade that requires approval is only permitted with this registration.

The proximity to Poland and the Czech republic means cooperation with this countries is strong; cooperation with France is also strong. A regular exchange of apprentices has taken place with these countries for many years.

Additional themes in which the Chamber of Trades and Crafts is active on a cross-border basis or for interested parties from abroad:

• Recognition of foreign certificates (personal contact: Katharina Sussek, telephone: +49 351 8087-547, email: katharina.sussek@hwk-dresden.de)
• International cooperation via the Enterprise Europe Network (personal contact: Jana Westphälinger, telephone: +49 351 4640-503, email: jana.westphaelinger@hwk-dresden.de)
• Exchanges of apprentices (personal contacts: Flavien Mercier, telephone: +49 351 4640-546, email: flavien.mercier@hwk-dresden.de)
• Advice on trade fairs (personal contact: Ulrike Brömel, telephone: +49 351 4640-937, email: ulrike.broemel@hwk-dresden.de)
• Registration in the Register of Trades and Crafts (personal contact: Stefan Lehmann, telephone +49 351 4640-455, email: stefan.lehmann@hwk-dresden.de)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jana Westphälinger at our Department for International Relations (contact languages English/Czech).