The history of the building-cleaning trade: from 1878 to a modern service industry.
From the first glass cleaners in imperial Berlin to the 1953 Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) and today’s high-tech trade with 700,000 employees, this guide traces how the building-cleaning trade (Gebäudereiniger-Handwerk) emerged, how it developed in East and West Germany, and why professional office cleaning has deep roots in the skilled trades.
The wagon-washer myth vs. reality: a child of the Industrial Revolution.
Cleaning has been part of human life for as long as people have lived together. A popular legend holds that today’s building-cleaning trade descends from so-called “wagon washers” (Wagenwäscher), who traveled around northern Germany after the Thirty Years’ War offering to clean building facades. However, there is no historical evidence to support it. Nor do today’s professionals carry on the tradition of feudal servants or the domestic staff of aristocratic households in centuries past.
The real origin: glass cleaning
The trade’s origins are inseparable from Germany’s industrialization in the 19th century. New building materials such as cast iron and large sheets of flat glass quickly transformed Germany’s cities. Factory halls, monumental train stations, covered arcades, and Hanseatic merchant office buildings (Kontorhäuser) suddenly had enormous glass facades.
High windows & skylights: Commercial and industrial buildings needed daylight, but soot and coal dust quickly dimmed their windows.
Specialized equipment: Ordinary building custodians couldn’t clean at these heights — the job required wheeled ladders, ropes, and specialist knowledge of chemicals.
The name until 1953: That’s why the profession was officially called the “glass and building-cleaning trade” (Glas- und Gebäudereiniger-Handwerk) until 1953.
From glass cleaner to modern service provider
It wasn’t until the 1920s that the addition “building cleaner” (Gebäudereiniger) came into general use, as demand grew for interior cleaning of floors, restrooms, and office furnishings. Today, the trade covers far more than basic cleaning: surface and asset preservation, HACCP-based hygiene management, disinfection, technical deep cleaning, and environmental protection with certified concentrates.
A Hanseatic tradition: Thanks to the Speicherstadt warehouse district and the thriving merchant office buildings along the Elbe and the Alster, Hamburg became one of Germany’s leading centers for professional facade and window cleaning early on.
The key milestones from 1878 to today.
In just under 150 years, the trade has grown from small one-person businesses with a bucket and a ladder into one of Germany’s largest industries by headcount. Here’s how it unfolded:
1878 — Born in Berlin: Frenchman Marius Moussy founded the French Cleaning Institute (Französisches Reinigungsinstitut) in Berlin. The company focused exclusively on commercial glass cleaning. In the years that followed, former Moussy employees started their own businesses and set up similar specialist institutes in other German cities.
1888 — The first mechanical wheeled ladder: Frankfurt am Main saw the first documented facade cleaning using a mechanical wheeled ladder — the foundation of modern high-access and glass cleaning.
1901 — The first trade organization: Business owners founded the Association of German Cleaning Institute Owners (Verband der Reinigungs-Instituts-Unternehmer Deutschlands). The driving force was Göttingen publisher Ernst Kelterborn, who launched the first trade journal (Internationales Centralblatt für Reinigungsinstitute und verwandte Geschäftszweige) in April 1901. Even then, pioneers were calling for formal recognition as a craft trade.
1914–1918 — Women keep the businesses going: Almost all the men working in the trade were drafted into military service. Women took their place, working as glass cleaners and business managers for the first time and steering the companies through the war years.
1920 — The guild system comes to life: Regional associations re-formed in southern and western Germany. The first guild (Innung) for the glass-cleaning trade was founded in Hanover. By 1933, another 38 independent guilds had followed, including Kiel (1926), Düsseldorf (1926), and Stuttgart (1927).
1928 — The first textbook: Düsseldorf cleaning entrepreneur Clemens Kleine published the first textbook for the building-cleaning trade, setting early standards for how the profession was taught.
1929 — National association founded: The Reich Association of Glass and Building Cleaners’ Guilds (Reichsverband der Glas- und Gebäudereinigerinnungen) was established, bringing together six large regional associations. Clemens Kleine was elected its first chairman.
1934 — Legal recognition & forced conformity: The Nazis made guild membership compulsory. On June 30, 1934, building cleaners were officially recognized as “craftsmen” (Handwerker) in the Reich-wide register of trades. At the same time, all guilds were brought into line with the regime (Gleichschaltung), and the independent national association was dissolved.
1939–1945 — War & destruction: World War II brought severe setbacks. Unlike in World War I, the authorities barred women from stepping in as replacement workers in street cleaning. Bombing raids and the destruction of buildings cost countless businesses their livelihood.
Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany):
Starting in 1946, independent guilds were rebuilt in the western occupation zones. In 1950, a central guild association (Zentralinnungsverband) was formed. Then, on September 17, 1953, came the historic milestone: the building-cleaning trade was added to the new Crafts Code as the 99th licensed trade (Vollhandwerk) in Schedule A. From then on, the association was known as the BIV (Bundesinnungsverband des Gebäudereiniger-Handwerks), the trade’s national guild association. In 1973, the first nationwide training regulation (a 2.5-year apprenticeship) took effect, followed in 1988 by the master craftsman regulation for building cleaners (Gebäudereinigermeisterverordnung).
German Democratic Republic (East Germany):
In the Soviet occupation zone, all independent craft organizations were banned in 1946. In 1956, the “Putzteufel” craft production cooperative (Produktionsgenossenschaft des Handwerks, PGH) was founded in East Berlin. Alongside it, the state set up service conglomerates (Dienstleistungskombinate), whose most profitable division was commercial cleaning. In 1958, private businesses were pushed out of the crafts sector and restricted by tax laws to no more than 3 employees, which effectively stifled private enterprise until 1990.
1990 — The trade reunites: With German reunification on October 3, 1990, independent guilds were re-established in the new eastern federal states and joined the BIV.
1999 — The standard 3-year apprenticeship: A thoroughly revised training regulation replaced the 1973 rules. Since then, training to become a state-recognized building cleaner has normally taken three years, with in-depth modules on surface treatment, environmental protection, and equipment operation.
2004 — Crafts Code reform: In January 2004, the building-cleaning trade was moved to Schedule B1, the list of trades that require no master craftsman license (zulassungsfreie Handwerke), where it appears as the 33rd trade. The formal requirement to hold a master craftsman qualification (Meisterpflicht) to register a business was dropped — but the standard of craftsmanship, master craftsman expertise, and membership in the chamber of crafts (Handwerkskammer) all remain.
Today — High-tech & 700,000 professionals: The industry now employs around 700,000 people in more than 20,000 businesses. Modern methods such as chemical-free purified water (reverse osmosis) and HACCP-compliant color-zone management shape today’s profession. So do nationwide collective agreements that are generally binding (allgemeinverbindlich), i.e., declared binding on all employers in the sector. Starting in 2026, wage group 1 (Lohngruppe 1) pays €15.00 per hour.
West vs. East Germany: two paths for commercial cleaning (1945–1990).
Four decades of German division showed in stark terms how politics shaped the trade. While the West built a dynamic base of small and mid-sized businesses under the master craftsman requirement, the East nationalized the trade:
| Criterion | Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) | German Democratic Republic (East Germany) |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Independent guilds, regional associations, and the national guild association (BIV) | State-run service conglomerates & PGHs (e.g., PGH “Putzteufel”) |
| Craft status | Schedule A (1953): Recognized licensed trade with a master craftsman certificate (Meisterbrief) | Private firms stripped of their craft status in 1958 |
| Private businesses | Free to grow; mid-sized companies with hundreds of employees | Draconian tax laws; capped at 3 employees |
| Vocational training | Dual apprenticeship system (2.5 years from 1973), master craftsman regulation (1988) | Centrally directed on-the-job training programs within the conglomerates |
| Economic role | Preserving quality and property value in a competitive market economy | The state conglomerates’ most profitable service division |
What this history means for Hamburg offices today
If you know the history of the building-cleaning trade, you understand the fundamental difference between professional craftsmanship and cheap unskilled labor. In recent years, anonymous booking platforms and chains of subcontractors have tried to turn the trade into a low-wage business. Reputable companies push back:
Material expertise, not trial and error: Whether it’s high-end parquet, porcelain tile, anodized aluminum, or anti-reflective glass, trained professionals know which pH level cleans without causing lasting damage to the surface.
Occupational safety under BG BAU rules: Professional ergonomics, safe ladders, personal protective equipment (PPE), and training on hazardous substances protect workers and reduce liability risks for clients.
Honoring collective agreements & fair pay: Commercial cleaning has a generally binding industry minimum wage (€15.00 per hour in wage group 1). Any quote priced below that level inevitably comes out of the cleaners’ wages.
Chamber of crafts membership: Businesses entered in the chamber’s register stand for traditional Hamburg reliability, transparency, and management rooted in the skilled trades.
Pride in the trade today: 100% our own permanent staff.
Why we don’t use subcontractors
Many cleaning companies pass jobs on to subcontractors and sub-subcontractors. The result: constantly changing faces, language barriers, unclear liability, and declining quality. Since its founding in 2019, Ruiz Büroreinigung Hamburg has deliberately taken the opposite approach:
100% our own permanent staff: No temp agency work (Leiharbeit), no subcontractor chains, no revolving door of temps.
Hardly any staff turnover: Since 2019, exactly one cleaner has left our team. Familiar faces give you peace of mind.
A dedicated team for each site: The same employees usually clean your premises — with a designated site manager and planned cover for absences.
Security for law firms & businesses
Especially in industries that handle sensitive data — such as law firms, notary offices, tax advisory firms, or tech companies in Hamburg — trust is the most valuable asset. For us, careful craftsmanship also means a sound legal footing.
Your security: Permanent employees with a police clearance certificate (Führungszeugnis), a standard confidentiality agreement (NDA), documented key handovers, and business liability insurance up to €5 million.
Frequently asked questions about the trade’s history
The five key facts about the history of the building-cleaning trade, in brief.
Ruiz Büroreinigung Hamburg carries on the Hanseatic craft tradition. We are listed in the register of trades that require no master craftsman license (Verzeichnis der zulassungsfreien Handwerke) kept by the Hamburg Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer Hamburg), we are a member of BG BAU (the statutory accident insurance institution for the construction and cleaning trades), and 100% of our staff are our own permanent employees. More about our team →
Sources: specialist literature on the building-cleaning trade · BIV (Bundesinnungsverband des Gebäudereiniger-Handwerks) · Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung, HwO). Responsible for content: Ruiz Büroreinigung Hamburg, Carl-Petersen-Straße 92b, 20535 Hamburg.
When did the building-cleaning trade begin in Germany?
The official starting point is 1878, when Frenchman Marius Moussy founded the French Cleaning Institute in Berlin. At first, it focused exclusively on glass cleaning. The first facade cleaning followed in 1888 in Frankfurt am Main.
Why was the trade once called the “glass and building-cleaning trade”?
Because the trade grew out of industrial window and glass cleaning in the 19th century. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the addition “building cleaner” caught on to cover interior cleaning. Until the 1953 Crafts Code, the official name was the “glass and building-cleaning trade.”
When did building cleaning become a fully recognized licensed trade?
Nationwide legal recognition first came in 1934, when the trade was entered in the Reich register of trades. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the building-cleaning trade was added to Schedule A of the Crafts Code as the 99th trade on September 17, 1953.
How did commercial cleaning develop in East Germany?
East Germany banned independent organizations. The first cooperative (PGH “Putzteufel”) was founded in 1956. In 1958, private businesses lost their craft status and were allowed to employ no more than 3 people. Cleaning was mainly organized through state-run service conglomerates.
What did the 2004 reform of the Crafts Code mean?
The January 2004 amendment to the Crafts Code (HwO) moved the building-cleaning trade to Schedule B1 (trades that require no master craftsman license). The formal requirement to hold a master craftsman qualification to open a business was dropped. However, the recognized apprenticeship (3 years) and the master craftsman title remained fully intact.
True craftsmanship for your Hamburg office.
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