Social Democratic Community for Local Politics in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundes-SGK)

The Sozialdemokratische Gemeinschaft für Kommunalpolitik in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V. (Bundes-SGK) is the umbrella organisation of Social Democratic local politicians in Germany. It was founded on 10 September 1978 in Kassel, following a call by then SPD federal executive director Egon Bahr at the 1977 Hamburg party conference for a self-standing organisation of Social Democratic local politicians. At the time of its founding, SGK state associations already existed in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Rhineland-Palatinate; today there are SGK associations in all German federal states. The Bundes-SGK is a registered association (eingetragener Verein) and is explicitly not a party organ of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), although its members are predominantly SPD-affiliated local officeholders. The organisation represents the interests of Social Democratic local politicians vis-à-vis the Bundestag, the Bundesrat and the federal government, develops recommendations and working aids for practical policy in municipal councils and bodies, and organises nationwide specialist conferences, conferences and seminars for the further training and information of its members. It also maintains contacts with the national associations of municipalities and other national and international institutions relevant to local politics. According to Wikipedia, the Bundes-SGK has around 25,000 members, including elected representatives of cities, municipalities and districts, district committee members, expert citizens serving on committees, municipal employees, and persons holding public office or an SPD function with a local-political connection. The Bundes-SGK is led by a chairperson; since 2026 the chair has been Thorsten Kornblum, Lord Mayor of Braunschweig. The long-serving managing director Dr. Manfred Sternberg retired in 2026 and was succeeded by Tim Kähler on 1 September 2026. The association's specialist journal was "Demokratische Gemeinde" (DEMO) until 2026. Its highest body is the Bundesdelegiertenversammlung (federal delegates' assembly), which by 2025 had held 19 ordinary and extraordinary meetings, most recently in Dortmund in April 2026 under the motto "Gemeinsam stark! Zusammen Zukunft gestalten – Bund, Länder und Kommunen". The Bundes-SGK is a membership-based political advocacy organisation rather than a commercial enterprise, but it operates as a distinct institutional brand within German local politics.

The Bundes-SGK was founded on 10 September 1978 in Kassel as the Sozialdemokratische Gemeinschaft für Kommunalpolitik in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V. Its creation followed a call by Egon Bahr, then federal executive director of the SPD, at the ordinary party conference in Hamburg in 1977. Bahr urged Social Democratic local politicians to build, in the remaining federal states and at federal level, organisations modelled on the Sozialdemokratische Gemeinschaften für Kommunalpolitik (SGKs) that already existed in some states. The party executive believed that Social Democratic local politicians should have an independent organisation through which to articulate their positions and to help prepare the ground in municipalities for broadening the Social Democratic base. The new body was also intended to revive local politics, which had receded somewhat after election victories at state and especially federal level. At the time of the federal founding, SGKs already existed in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Rhineland-Palatinate. All other federal states followed. After a transitional phase between 1978 and 1980, during which the Bundes-SGK was represented by three equal chairpersons — the former Lord Mayor of Dortmund Günter Samtlebe, the later deceased former Bundestag member Hermann Schmitt-Vockenhausen, and the former Lord Mayor of Frankfurt Rudi Arndt — Günter Samtlebe led the board from 1980 to 1989. Subsequent chairs continued the organisation's development. By 2025 the Bundes-SGK had held 19 federal delegates' assemblies in addition to the founding event in Kassel: in Dortmund (November 1980), Mainz (February 1983), Frankfurt (March 1985), Mainz (May 1987), Hamm (June 1989), Bremen (June 1991), Rostock (April 1994), Böblingen (May/June 1996), Magdeburg (November 1998), Rüsselsheim (February 2001), Dortmund (March 2003), Hanover (March 2006), Erfurt (November 2008), Bremen (November 2010), Würzburg (February 2013), Potsdam (April 2016), Kassel (November 2018), January 2022 and June 2023 (extraordinary, as a digital conference). The next federal delegates' assembly was planned for 17–18 April 2026 in Dortmund. In 2026 the organisation saw leadership changes: Thorsten Kornblum, Lord Mayor of Braunschweig, was re-elected chairperson with 91.2 percent at the 19th ordinary delegates' assembly in Dortmund on 18 April 2026. Long-serving managing director Dr. Manfred Sternberg retired, and Tim Kähler, unanimously elected by the board on 30 January 2026, took over as managing director on 1 September 2026. In June 2026 the board adopted the "Braunschweiger Erklärung" calling for immediate strengthening of municipal finances. The association's specialist journal, "Demokratische Gemeinde" (DEMO), ceased to be its organ in 2026.

• 2026

  Thorsten Kornblum re-elected chairperson with 91.2 percent at the 19th ordinary delegates' assembly in Dortmund on 18 April; board adopts "Braunschweiger Erklärung" in June; Tim Kähler becomes managing director on 1 September, succeeding Dr. Manfred Sternberg.

• 2023

  Extraordinary federal delegates' assembly held in June as a digital conference.

• 2022

  Federal delegates' assembly held in January.

• 1980

  Transitional phase with three equal chairpersons ends; Günter Samtlebe leads the board from 1980 to 1989.

• 1980

  First federal delegates' assembly after founding held in Dortmund in November.

• 1978

  Bundes-SGK founded on 10 September in Kassel; SGKs already exist in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Rhineland-Palatinate.

• 1977

  At the SPD party conference in Hamburg, federal executive director Egon Bahr calls for independent Social Democratic local-politics organisations at state and federal level.

Non-partisan-organised but Social Democratic-oriented professional association and advocacy body for local politicians in Germany, operating as a registered association independent of the SPD party apparatus.

• Membership association services

  The Bundes-SGK is a membership organisation with around 25,000 members, including elected local representatives, district committee members, expert citizens, municipal employees and public officials with a local-political connection.

• Policy recommendations and working aids

  Development of recommendations and working aids for practical policy in municipal councils and bodies.

• Interest representation

  Representation of Social Democratic local politicians vis-à-vis the Bundestag, Bundesrat and federal government.

• Conferences and seminars

  Nationwide specialist conferences, conferences and seminars for the further training and information of Social Democratic local politicians.

• Demokratische Gemeinde (DEMO) journal

  Specialist journal of the Bundes-SGK until 2026.

• 2020-10-28

  SGK unveils updated brand identity and consolidates brand portfolio[5]SGK推出更新品牌形象并整合品牌组合prnewswire.com

  Reported: 2020-10-28

  SGK unveiled an updated brand identity and said its Anthem, Brandimage, IDL, Marque and Schawk brands would go to market as SGK starting in early 2021.

1. 1Bundes-SGK | Sozialdemokratische Gemeinschaft für Kommunalpolitik in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V.bundes-sgk.de
2. 2Geschichte der Bundes-SGK | Bundes-SGKbundes-sgk.de
3. 3Sozialdemokratische Gemeinschaft für Kommunalpolitik – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Social democratic community for local politics – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5SGK推出更新品牌形象并整合品牌组合prnewswire.com