Stiftung Demokratie Saarland

The Stiftung Demokratie Saarland (SDS) is a non-profit institution for political adult education based in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German federal state of Saarland. It was established on 1 January 1995 as a Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts (a foundation under German civil law) by the Demokratische Gesellschaft Saarland (DGS), whose legal predecessor was the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung-Saarland e.V. The foundation's political orientation is social democratic, and it maintains close ties to the labour movement. The foundation's origins are tied to the history of the Saarbrücker Zeitung. In 1969 the Saarland state parliament decided to re-privatise the newspaper, which had been founded in 1761 by Bernhard Hofer, incorporated into the NSDAP publishing empire in 1935, placed under French sequester administration after World War II, and transferred to the Saarland in 1956 under the Treaty of Luxembourg. The resulting ownership structure of Saarbrücker Zeitung Verlag und Druckerei GmbH included the Gesellschaft für staatsbürgerliche Bildung Saar mbH (GsB), which according to taz is held by the Union Stiftung (40%), Villa Lessing – Liberale Stiftung (20%) and the Demokratische Gesellschaft Saarland (DGS, 40%). The DGS founded the SDS on 1 January 1995. The SDS operates a political academy at the Quartier Eurobahnhof in Saarbrücken, offering seminars, lectures, readings, exhibitions and other educational events. Its thematic priorities include antisemitism, German unity, German history, international history and right-wing extremism. The Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education) has granted the foundation the status of a "state-recognised institution for political further education". The foundation also publishes a book series, "Geschichte, Politik und Gesellschaft" (History, Politics and Society), since 1996, along with exhibition catalogues. Until 2023 it awarded the Saarländischer Schulpreis (Saarland School Prize), endowed with 20,000 euros, in cooperation with parents' and pupils' organisations. The foundation is governed by a seven-member board that manages the foundation's assets, with a Stiftungsrat (foundation council) as supervisory body. Since 2024 the board chair has been Bernd Rauls, former managing director; his predecessor was former Saarland interior minister Friedel Läpple, who was named honorary chair in November 2025. Day-to-day operations are handled by Karoline Riplinger (commercial managing director) and Verena Paul (managing study director). The council chair is former Saarbrücken mayor Charlotte Britz. The foundation has been the subject of controversy regarding donation solicitation in the 1990s, reported by CORRECTIV, which the foundation and Läpple deny.

The Stiftung Demokratie Saarland (SDS) was founded on 1 January 1995 as a Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts by the Demokratische Gesellschaft Saarland (DGS), a non-profit organisation whose legal predecessor was the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung-Saarland e.V. The foundation is dedicated to political adult education with a social democratic orientation and close ties to the labour movement. The foundation's creation is linked to the history of the Saarbrücker Zeitung. The newspaper was founded in 1761 by Bernhard Hofer in Saarbrücken. After the Saar region's return to the German Reich in 1935, it was incorporated into the NSDAP publishing empire. After World War II it was placed under French sequester administration, and in 1956 it was transferred to the Saarland under the Treaty of Luxembourg. On 5 November 1969 the Saarland state parliament decided to re-privatise the newspaper. This led to the new ownership structure of Saarbrücker Zeitung Verlag und Druckerei GmbH. Its two largest shareholders are the Rheinische Post Mediengruppe and the Gesellschaft für staatsbürgerliche Bildung Saar mbH (GsB). According to taz, GsB is held by the Union Stiftung (40%), Villa Lessing – Liberale Stiftung (20%) and the Demokratische Gesellschaft Saarland (DGS, 40%). The DGS then founded the SDS on 1 January 1995. Since its founding, the SDS has operated as a political academy. It has premises for educational events and exhibitions at the Quartier Eurobahnhof in Saarbrücken. Its thematic priorities include antisemitism, German unity, German history, international history and right-wing extremism. The Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung has granted it the status of "state-recognised institution for political further education". Since 1996 the foundation has published the book series "Geschichte, Politik und Gesellschaft" (History, Politics and Society), as well as catalogues accompanying its exhibitions. Topics include the history of the Saarland and of the labour movement in the Saar region. For the 150th anniversary of the SPD and the 110th birthday of Saarland Social Democracy in August 2013, the foundation, together with the Historical Commission of the Saar SPD, produced an exhibition on the history of the social democratic movement in the Saar from its beginnings to the 21st century, and published an accompanying volume. Until 2023 the foundation awarded the Saarländischer Schulpreis (Saarland School Prize), endowed with 20,000 euros, in cooperation with the Landeselterninitiative für Bildung, the Gesamtlandesschülervertretung and the Gesamtlandeselternvertretung. The prize aimed to support and recognise schools that go beyond pure knowledge transfer with new pedagogical-didactic models to develop pupils' individual, social and creative abilities. The foundation is governed by a seven-member board that manages the foundation's assets. The board chair was long held by former Saarland interior minister Friedel Läpple; since 2024 the chair has been Bernd Rauls, former managing director. In November 2025 Läpple was named honorary chair. Day-to-day operations are handled by Karoline Riplinger (commercial managing director) and Verena Paul (managing study director). The supervisory body is the Stiftungsrat (foundation council), appointed for three years and consisting of seven persons named by the supporting company. The council monitors the board's activities. Its chair is former Saarbrücken mayor Charlotte Britz. In the 1990s the foundation was the subject of controversy reported by CORRECTIV. According to the research, former Saarland interior minister and then board chair Friedel Läpple is said to have contacted businesspeople, including some with suspected mafia connections, asking them to transfer larger sums to an SPD-affiliated foundation. In one letter on interior ministry letterhead, an alleged drug dealer was reportedly asked to pay several hundred thousand Deutschmarks into an "Uzbekistan fund" of the foundation. At the same time, service requests were allegedly made to companies with connections to possible donors in the police sector, suggesting a conflict of interest, though no direct legal proof was established. According to the foundation, donations in 1996/97 amounted to around 81,000 DM, of which about 60,000 DM were used for the Uzbekistan project. Läpple and the foundation deny any wrongdoing and point to the difficulty of reconstructing events after decades.

• Saarland state parliament decides to re-privatise the Saarbrücker Zeitung

• Demokratische Gesellschaft Saarland (DGS) founded as legal successor of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung-Saarland e.V.

• Stiftung Demokratie Saarland founded by DGS as a Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts

• First volume of the book series "Geschichte, Politik und Gesellschaft" published

• Exhibition and accompanying publication for the 150th anniversary of the SPD and 110 years of Saarland Social Democracy

• Saarländischer Schulpreis awarded until this year

• Bernd Rauls becomes Chair of the Board

• Friedel Läpple named Honorary Chair

Non-profit, state-recognised political adult education institution with a social democratic orientation, close to the labour movement.

• Schriftenreihe "Geschichte, Politik und Gesellschaft"

  Book series published since 1996, covering Saarland history and the labour movement.

• Politische Akademie im Quartier Eurobahnhof

  Venue for educational events and exhibitions in Saarbrücken.

• Saarländischer Schulpreis

  School prize endowed with 20,000 euros, awarded until 2023.

• Controversy over donation solicitation in the 1990s

  Source

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1. 1Stiftung Demokratie Saarland – Offizielle Websitestiftung-demokratie-saarland.de
2. 2Schriftenreihe: Politik, Geschichte & Gesellschaftstiftung-demokratie-saarland.de
3. 3Band 19: "Nie zu Hitler!"stiftung-demokratie-saarland.de
4. 4Wikidata: Stiftung Demokratie Saarlandwikidata.org
5. 5Wikipedia (de): Stiftung Demokratie Saarlandde.wikipedia.org