The Saarpfalz district is celebrating a number of anniversaries this year. It's not just that the district itself has reached the half-century mark. The Basic Law is also giving cause for joy and celebration on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. The latter will definitely take place on a larger scale in Berlin and Bonn.
A look back in history: The Parliamentary Council chaired by Konrad Adenauer passed the Basic Law on 8 May 1949, which was signed and proclaimed by 65 members of parliament in Bonn on 23 May. This day has since been regarded as the birth of Germany. Among other things, it celebrates democracy, the rule of law and the freedom of citizens in Germany. Even though Saarland was not involved in setting the course for this constitution - Saarland was given its own constitution after the Second World War and only joined the Federal Republic of Germany on 1 January 1957 - the Saarpfalz district is proud of historical events and personalities that represent a moving history of democracy in this region. Last but not least, it was Philipp Jakob Siebenpfeiffer, the first "Landcommissär" of the former district of Homburg, who initiated the Hambach Festival at the end of May 1832, the largest demonstration for freedom and democracy in Germany to date.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo: "We must not forget that democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted. It therefore makes sense, especially on the occasion of an anniversary such as '75 years of the Basic Law', to take a closer look at the background and events of the post-war years and the emergence of the Federal Republic. The desire in this country for European integration, which was already reflected in the 1949 version of the Basic Law preamble, also remains remarkable. It states the will of the German people 'to serve the peace of the world in a united Europe'.
Konrad Adenauer, a pragmatic democrat and the first signatory of the Basic Law, was one of the founding fathers of the EU. He was a great supporter of the European Community. "We must be grateful to the visionaries of a united Europe of that time. In turn, we owe the longest period of peace in Western Europe and also prosperity to the EU. There are certainly even more reasons to give the European elections from 6 to 9 September the attention they deserve and to go and vote. On this day, there is a great opportunity to cast your vote for a Europe that remains strong and stable," said District Administrator Dr Gallo, appealing to the citizens' democratic awareness and, as Chairman of the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation, recalling Siebenpfeiffer's stance on Europe in this context. In one of his defence speeches in 1833, he said: "The future will show that Europe is as suitable as America for genuine republican communities, and the fruits will be even more glorious than there. Germany in the heart of Europe should not divide the peoples, but unite and unite them peacefully."