Stuttgart/Mannheim. To mark the 25th anniversary of the merger of the Sparkassenverband Baden-Württemberg, H&C Stader supported the association in documenting the history of its merger and its achievements over the past 25 years. Our team of historians was responsible for the concept and research, as well as for writing the text and editing the images for the anniversary publication ‘25 Years Since the Merger to Form the Sparkassenverband Baden-Württemberg – Courage. Strength. Responsibility.’ In addition, we prepared and conducted interviews with contemporary witnesses. These interviews form part of the anniversary film on the association’s history.

The current Sparkassenverband Baden-Württemberg was formed on 1 January 2001 through the merger of the Badische Sparkassen- und Giroverband and the Württembergische Sparkassen- und Giroverband. The 25th anniversary of the merger was celebrated on 13 October 2026 with a ceremony at the Sparkassen Academy in Stuttgart. Under the motto “Courage. Strength. Responsibility.”, the association looked back on its development over the past 25 years and at the future challenges facing the Sparkassen Financial Group in Baden-Württemberg.

The anniversary publication can be ordered via the Association’s subscription centre.

The anniversary film can be found on the association’s website.

Nassau an der Lahn/Mannheim. Since autumn 2024, H&C Stader has been assisting Leifheit AG with the historical examination of its past. The project was prompted by a publication by the historian Stefan Holler on the Nazi past of the company’s founder, Günter Leifheit. Our research focused on the significance of this past had for the founding of the company in 1959.

Based on extensive source research, a dossier on the founding phase of Leifheit AG was compiled. This enabled us to contextualise key aspects of the company’s history and shed new light on its early years. Particular attention was also paid to the role of Ingeborg Leifheit, whose contribution to the company’s founding had long been overlooked.

In the spring of 2026, the findings were discussed and reflected upon in a joint workshop. The insights gained also formed the basis for communicating the company’s history to the public.

An important milestone in the project was the release of the podcast ‘LEIFHEIT – the Podcast’. In it, journalist Linda Zervakis speaks with Alexander Reindler, CEO of Leifheit AG, and Dr Max Schlenker about the company’s history, the significance of historical responsibility and ways of engaging with the past today.

Click here for Leifheit’s press release.

Leifheit AG was founded in 1959 by Ingeborg and Günter Leifheit in Nassau and is now one of the best-known brands for household products in Germany and Europe. Over the decades, Leifheit has developed from a regional manufacturer into an internationally established brand and is now represented in numerous European markets.

Berlin. At the 2026 Communications Congress, Dr Wolfgang Kraus, Director of Corporate Communications at the Südzucker Group, and Dr Ingo Stader will speak on the strategic benefits of corporate history during the session ‘100 Years of the Südzucker Group: How Corporate History Shapes the Future’.

Further information on the session can be found at Events.

Our case study “100 Years of Südzucker – Tradition Meets Innovation” illustrates how we are supporting the Südzucker Group in its anniversary year.

Osnabrück/Mannheim. In 2025, Sparkasse Osnabrück celebrated its 200th anniversary. To mark the occasion, our historians compiled a comprehensive dossier on the Nazi era from 1933 to 1945. (Link: www.sparkasse-osnabrueck.de/dossier)

Based on this historical research, an exhibition has now been created on the bank’s own institutional history during the Nazi era. Carefully curated sources, personal stories from the region, as well as photographs and archival material, make the content clear and accessible. Over the coming weeks, guided tours will be offered to staff and school classes from the region, providing an in-depth understanding of the historical context.

The exhibition can be viewed until 31 August on the ground floor of Sparkasse Osnabrück’s main branch on Berliner Platz and is open to the public free of charge during opening hours.

Click here for the press release on the exhibition.

Frankfurt/Mannheim. Since August 2024, we have been supporting Union Investment in setting up a professional communications archive, from the initial concept development through to practical implementation. Two workshops – one on the basic structure and a later one on the finer details – resulted in a practical archive concept. We are currently handling the storage of the documents at our History Hub in Mannheim. At the same time, we are jointly exploring how AI-supported functions and an archive information system (AfIS) could be utilised in future to support research and archiving work.

Union Investment was founded in 1956 by 16 cooperative and private banks and developed rapidly thanks to early fund innovations such as UniFonds and UniGlobal. With the launch of its first investment portfolio in 1967 and the continuous expansion of its product range, the group grew to become one of Europe’s largest fund providers. Today, Union Investment manages around 534 billion euros (as of 2025) and serves several million clients.