100 Years of the Südzucker Group: History agency H&C Stader marks the anniversary with a chronicle and interviews
Mannheim. The Südzucker Group will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. The history agency H&C Stader has been working with the internationally active company throughout this anniversary year. At the heart of the collaboration is the anniversary chronicle “100 Years of Südzucker. Part of your Life”, supplemented by interviews with contemporary witnesses.
The collaboration between H&C Stader and the Südzucker Group began with a joint workshop. The aim was not only to document the company’s history, but also to make it usable as a strategic resource for internal and external communication. In addition to a printed anniversary publication, interview formats and a podcast were developed to communicate key milestones.
The anniversary chronicle
At the heart of the project is the anniversary chronicle “100 Years of Südzucker. Part of your Life”, which H&C Stader conceived and edited on the basis of extensive historical research and more than 15 interviews with contemporary witnesses.
The publication traces the development of the Südzucker Group since its foundation in 1926, situates it within the history of the German sugar industry, and highlights key phases of diversification and transformation. The chronicle is supplemented by personal recollections from contemporary witnesses and an outlook on future developments. What makes the chronicle special is that it is hybrid – QR codes link directly to short clips from the interviews with contemporary witnesses, thus offering a highly personalised perspective.
The content, design and feel of the chronicle are perfectly coordinated. The design is based on a modern corporate identity developed specifically for the Südzucker Group, featuring colour gradients that reflect the Group’s diversity. Text and images are given equal prominence. The cover is finished with the ‘anniversary badge’ using UV varnish.
The chronicle was printed in a run of 10,000 copies, produced in German and English, and is 242 pages long. It is aimed at employees and business partners of the Südzucker Group and is not available for general sale.
Dr Wolfgang Kraus, Head of Communications at the Südzucker Group, on the collaboration with H&C Stader:
“From the extensive research and conceptualisation of the anniversary publication, through the detailed drafting and revision of the text, right up to the ‘live presentation’ at the festive anniversary evening on 19 March 2026 for our nearly 500 guests – the H&C Stader team provided us with fantastic support through their dedication. It was a very pleasant and straightforward collaboration with our entire team, including our corporate archive, which provided a wealth of content as well as visual material.”
The celebratory anniversary evening in Mannheim
A highlight of the anniversary year was the celebratory anniversary evening “100 Years of the Südzucker Group” on 21 March 2026 at the Rosengarten in Mannheim. As part of the stage programme, Dr Ingo Stader, CEO of H&C Stader, and Dr Max Schlenker, Division Head, together with Mannheim’s Lord Mayor Christian Specht, spoke about the history of the Südzucker Group and examples of the partnership with the city of Mannheim. They particularly emphasised the Südzucker Group’s close collaboration with the agricultural sector and the relevance of its own corporate history to current and future transformation processes.
Dr Ingo Stader:
“Those who know their own history also understand the forces that make change possible. The history of the Südzucker Group illustrates how closely origins, transformation and future viability are intertwined.”
The press release can also be found here.
