On 11 May 1955, in Paris, the Council of Western European Union (WEU) adopts a resolution on the organisation of the referendum on the Saar Statute.

On 28 July 1955, Heinrich Schneider, first President of the Democratic Party of the Saar (DPS), publishes an article in the Deutsche Saar, the newspaper of the DPS, in which he condemns the threats posed by the future Statute of the Saar.

On 11 August 1955, the regional periodical CVP-Rundschau, mouthpiece of the Saar Christian People’s Party (CVP), calls on voters in the Saar to vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum to be held on 23 October 1955 on the future Saar Statute.

On 15 September 1955, with a view to the referendum scheduled for 23 October on the future Statute of the Saar, the CVP-Rundschau, newspaper of the Christian People’s Party of the Saar, analyses the issues at stake in the forthcoming plebiscite.

‘And when I’m inside, the trap closes — NO — NO!’ On 4 October 1955, the periodical Deutsche Saar, mouthpiece of the Democratic Party of the Saar (DPS), publishes a cartoon illustrating the dangers of the future Saar Statute.

On 13 October 1955, the Saar Christian People’s Party (CVP) calls on citizens to vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum on the Saar Statute to be held on 23 October.

‘The problem child. Marianne always used to swallow everything!’ On 13 August 1955, the periodical Deutsche Saar, mouthpiece of the Democratic Party of the Saar (DPS), publishes a cartoon criticising the action taken by France and Johannes Hoffman, Prime Minister of the Saar, who claim to be the main supporters of the new Saar Statute.

On 11 May 1955, in Paris, the Council of Western European Union (WEU) adopts a resolution on the holding of a referendum on the Saar Statute. In October 1955, several posters call on Saar citizens to vote for or against this Statute.

On 11 May 1955, the Council of Western European Union (WEU) establishes a supervisory commission for the referendum on the Saar Statute. In October 1955, several posters displayed in the city of Saarbrücken call on voters to reject or accept the Statute.

German poster from 1955 against French annexation of the Saar: ‘Auf die Saar verzichten? Niemals!’ [‘Give up the Saar? Never!’]

In October 1955, the Democratic Party of the Saar (DPS) publishes a series of posters in the Deutsche Saar calling on voters to vote ‘No’ in the referendum held on 23 October 1955 on the future Saar Statute.

In October 1955, the Saar Section of the European Movement makes use of the regional press to encourage voters to vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum held on 23 October on the future Saar Statute.

From August to October 1955, the Saar Christian People’s Party (CVP) publishes a series of posters in the regional periodical CVP-Rundschau calling on voters in the Saar to vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum held on 23 October 1955 on the future Saar Statute.

With a view to the referendum to be held on 23 October 1955 on the future Saar Statute, the regional periodical Deutsche Saar, mouthpiece of the Democratic Party of the Saar (DPS), calls on its readers to reject the European Statute proposed to voters.

As the referendum on the future Saar Statute is held on 23 October 1955, the periodical Neue Zeit, mouthpiece of the Saar Communist Party, calls on its readers to vote ‘No’.

Produced in 1957, this documentary film shows the political process which led to the return of the Saar to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) as a result of the Paris Agreements of 23 October 1954 and then the referendum of 23 October 1955.

In 1955, the Saarland Christian People’s Party (CVP) publishes posters calling on citizens to vote ‘yes’ in the referendum to be held on 23 October 1955 on the European status of the Saar.

In 1955, the Social Democratic Party of the Saar (SPS) publishes a series of posters calling on voters to vote in favour of a European Statute for the Saar.

In 1955, the Democratic Party of the Saar (DPS) publishes posters calling on the Saar people to vote ‘No’ in the referendum on the European Statute of the Saar due to be held on 23 October 1955.

In 1955, the Saar Communist Party (KP-Saar) publishes a series of posters calling on voters in the Saar to vote ‘No’ in the referendum due to be held on 23 October 1955 on a European Statute for the Saar.

Copy of the ballot paper used during the referendum held on 23 October 1955 on the European Saar Statute, proposing the establishment of an independent Saarland under the auspices of Western European Union (WEU).

On 23 October 1955, in Saarbrücken, the first ballot papers in the referendum on the European Statute of the Saar are counted.

On 24 October 1955, at around 1 a.m., the leaders of the Saar political parties CDU (Christian Democratic Union), DPS (Democratic Party of the Saar) and DSP (German Social Democratic Party) — which form the ‘Deutscher Heimatbund’ (German Fatherland Union) — meet at the Landtag in Saarbrücken to comment on the initial results of the referendum on the European Statute of the Saar. On the platform, from left to right: Hubert Ney (CDU), Kurt Conrad (DSP), Heinrich Scheider (DPS) and Richard Becker (honorary leader of the DPS).

The Paris Accords of 23 October 1954 provided, in particular, for a European statute for the Saar under the auspices of the Western European Union (WEU). However, at a referendum held on 23 October 1955, the people of the Saar voted against this European statute, and instead opted for the return of the Saar to the Federal Republic of Germany from 1 January 1957.

On 24 October 1955, the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool analyses the consequences of the rejection by the voters in the Saar of the European Statute for the Saar as part of Western European Union (WEU), as provided for by the Paris Agreements of 23 October 1954, and considers the future of Franco-German relations.

On 24 October 1955, J. G. van Wouwe, leader of the Dutch Federation of Trade Unions, sends a memorandum to his West German counterparts on the attempts by some people within the Saar trade union movement to influence the referendum on the future Saar Statute. He calls on the German Trade Union Confederation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) to take a stance on the dissensions within the Saar trade union movement over the question of the Saar’s future.

On 25 October 1955, the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung comments on the outcome of the referendum on the Saar Statute held on 23 October 1955 and analyses the repercussions of the vote on Franco–German relations.

On 25 October 1955, following the result of the referendum on the Saar Statute, the German daily newspaper Die Welt analyses the implications of returning the Saar to Germany and recalls the importance of maintaining good relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and France.

On 26 October 1955, the Saar Socialist daily newspaper Saar-Volksstimme für Sozialismus und Demokratie outlines the political and international implications of the outcome of the referendum held on 23 October 1955 on the Statute of the Saar.