On 4 March 1950, the front page of the periodical Saar-Volksstimme, mouthpiece of the Social Democratic Party of the Saar (SPS), comments on the signing, the previous day in Paris, by France and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), of the conventions on the special status of the Saar.

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).

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.

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.

‘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.

‘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 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.

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.

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