Former parliamentary group leader and city elder died at the age of 82
The Darmstadt SPD mourns the loss of Sabine Seidler. The long-time local politician, women's rights activist, and Social Democrat passed away on June 4, 2026, at the age of 82.
The party reports that the news of her death has caused great shock. Sabine Seidler shaped local politics in the science city of Darmstadt for decades and was considered one of the most prominent voices of Darmstadt's Social Democrats.
More than five decades of commitment to Darmstadt
Sabine Seidler was a member of the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) for over 50 years. Her political involvement began, among other things, in the area of women's policy. In 1992, she was one of the co-founders of the association "Kooperation Frauen" (Cooperation Women) and championed the strengthening of women's rights and equality from an early stage.
She was first elected to the Darmstadt City Council in 1993, where she served until 2011. From 2003 to 2006, she chaired the SPD parliamentary group.
In 2006, she also made a piece of Darmstadt's local history: she was the first woman to be nominated by the SPD for the office of city council chairwoman.
Commitment to urban development and housing construction
In addition to her work as a city councilor, the lawyer was particularly active in the areas of urban development, building law, and housing construction. She contributed her professional expertise to the planning, construction, and transportation committee and advocated for social housing projects.
In addition, she was chairwoman of the supervisory board of bauverein AG and a member of the supervisory board of Centralstation Veranstaltungs GmbH.
After her time in the city council, she moved to the honorary magistrate of the science city of Darmstadt, to which she belonged until 2016.
Appointment as city elder
For her many years of service in local politics, Sabine Seidler was appointed an honorary citizen of the city after leaving the city council. The city thus recognized her 23 years of service in honorary municipal offices.
She remained active within the SPD as well. For many years she was involved in the local branch in Bessungen and as chairwoman of the Working Group of Social Democratic Women (AsF) in Darmstadt.
Passion for Darmstadt
Sabine Seidler once explained her long-standing commitment with her interest in Darmstadt's development and her desire to actively shape the city. She was particularly proud of Darmstadt's positive development and its successful positioning as a city of science.
With her death, Darmstadt loses a dedicated local politician who helped shape the political and social life of the city for decades.
(DARMSTADT – RED/SPD)
