Last modified: 2012-12-13 by pete loeser
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![[Die Grauen]](../images/d/de}graue.gif)
Image by Marcus Schmöger, 24 Sep 2009
The Greys were a small party existing from 1989 until 2008, focusing on the rights of senior citizens. It was founded by former Green member of Parliament, Trude Unruh, as the political arm of the Senior Protection Federation Grey Panther association (Senioren-Schutz-Bund Graue Panther), and although rather active and contesting many elections, never could pass the 5% threshold for representation in state, federal or European elections. A few Greys were elected to municipal councils, though.
In 2008 the party dissolved after financial irregularities. At least two new parties with similar names (Die Grauen – Generationspartei and Allianz Graue Panther) and symbols wanted to be seen as heirs. Several other recently founded pensioners' or seniors' parties are in competition with them, though. None of the two successor organizations is contesting the upcoming Bundestag elections, Die Grauen – Generationspartei had contested the European elections this year, with a meagre 0.2% of the votes.
The main symbol of the party always was a greyish or black panther, usually in combination with pink elements. The details might have changed a bit over time and there were some regional variations as well.
Flag usage was rather limited: officially they had no flag. However, the most active branch at Berlin displayed a few flags during a manifestation in 2005. This showed (on a white field) the inscriptions DIE GRAUEN (in black), Graue Panther (in pink), the party URL "www.diegrauen.de"
(in black), and a black panther walking on a pink semicircle.
Sources: E-mail from party HQ, 28 September 2000, and photographies from Berlin demonstration, downloaded from WWW 2005, now gone.
Marcus Schmöger, 24 Sep 2009