The National Memorial “Goldener Löwe” in Eisenach is one of the most important sites of cultural and historical interest of the German social democracy.

Here, the first General German Labour Congress was opened under the guidance of August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht on 7 August 1869. The purpose of this congress was the foundation of a general German, democratically regulated, united labour party. The so called “Eisenacher Programm” demanded among others the abolition of class power, a modern right to vote, free education in primary schools, independent courts and, therefore, the formation of a “free people’s state”.
The programmatic struggle between followers of Bebel and the Allgemeiner Deutscher Arbeiterverein (General German Labour Association – ADAV) resulted in a continuation of the congress the following day but without the ADAV. Then, the actual foundation of the Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Labour Party of Germany – SDAP) took place at the hotel “Zum Mohren” in Eisenach on 8 August. The hotel “Zum Mohren” does not exist any more today. There is only a plaque at this place in memory of the Foundation Congress.
Only in 1875 ADAV and SDAP joined forces in Gotha and became the Sozialistische Arbeiter Partei Deutschlands (Socialist Labour Party of Germany – SAP) of which the SPD emerged in 1890.

On 6 December 1989 the Sozialdemokratische Partei (first still as SDP) was refounded in Eisenach. At this point of time Hessian and Thuringian social democrats together supported the preservation of the memorial and the idea of returning to social democratic traditions. In April 1991 the August-Bebel-Gesellschaft e.V. was founded. Its members aim at preserving the memorial and making it available to the general public.

Beside being responsible for the exhibitions at the site the August-Bebel-Gesellschaft e.V. organizes seminars, book reviews and other courses of interest regarding most different topics.