The forum was founded at the end of 1989, in the wake of the Romanian Revolution which culminated with the downfall of Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorship.

[7]: 303  Despite originally being a German minority party (and, initially, a cultural organization), it gradually grew quite popular amongst many ethnic Romanians, especially in parts of Transylvania and Banat, including, most notably, the major town of Sibiu (German: Hermannstadt), where the party still holds a majority in the local town council (12 out of 23 seats), as well as in the County of Sibiu.

[9] The FDGR/DFDR has often cooperated with the National Liberals (PNL), to which Iohannis became a member and one of its prime leaders (as vice-president) starting from February 2013.

[12][13] The history of the German minority in Romania, and mostly, their presence in the historical region of Transylvania, spans approximately a millennium back in time.

In addition, the FDGR/DFDR held 12 out of 23 seats in the Sibiu Municipal Council, forming an absolute majority alongside the PNL.