It was a non-profit company with a 95% controlling stake by the German government and 5% by the NGO "Learning and Helping Overseas".
It is now part of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation) (GIZ).
In 1999 the DED moved its headquarters from Berlin to Bonn (Tulpenfeld quarter) due to the Berlin/Bonn law.
On 1 January 2011, the DED was together with Inwent absorbed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Society for Technical Cooperation/GTZ), which was then renamed to Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation/GIZ).
From 1963 to 2007, more than 15,000 development workers have committed themselves to improve the living conditions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America.