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. 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 (), 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.
The forum was founded at the end of 1989 following the Romanian Revolution that led to the removal of Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorship. Initially a German minority party and cultural organization, it gained popularity among many ethnic Romanians, especially in Transylvania and Banat, with Sibiu being a notable stronghold where they hold a majority on the local town council (12 out of 23 seats) and County of Sibiu as well.