“Zuckertüte” or “Schultüte” for all!

Beautiful toddler standing playing with chocolate colored balls on the table at kindergarten

Team members from the Solvay-Bernburg site want to make sure that children have the opportunity to celebrate the ‘new beginning’ by experiencing this German tradition that can make their first day of school a little bit “sweeter”.

Starting school is a turning point in the life of a child and the entire family. This transition is associated with many changes for the little ones. A German tradition helps to ease the anxiously awaited first day of school: Parents or grandparents present their children or grandchildren with a large cone made of cardboard and filled with sweets and little presents. The practice is known as “Zuckertüte” in the Eastern part of Germany or “Schultüte” in the Western part of Germany. 

For some kids without parents or grandparents to carry on the tradition, there might not be a Zuckertüte if not for the generosity of volunteers from the Soda Ash and Derivatives plant in Bernburg. The site has a close societal connection to the “kids e.V.” association, an organization that takes care of children without parents or grandparents or parents who might be ill. 

Individual employees and teams from Solvay-Bernburg started August 2018 their own tradition - called “Become a cone sponsor”. They are filling festive cones and donating them to children in need. Through their efforts, which became even more challenging during the pandemic situation, cones were distributed to a total of 30 first-graders and 24 fifth-graders in the last 4 years. The cones were packed with school supplies, toys, and of course — sweets. The children express their gratitude with a cultural program, some homemade cakes and lovingly crafted cards.

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Bernburg, Germany 

"I am proud that we have built up this tradition and that we have no trouble finding sponsors for this project. Supervisors and children expressed to us how grateful they are for the experience. We’d like to offer a big thank you to everyone who contributed to making those children happy."

Katharina Nessig, Human Resource Manager at Bernburg