After three years of intensive work, the Elitenmonitor project, a collaboration between research groups from Leipzig University, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, came to a successful conclusion in July 2025. The project, funded by the Federal Government's Officer for Eastern Germany, focused on the underrepresentation of East Germans in key leadership positions and was divided into four modules: in Leipzig, data on top management positions was collected and evaluated; in Jena, researchers examined the perception of belonging and personal experiences of elite members in an elite survey; the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences analyzed typical difficulties in advancement; and another Leipzig module evaluated tried-and-tested and new approaches to promotion.The public conference "Top positions in Germany - open to diversity?", supplemented by a two-day workshop for scientific exchange at the Forum of Contemporary History in Leipzig, marked the project's degree in May 2025. The collaborative team is currently working on a comprehensive overall presentation of the project results. The first publications have already appeared and are available on the project website. The Elitenmonitor project provides both important empirical findings and a methodological basis for future research into elites and representation, thus making a significant contribution to the socio-political debate on equal opportunities and democratic representation.