In 1918, Stern played a vital role in a democracy movement in
Reutte that aimed to restructure the town in a gradual process. In 1919, he became a member of the municipal council of Reutte. There he held various positions until 1927, ultimately as the deputy mayor. Within the municipal council, he expanded the municipal power station in Reutte and established of a hospital. When sugar prices doubled on December 1, 1919, there were major conflicts because the available sugar had not been distributed to the population before December 1. District authorities claimed that there was not enough sugar and that it was mainly needed for the sick. Research by the Social Democrats and Dr. Stern, found that the Schretter company owned almost ten times the declared amount of sugar. Through Stern's work, the sugar was confiscated and distributed to the population. As an economic pioneer, he spurred the use of available resources, such as water, wood, and electricity, for an economic upswing. In 1922, he succeeded in persuading Paul Schwarzkopf to found the
Plansee metal works, to use the abundant electricity. He founded an oil plant resources and several wood processing companies. In 1923, Stern was the executive director of the Tiroler Oelwerke LLC. His main economic project was the construction of a cable car up to the
Zugspitze. Its completion in 1926 brought him to the peak of his popularity. The project eventually failed due to the economic situation caused by the
Nazi government's
thousand-mark ban. == Personal life ==