Only three CDU politicians have made it to Berlin’s executive chair

From Hildburg Bruns

Wowereit, Müller, Giffey – and now a CDU ruler again? The Red Town Hall has been governed by the SPD for 7912 days (21 years, 7 months, 28 days). Only three Union politicians made it to the top posts in Schöneberg Town Hall (during the Wall era) and in the Red Town Hall (since reunification).

RULING No. 10 & 12: Eberhard Diepgen (CDU)

Term of office: 2/9/1984 to 3/16/1989 (1862 days) and 1/24/1991 to 6/16/2001 (3796 days)

Education: jurist

Perfomance: The economy recovered during the first term of office of the original Berliner, and the 750th anniversary celebrations in 1987 brought splendor. Problem: lack of housing. In the second term of office in 1996, it single-handedly equalized East-West wages in the public sector. Problem: collapse of the banking company

Berlin event: US President Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate (1987): “Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev”. 2019 Federal government moves from Bonn to Berlin

Polit Type: Son-in-law image with enormous detailed knowledge

Today: 81 years old, BZ columnist, enthusiastic grandfather

REGULATOR #9: Richard von Weizsacker (CDU)

tenure: 6/11/1981 to 2/9/1984 (973 days)

Education: doctorate in law and history

Perfomance: Didn’t allow any more new squats. Drove to Erich Honecker as the first ruler

Berlin event: Panda Bear Tian Tian Dies (1984)

Polit Type: brilliant speaker with aristocratic charm

End: The former Federal President died in 2015 at the age of 94

Honor: First honorary citizen of Berlin (1990) and since 2022 renaming of Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz in Schöneberg to “Richard-von-Weizsäcker-Platz”

REGULATOR #2: Walther Schreiber (CDU)

tenure: 10/22/1953 to 1/11/1955 (446 days)

AEducation: doctorate in law

performanceG: In difficult times (30% unemployment, 130,000 refugees from the East, Schreiber fought for
linge) in Bonn 800 million marks/year

Berlin event: 90,000 Berliners celebrate Germany’s World Cup victory on July 18, 1954

buttockslit type: straightforward but unobtrusive

End: Died in 1958 from a stroke aged 74

Memory: “Walther-Schreiber-Platz”

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