EUROPEAN MAYORS

German mayors
By German Brief*


German mayorsON THIS PAGE: Cities in Germany and their mayors | Salaries of German mayors | German political parties | Mayors of largest German cities | Research

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WORLD MAYOR 2023: The winners of the 2023 World Mayor Prize and Awards are Elke Kahr (Graz, Austria), Tony Keats (Dover, Canada), Stefan Fassbinder (Greifswald, Germany) and Manuel De Araújo, Mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique



Cities in Germany
and their mayors

September 2022: Germany is a country made up of thousands of towns and cities, all with directly elected mayors. A city (Großstadt) is officially defined as an administration unit with a population greater than 100,000. As of 2020 there are 80 cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Germany. Only four cities, Berlin, Hamburg, München (Munich) and Köln (Cologne), are Millionenstädte - cities with a population of more than one million. Ten cities have a population of more than 500,000 people. The smallest Großstadt is Hildesheim, with a population of 100,350 German mayors’ terms of office vary between five and eight years, for example five years in North-Rhine Westphalia but eight years in Baden-Württemberg. Each municipal council is headed by an elected mayor, known as Bürgermeister - or Oberbürgermeister (lord mayor) in most larger cities.


Salaries of German mayors
The salaries of German mayors are linked to those of senior civil servants (Beamte) and vary from state to state. Mayors of large cities are paid more than those of smaller communities. For example, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state and home to cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn, mayors of towns with less than 10,000 people are paid €95,000 per annum, while the mayors of cities with more than half a million inhabitants receive more than €171,500 a year. (€100,000 = US$100,500)

In addition to their basic salaries, German mayors receive fixed expense allowances, which can amount to as much as 13.5 per cent of their basic pay. The allowances cover expenses for items such as work-related travel, cell phone use, protective clothing or the use of an office at home and can top €6,000 pa for the mayors of larger cities


German political parties
Social Democrats, SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands); centre-left
Christian Democrats, CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union); centre-right
Christian Social Union, CSU (Christlich Soziale Union); centre-right, sister party of CDU, active only in Bavaria
The Greens (Die Grünen); centre-left, environmental


Mayors of largest German cities

City, Population, (State)
Mayor
Previous jobs
Annual basic salary
Aachen
249,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Ms Sibylle Keupen
Born 1963
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: Independent, supported by Greens
Studied pedagogy; Deputy chairperson of German association of art colleges for young people €140,500
Augsburg
296,000
(Bavaria)
Ms Eva Weber
Born 1977
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2026
Party: CSU
Studied law; Worked for the Bavarian association of savings banks; Head of business & economics at the City of Augsburg; In 2014 elected to the city council. €135,000
Berlin
3,677,000
(Federal capital, city-state)
Ms Franziska Giffey
Born 1978
Mayor since 2021; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Federal minister for families, women and young people from 2018 to 2021 €207,000
Bielefeld
344,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Pit Clausen
Born 1962
Mayor since 2009; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Studied law; Judge, specialising in work and employment matters €160,000
Bochum
363,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Thomas Eiskirch
Born 1970
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Degree in economics from the University of Dortmund; Member of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament from 2005 until 2015 €165,200
Bonn
331,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Ms Katja Dörner
Born 1976
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: The Greens
Studied politics in Bonn, York and Edinburgh; From 2009 to 2020 member of the German federal parliament (Bundestag) €165,200
Braunschweig
249,000
(Lower Saxony)
Mr Thorsten Kornblum
Born 1983
Mayor since 2021; Term ends 2029
Party: SPD
From 2009 to 2014, member of the Council of the City of Münster; From 2014 to 2020, department head at the Lower Saxony interior ministry €140,500
Bremen
563,000
(Free and Hanseatic city, city-state)
Mr Andreas Bovenschulte
Born 1965
Mayor since 2019; Term ends 2023
Party: SPD
Studied law in Bremen; From 2007 to 2019 first deputy then mayor of Weyhe, near Bremen €156,000
Chemnitz
243,000
(Saxony)
Mr Sven Schulze
Born 1971; Mayor since 2020
Party: SPD
Studied business at Chemnitz University; Following military service, he joined regional utility company and worked in corporate communication; Between 2015 and 2020 member of Chemnitz city council €140,000
Darmstadt
160,000
(Hesse)
Mr Jochen Partsch
Born 1962
Mayor since 2011; Term ends 2023
Party: The Greens
Formerly worked in marketing, social services and for Darmstadt University as a lecturer €142,000
Dortmund
587,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Thomas Westphal
Born 1967
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
In 1993 elected leader of Germany's Young Socialists (Jusos); As a mature student studied economics in Hamburg; Co-publisher of Spw, a journal for socialist politics and business; Appointed head of Dortmund's economic development department in 2014; Promoted the establishment of knowledge-based start-ups €171,636
Dresden
555,000
(State capital of Saxony)
Mr Dirk Hilbert
Born 1971
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2029
Party: FDP
Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor of Dresden between 2008 - 2015; Qualified in engineering and worked in aviation sector in 1990s; Subsequently; worked as Assistant Secretary Economic Affairs City of Dresden; €144,300
Duisburg
419,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Sören Link
Born 1976
Mayor since 2012; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Member of state parliament 2005-2012; Working in education, media and home affairs committees €165,000
Düsseldorf
601,000
(State capital of North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Stephan Keller
Born 1970
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party CDU
Studied law in Bayreuth and Birmingham; PhD from Ruhr University in Bochum; Between 2006 and 2016 worked in various capacities for the City of Düsseldorf; From 2017 to 2020 city manager in Cologne, often deputising for Mayor Henriette Reker €172,000
Erfurt
213,000
(State capital of Thuringia)
Mr Andreas Bausewein
Born 1973
Mayor since 2006; Term ends 2024
Party: SPD
Politician; Former member of state parliament; €131,000
Essen
579,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Thomas Kufen
Born 1973
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: CDU
Kufen worked in the private sector in a sales capacity from 1994 to 2004 and was a member of state Parliament from 2012 to 2015. From 2005 to 2010 state commissioner for integration in the government; Party: CDU €172,000
Frankfurt am Main
759,000
(Hesse)
Mr Peter Feldmann
Born 1959
Mayor since 2012; Term ends 2024;In July 2022, Frankfurt's city council approved a motion for the Mayor to resign immediately, citing allegations of corruption. In November 2022, Frankfurt electors will be asked to approve a recall of the Mayor
Party: SPD
Feldmann is an economist and political scientist; First Jewish mayor of a major German city since WWII. One of the founders of the group Jewish Social Democrats within the Social Democratic Party; 1989 to 2012 served as City Councillor and party deputy Chairman focused on children, youths, the unemployed and elderly care issues; €166,000
Freiburg
232,000
(Baden-Wurttemberg)
Mr Martin Horn
Born 1984
Mayor since 2018; Term ends 2026
Party: Independent, supported by SPD
Co-ordinator for European affairs at the City of Sindelfingen; Visiting lecturer at Protestant College of Ludwigsburg; MA in European and world politics from University of Bremen €140,500
Gelsenkirchen
260.000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Ms Karin Welge
Born 1962
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Studied law and European politics; From 1992 to 1997 lecturer in public administration in Cologne; Elected Gelsenkirchen city councillor in 2011; Between 2015 and 2020 responsible for municipal finance €165,000
Hagen
189,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Erik Schulz
Born 1966
Mayor since 2014; Term ends 2025
Party: Independent
Management career. From 2000 to 2014 managed a public sector agency €142,000
Halle
238,000
(Sachsen Anhalt)
Mr Paul Wiegand
Born 1957
Mayor since 2012
Party: Independent
Lecturer in administrative law (1998 to 2008); Assistant mayor (Beigeordneter) at Halle (2008 to 2012) €130,000
Hamburg
1,854,000
(Free and Hanseatic city, city-state)
Mr Peter Tschentscher
Born 1966
Mayor since 2018; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Lawyer, Doctor of Medicine; From 1994 until 2008 he practiced at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf; Hamburg Finance Senator from 2011 until 2018 €207,275
Hamm
180,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Marc Herter
Born 1974
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Studied law at Münster University; 1994 to 2014 member of Hamm's city council; From 2010 to 2020 member of the North-Rhine Westphalia state parliament €142,000
Hannover (Hanover)
536,000
(State capital of Lower Saxony)
Mr Belit Onau
Born 1981
Mayor since 2019; Term ends 2027
Party The Greens
After national service, Onau studied law in Hannover and Bremen; Joined the SPD as a pupil but left the party and then attached himself to a conservative student organisation. Joined the Green Party in 2008; From 2011 to 2014 Green city councillor in Hannover; From 2013 to 2019 member of Lower Saxony state parliament €170,500
Heidelberg
159,000
(Baden-Württemberg)
Mr Eckhardt Würzner
Born 1961
Mayor since 2006; Term ends 2022; Next elections November 2022; The incumbent Mayor will stand again
Party: Independent, supported by CDU
Lecturer and former consultant on environmental energy; Deputy Mayor 2000-2006; Since 2006 President of EU Energy Cities Network €145,600, rising to 171,400 should he be re-elected in November 2022
Herne
157,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Frank Dudda
Born 1963
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Lawyer; Practised law between 2002 and 2015 €142,000
Ingolstadt
138,000
(Bavaria)
Mr Christian Scharpf
Born 1971
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2026
Party: SPD
Apprenticeship in banking; He later studied commercial and European law; Practised law between 2002 and 2004; Between 2004 and 2020 employed by the Bavarian capital city of Munich first in the legal department, later in the lord mayor's office; €131,300
Karlsruhe
307,000
(Baden-Württemberg)
Mr Frank Mentrup
Born 1964
Mayor since 2013; Term ends 2028
Party SPD
Trained as paramedic and doctor; 1993-2011 practised psychiatrist for children and young people; 2006-2013 member of state parliament working on youth and education issues €165,300
Kassel
201,000
(Hesse)
Mr Christian Geselle
Born 1976
Mayor since 2017; Term ends 2023
Party: SPD
Previous occupations include police officer in Frankfurt for 10 years and lawyer; Member of the Kassel City Council for 10 years including City Treasurer 2015 - 2017 €140,500
Kiel
246,000
(Schleswig-Holstein)
Mr Ulf Kämpfer
Born 1972
Mayor since 2014; Term ends 2024
Party SPD
Studied law in Göttingen and Galway (Ireland) as well as research at Columbia Uni, NYC; Lawyer, former judge and member of the state government €137,000
Köln (Cologne)
1,073,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Ms Henriette Reker
Born 1956
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: Independent
Lawyer. Survived assassination attempt on eve of polling day in 2015; The assault was prompted by her pro-migration policies; Deputy Mayor of Koln/Cologne 2010-2015 responsible for integration, social affairs and environment, Deputy Mayor in City of Gelsenkirchen 2000 - 2010. First female mayor of Koln/Cologne. Awarded Mayor of Distinction by World Mayor 2018 €171,600
Krefeld
227,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Frank Meyer
Born 1974
Mayor since 2014; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Politician; MA in political management; Deputy Mayor 2009-2014; City Council member 1999-2009 €142,000
Leipzig
602.000
(Saxony)
Mr Burkhard Jung
Born 1958
Mayor since 2006; Term ends 2027
Party: SPD
Teacher, later school principal; Involved in 2012 Leipzig Olympic Games bid and 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany; Board member of EUROCITIES and German Association of Towns and Cities €144,300
Leverkusen
164,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Uwe Richrath
Born 1961
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Textile retailer; City councillor from 2009 to 2015 €142,000
Lübeck
216,000
(Schleswig-Holstein)
Mr Jan Lindenau
Born 1979
Mayor since 2017; Term ends 2024
Party SPD
Lübeck city councillor from 2011 to 2018; Worked previously in the financial sector €140,000
Ludwigshafen
172,000
(Rhineland-Palatinate)
Ms Jutta Steinruck
Born 1962
Mayor since 2018; Term ends 2025
Party SPD
From 2009 until end of 2017, Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2017 €140,500
Magdeburg
236,000
(Saxony-Anhalt)
Ms Simone Borris
Born 1962
Mayor since 2022; Term ends 2029
Party: Independent
Completed an apprenticeship in finance before studying economy at the technical university Reichenbach; Began working for the city of Magdeburg in 1990. In October 2021, She became mayor. Borris is also a director of the local football club 1. FC Magdeburg €131,200
Mainz
218,000
(Rhineland-Palatinate)
Mr Michael Ebling
Born 1967
Mayor since 2012; Term ends 2026
Party: SPD
Member of City Council 1994 to 2002; From 2006 to 2012 Minister of State for education and science in state government €138,500
Mannheim
311,000
(Baden-Württemberg)
Mr Peter Kurz
Born 1962
Mayor since 2007; Term ends 2023
Party: SPD
City councillor since 1984, became mayor for education, culture and sports in 1999 until elected Lord mayor; Participated in Habitat 3; Mayor Kurz was awarded the 2021 World Mayor International Award €140,500
Mönchengladbach
261,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Felix Heinrichs
Born 1989
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: CDU
Studied history and politics in Düsseldorf; Between 2013 and 2020 managing director of a private care home for elderly citizens €165,000
Mülheim / Ruhr
171,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Marc Buchholz
Born 1968
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: CDU
Founded the employment agency and advice centre AkZent in 1998; The centre offered career and employment advice to students from the Mercator University in Duisburg; From 2005 to 2019 responsible for areas like education, youth and sport at the Town of Kevelae €142,000
München (Munich)
1,488,000
(State capital, Bavaria)
Mr Dieter Reiter
Born 1958
Mayor since 2014; Term ends 2026
Party: SPD
Studied public administration, 1981-2009 worked for the city administration of Munich; became city councillor in 2009 €172,000
Münster
318,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Markus Lewe
Born 1965
Mayor since 2009; Term ends 2025
Party: CDU
Studied public administration; Elected district mayor in 1999; Chairman of the supervisory board of Münster/ Osnabrück airport €165,000
Nürnberg (Nuremberg)
511,000
(Bavaria)
Mr Marcus König
Born 1980
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2026
Party CSU
After finishing college education, he completed a training programme in banking with the Dresdner Bank; After the merger of Dresdner Bank with Commerzbank, he managed a number of branches of the newly merged bank from 2011 to 2017 €158,000
Oberhausen
209,000
(North- Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Daniel Schranz
Born 1974
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: CDU
After his studies in economic history, Daniel Schranz worked for a number of educational and political institutions; From 2001 to 2015 member of Oberhausen municipal council and later leader of the CDU in the regional council of the Ruhr region €142,000
Oldenburg
170,000
(Lower Saxony)
Mr Jürgen Krogmann
Born 1963
Mayor since 2014; Term ends 2028
Party: SPD
After community national service, Krogmann studied history and politics in Cologne and Oldenburg; From 1989 to 1993 radio reporter; 1993 to 2006 press spokesman for the City of Oldenburg; From 2008 to 2014 member of the state parliament €132,500
Osnabrück
165,000
(Lower Saxony)
Ms Katharina Pötter
Born 1979
Mayor since 2021; Term ends 2028
Party: CDU
Studied public law in Oldenburg and gained law degree, enabling her to become a judge; From 2007 to 2019 employed by the state school authority; From 2019 to 2021 as member of the Osnabrück city council co-ordinated the response to the Covid pandemic €140,500
Potsdam
183,000
(State capital of Brandenburg)
Mr Mike Schubert
Born 1973
Mayor since 2018; Term ends 2026
Party: SPD
Apprentices in industrial electronics and retail; Military service, as reservist detached to peace keeping in Kosovo; From 2004 to 2016 occupied various management position in Brandenburg's state government; From 2016 to 2018 responsible social services at City of Potsdam €124,200
Rostock
208,000; (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Post vacant
Mayoral election in November 2022
n/a €130,000
Saarbrücken
180,000
(State capital of Saarland)
Mr Uwe Conradt
Born 1977
Mayor since 2019; Term ends 2027
Party: CDU
BA in business from the Saarland University and an MA in media law from the Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz; Since 2009 member to the Saarbrücken city council. From 2012 to 2016, member of the state parliament of Saarland €123,600
Solingen
159,000
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Mr Tim Kurzbach
Born 1978
Mayor since 2015; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Solingen city councillor from 2004 to 2015 €142,000
Stuttgart
626,000
(State capital of Baden-Württemberg)
Mr Frank Nopper
Born 1961
Mayor since 2021; Term ends 2029
Party: CDU
Military service followed by apprenticeship at the Dresdner Bank; Studied law in Tübingen and Speyer; Mayor of the City of Backnang from 2002 to 2021 €172,000
Wiesbaden
279.000
(State capital of Hesse)
Mr Gert-Uwe Mende
Born 1974
Mayor since 2019; Term ends 2025
Party: SPD
Studied history, politics and economics at University of Göttingen; Trainee journalist; From 1991 to 1999 press spokesman for the Hesse interior minister; In 1999 appointed press spokesman and then leader of the SPD faction in the Hessian parliament €165,000
Wuppertal
355,000
(North Rhine-Westphalia)
Mr Uwe Schneidewind
Born 1966
Mayor since 2020; Term ends 2025
Party: The Greens
Studied business & commerce at the University of Cologne. Doctorate from St Gallen University, Switzerland, in Economics and Environment; From 1998 to 2008 professor at Oldenburg University; From 2010 to 2020 Head of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy €165,000

*The research was carried out in August 2022. The salaries, rounded up or down, cover the period 2021/2022.

2023 research: German women mayors in 2023

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