Bärbel Dieckmann
Encyclopedia
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
in 1994. She is the first woman and first Social Democrat to become mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Bonn. Dieckmann is married to Jochen Dieckmann, former Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
in Northrhine-Westphalia
From 1967 until 1972, she studied philosophy, history and social sciences at the University of Bonn for a teaching degree. The same year she joined the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
. In 2005, she became vice federal chairwoman of the party, but left office two years later.
In 2005 and 2006 she was a finalist for World Mayor
World Mayor
World Mayor is a biennial award organized by The City Mayors Foundation since 2004. It intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of cities, nationally and internationally...
.
Since December 2005 Ms. Dieckmann has been Chair of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change (WMCCC). The office was established after the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
came into force. The WMCCC is committed to international cooperation and advocates for effective climate protection policies of its members.