The mayor

Breakfast is an important ritual for the Tiemanns. Dietlind and Klaus-Peter get up at six o' clock every day to set the table. An hour later the scent of coffee is wafting through the house and the couple sit down to a table loaded with fresh rolls, jam, cheese, sausage and cornflakes.

It's the only part of the day they can enjoy together – and even these precious minutes are often interrupted.

As mayor of Brandenburg, 54-year-old Dietlind often has to spend her evenings attending public functions.

Her husband accompanies her whenever he can, and they often make arrangements for the day over breakfast, their electronic calendars at the ready.

Ready to face a challenge

"She's very conscientious," says Klaus-Peter Tiemann of his wife. "When she's set herself a goal, then she follows through." He's visibly proud of Dietlind, and says that what he most admires in her is her courage; her willingness to take risks and the way she's always ready to test her own limitations. "She once did a tandem parachute jump from 3000 meters," marvels Klaus-Peter.

Dietlind Tiemann also demonstrates determination and stamina in her professional life. When she assumed office as mayor of Brandenburg, the city on the River Havel was not in the best of shape.

In the communist era, it was an industrial hub with a population of 100,000. After German reunification, many local businesses were unable to withstand the competition from the West and had to file for bankruptcy. Rising unemployment prompted some 20,000 people to leave the city, which became increasingly dilapidated.

But six years ago, Dietlind Tiemann became mayor and pledged to make Brandenburg "the most attractive city in the state." Throughout her years in office, she hasn't lost sight of this goal.

A public person

Every day, she sets off to the office just after 8 a.m. in her red sports car. It's become a familiar sight in the streets of Brandenburg, and many residents stop to say hello as she makes her way to City Hall. She says that now she's mayor, it's become hard to separate her private and professional lives.

"The locals just see me as mayor," she says. "Even when I'm out doing my shopping they'll stop me and ask if I have time to answer a question or two…"

In fact, she has very little time. Every second of her day is answered for – she usually has to hurry directly from one meeting to another, and her secretary briefs her whenever she has a spare moment. She rarely has time for lunch, and often ends up grabbing a quick bite at half past five in the evening.

"I never ask for more from others than I can do offer myself," she insists. It's one of her guiding principles, and her colleagues confirm that she sticks to it. When she was appointed, the mayor set herself a list of priorities – including education, families and employment.

On the anniversary of her appointment every year, she takes stock. And her track record is an impressive one: Unemployment is down by almost fifty percent; trade tax is four times higher than it was, and a host of new stores have opened in central Brandenburg.

Nonetheless, Dietlind Tiemann is not the type to rest on her laurels. She hopes to be elected again, so she can finish the job she started six years ago.

Author: Blagorodna Grigorova (jp)
Editor: Rina Goldenberg