Dieter Happ (politician)
Dieter Happ (born November 2, 1940 in Bergisch Gladbach ; † December 24, 2018 there ) was a German politician ( SPD ). From October 1989 to November 2008 he was mayor of the town of Rösrath , a town in the Rheinisch-Bergisch district that borders Cologne to the southeast.
Life and work
The trained bookbinder worked for the Bastei Lübbe company in Bergisch Gladbach. Since June 1, 1962 he was married to Dagmar Gudrun Wilm.
Political activity
In 1965, Happ joined the SPD . He was a member of the district council from 1979 to 1999. From 1989 to 1999 he held the post of honorary mayor in Rösrath. Due to his popularity with the population of Rösrath, he was re-elected in a runoff election in 1999 with a large majority. On October 1, 1999 he became the first full-time mayor of Rösrath. In 2004, the local SPD tried to push through another candidate instead of Happ as mayor candidate. The attempt failed. Happ ran as a single candidate and won the runoff election with 77.1%. His long term service as mayor ended in November 2008.
Hobbies
Happ sang as the second bass in the men's choir Concordia Forsbach. If there was one appointment in his mayor's calendar that was not postponed, it was the weekly choir rehearsal , in which, for once , it was not him but the conductor Babrak Wassa who set the tone. In the Rösrath carnival, he not only led the Forsbach jester's parade on Carnival Sunday for many years , but also some events as the meeting president. In 1969, the Forsbach Carnival Prince was called Dieter I. (Dieter Happ)
The penitent
Every year on the last Sunday in July, a penitential procession takes place in the Belgian twin town of Veurne , in which Happ regularly took part. In penitent clothing , he then dragged a cross weighing around 25 kilograms. Happ always wore red socks so that the Rösrathers could recognize him among the many hooded penitents in the penitential procession.
Awards
- Honorary citizen of the city of Rösrath, awarded on September 30, 2011
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Happ, Dieter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German politician (SPD), Mayor of Rösrath (1989–2008) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 2, 1940 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bergisch Gladbach |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 24, 2018 |
| Place of death | Bergisch Gladbach |