Gerd Kaimer

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Gerd Kaimer (born July 3, 1926 in Elberfeld ; † December 11, 2016 ) was a German politician ( SPD ). From 1984 to 1997 he was Lord Mayor of Solingen .

Origin, studies and professional activity

Gerd Kaimer's father was a grinder from Solingen, his mother the daughter of a Wuppertal weaver . He grew up in Solingen. His experiences during the Nazi regime and the Second World War prompted him to get involved with children and young people in the future. Kaimer got his first job as a primary school teacher in 1947. In 1951 he passed his second state examination. Later he did further training as a secondary school teacher and from 1974 worked as a school councilor in Remscheid . In addition, he was involved in various functions for the youth; So he founded a children's choir in the post-war years, organized numerous activities in the following decades and was a member of various associations for child and youth work.

From 1948 Gerd Kaimer was a member of the SPD . From 1957 to 1961 he sat for the first time in the city council of Solingen. In 1973 he was re-elected to the council; from 1984 to 1997 he was Lord Mayor of Solingen. During his term of office the assassination attempt in Solingen fell in May 1993, according to his own statements his "worst moment". In the following days there were violent demonstrations in the city; Kaimer managed to decisively defuse the situation by giving a speech to the demonstrators via megaphone . In 1996 he was awarded the Ring of Honor of the City of Solingen.

Kaimer had been married since 1951, the marriage remained childless. He died on December 11, 2016 at the age of 90.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Honorary Ring Bearer of the City of Solingen ( Memento from May 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on March 31, 2017
  2. Martin Oberpriller: Former Mayor Gerd Kaimer is dead. In: Rheinische Post , December 12, 2016. Accessed on December 12, 2016.