Ludwigshafen / Mainz (dpa / lrs) – Werner Ludwig, Lord Mayor of Ludwigshafen for 28 years, died on Tuesday at the age of 93. The Social Democrat shaped and shaped the city like no other, said Mayor Jutta Steinruck about her party friend and mentor. Quite a few Ludwigshafen residents said that he had shaped the history of their city in such a way that one could think that the city was named after him, said Prime Minister Malu Dreyer. She praised her fellow party member as an important figure. “He was the mayor with body and soul.”
Ludwig was at the helm of Ludwigshafen from 1965 to 1993 and retired as the senior mayor of a German city. During his tenure, many projects were implemented, such as the construction of the town hall center and the Wilhelm Hack Museum, the creation of the pedestrian zone and the relocation of the main train station.
Born in Pirmasens, he emigrated to France with his traditionally social democratic family during the Nazi era. In 1946, at the age of 20, he joined the SPD. He also shaped politics as a member of the state parliament (1963-65) and chairman of the city council (1969-1971), with a focus on social and housing policy. Ludwig leaves behind a wife, three children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The SPD state chairman Roger Lewentz said: “Werner Ludwig has always put his life in the service of others and worked with full passion for people.” His commitment and dedication are highly valued far beyond the city limits. Ludwigshafen’s SPD party leader David Guthier emphasized: “He always stood for a crystal-clear commitment against racism, anti-Semitism and any kind of right-wing sentiment.”
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