when -for the first time, only 23 years old- the billboards show my picture as I was running for office in a national legislature campaign ("Deutscher Bundestag").
That was 1972, I had been a teacher at "Fichteschule" (Elementary School) for just two years.
By the way: I did not succeed in the 72 election.
Meeting political celebrities of that time,
Secretary of agriculture Josef Ertl ...
I ran in that constituency in every following election (1976, 1980, 1983...) until 1994 when I finally lost my seat that I had won in 1987.
So it took me until 1987 to get to the national legislature, but nevertheless: I made it to the State Legislature ("Bremische Buergerschaft Landtag") in 1978, 30 years old, then one of the youngest members.
...and again Hans-Dietrich Genscher, meanwhile Secretary of State,
Back