Eberhard Diepgen

Eberhard Diepgen (born 13 November 1941) is a German lawyer and politician who served as Mayor of West Berlin from 1984 to 1989 and again as Mayor of (united) Berlin, from 1991 until 2001, as member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Early life, education, and career Eberhard Diepgen was born on 13 November 1941 in the Berlin district of Wedding. He was to become the first native of Berlin in the office of governing mayor. After graduating from high school in 1960, Diepgen began studying law at the Free University of Berlin. During this time he was already politically active and joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1962. As a member of the "Ring of Christian Democratic Students" (RCDS), he briefly chaired the "General Student Committee" (ASTA) of the Free University in 1963. After passing the first state examination in 1967, Diepgen worked as a trainee lawyer at the Berlin Higher Regional Court and was admitted to the bar in 1972 after the second state examination. Political career Abgeordnetenhaus In the Berlin CDU, Diepgen initially dealt primarily with questions of education policy. In 1971 he became a member of the state board, member of the program commission and executive chairman of the state. In the same year he moved into the Abgeordnetenhaus and in December 1980 he took over the chairmanship of the CDU parliamentary group as the successor to Heinrich Lummer. During Richard von Weizsäcker's tenure, Diepgen, as parliamentary group leader, played a key role in securing parliamentary policy for the Senate.