Dr Peter Seifert
long-serving Lord Mayor of the city of Chemnitz
Honorary citizenship conferred on 4 November 2016
Dr Peter Seifert was born on 27 July 1941 in Zwickau. He studied and obtained his doctorate at the Technical University of Karl-Marx-Stadt. His career included positions at the Robotron combine and the Zwönitz Measuring Instruments Factory.
During the period of political transition in December 1989, Dr Peter Seifert joined the SPD. In 1990, he was elected to the Chemnitz City Council as chairman of the SPD parliamentary group and as First Mayor.
Prior to this, during the period of reunification, he had already served briefly on the City Council as a representative of the opposition movements and parties. On 15 September 1993, Dr Peter Seifert was elected Lord Mayor by the Chemnitz City Council under the local government constitution of the GDR, which was still in force at the time, and on 12 June 1994, he was re-elected to the post for the first time by direct vote of the citizens, with over 73 per cent of the vote, in accordance with the new Saxon Municipal Code.
In 2001, he was re-elected as Lord Mayor of the city with almost 70 per cent of the vote. After 13 years in office, Dr Peter Seifert stepped down on 31 July 2006 for health reasons. Even in retirement, Dr Peter Seifert remains active in various roles and positions for his city. For example, he served as Chair of the University Council of Chemnitz University of Technology until 2021 and remains President of LAC Chemnitz to this day.
In May 2011, Dr Peter Seifert was awarded the Saxon Constitutional Medal for his services to the city of Chemnitz, and in October 2012 he received the Federal Cross of Merit, 1st Class. In November 2013, Dr Peter Seifert was honoured with the ‘Heiße Kartoffel’ Business and Media Award from the Central German Press Club for his outstanding commitment to the economic region.
On 31 August 2016, Chemnitz City Council resolved to confer honorary citizenship upon Dr Peter Seifert in recognition of his work and services for the benefit of the city of Chemnitz.
The presentation of the city’s highest honour took place on 4 November during a ceremony in the City Council Chamber of Chemnitz Town Hall. The laudatory speech was delivered by Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. Other former colleagues of Seifert also offered personal remarks. During the ceremony, Dr Peter Seifert signed the Golden Book of the City of Chemnitz.
Laudation
The laudatory speech marking the conferral of honorary citizenship on Dr Peter Seifert was delivered by Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. In an emotional speech, she recalled Dr Peter Seifert’s professional achievements, whilst also bringing a smile to the audience’s faces with a few anecdotes.