Jens Beutel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jens Beutel
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Beutel in 2009
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| Mayor of Mainz | |
| In office 1997–2011 |
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| Preceded by | Herman-Hartmut Weyel |
| Succeeded by | Michael Ebling |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 July 1946 Lünen, Westphalia, Germany |
| Died | 8 May 2019 (aged 72) |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | University of Mainz |
| Occupation |
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Jens Beutel (born July 12, 1946 – died May 8, 2019) was a German judge and politician. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He served as the Oberbürgermeister (which means the main mayor or leader) of Mainz. Mainz is the capital city of Rheinland-Pfalz, a state in Germany. He was mayor from 1997 to 2011. During his time as mayor, the city got better with new building projects, like a new synagogue, and new parks.
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Jens Beutel's Life and Work
Jens Beutel was born in Lünen, a city in Westphalia, Germany. He studied law at the University of Mainz from 1968 to 1976. After finishing his studies, he worked as a judge in different cities like Frankenthal, Koblenz, and Mainz. As a judge, he led many important legal cases.
Starting in Politics
Beutel started his political journey in 1974. He became an Ortsbeirat, which is like a local council member, in Mombach. Mombach is a part of Mainz. In 1989, he was elected to the city council of Mainz, called the Stadtrat. Here, he worked on important topics for the city. These included building projects, traffic, money matters, business, and sports. He became the leader of the Mainz SPD political party in 1995.
Leading Mainz as Mayor
In 1996, Jens Beutel was chosen as the Oberbürgermeister of Mainz. He was the first mayor to be directly elected by the people of the city. He officially started his job on May 3.
During his time as mayor, many new things were built in Mainz. These included a new shopping area, a new sports stadium, and the new synagogue. Also, the ancient Sanctuary of Isis and Magna Mater was discovered.
Beutel also worked on making the city look nicer. He helped redesign the parks along the Rhine river. A new parking garage was built near the Kurfürstliches Schloss, which made more park space available. The Kunsthalle, an art exhibition hall, was created as part of the old Zollhafen. The Rheingoldhalle, a large event hall, was made bigger. New buildings were also put up along the Winterhafen. There was some discussion about adding a modern roof to the Staatstheater Mainz, the state theater. Other projects included making the Main Train Station larger and redesigning the area around the Mainz Römisches Theater station near the Roman Theatre.
Later Years and Legacy
For many years, Beutel was the president of the Städtetag Rheinland-Pfalz, which is a group for cities in Rheinland-Pfalz. He was also the president of the International Gutenberg-Gesellschaft (Gutenberg Society). He was involved in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions and helped several foundations in Mainz.
Beutel was re-elected for a second term as mayor in 2004. He left his job in 2011. This happened after he had accepted an invitation for a trip to Italy that was not for political reasons.
Jens Beutel passed away on May 8, 2019, when he was 72 years old.
His successor, Michael Ebling, who is also from the SPD party, spoke kindly of Beutel. He described him as a person who brought balance and encouraged talking things through. Ebling also said Beutel was a dedicated team player who always cared about the community in Mainz.
Jens Beutel and Chess
Jens Beutel started playing chess when he was 13 years old. He became a very skilled player. He was able to bring the famous Chess Classic tournament to Mainz, which was a big event for the city.
See also
- List of mayors of Mainz
- List of Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians
