Mayor of Frankfurt facts for kids

Mike Josef, the current Mayor of Frankfurt

The Mayor of Frankfurt (in German, Oberbürgermeister for a man or Oberbürgermeisterin for a woman) is the most important leader in the city government of Frankfurt, Germany. In the past, the city council chose the mayor. But since 1995, people in Frankfurt vote directly for their mayor.

Two people have been directly elected mayor since then: Petra Roth and Peter Feldmann. After some issues, Peter Feldmann was removed from office in November 2022. Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg then became the temporary mayor for about six months. The current mayor is Mike Josef, who started his job in May 2023 after winning the election with 51.7% of the votes.

Petra Roth (left) was the first directly elected mayor. Peter Feldmann (right) was the second directly elected mayor until he was removed.

The mayor is like the main leader of the city's team of officials, called the Magistrat. They speak for this team. The mayor is also in charge of different city departments and makes sure the city runs smoothly.

History of Frankfurt's Mayors

Daniel Heinrich Mumm von Schwarzenstein, Frankfurt's first modern mayor

For a long time, when Frankfurt was a free city, it had two mayors: a Senior Mayor and a Junior Mayor. The current position of Oberbürgermeister started in 1868. This was after the Kingdom of Prussia took control of the city.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Frankfurt's mayors helped the city grow. It became a big center for business and culture.

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler became Germany's leader, Ludwig Landmann, who was Frankfurt's first Jewish mayor, was forced out. Friedrich Krebs, a member of the Nazi Party, took his place. Even though other parties had more votes, they were not allowed to stop Krebs from becoming mayor.

Krebs stayed in office until the US military took over the city in March 1945. After the war, the US military chose trusted democratic leaders to be mayors. Their job was to remove Nazi ideas from the city government and start rebuilding Frankfurt. City elections began again in July 1946. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) held the mayor's office for the next thirty years. Rebuilding the city was a huge task during these years.

Later, a vote across the state of Hesse decided that mayors would be chosen directly by the people. Frankfurt's first direct mayoral election was in 1995. Petra Roth of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won, which was a surprise. Since then, mayoral elections have often been about the candidates' personalities. Mayors like Petra Roth became very popular. She won her 2007 election with a large 60.5% of the votes.

After Roth left office in 2012, Peter Feldmann (SPD) won. He also became very popular and won his second election in 2018 with more votes. However, due to some problems, people voted to remove him from office. Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg then served as a temporary mayor until the next election in 2023.

Mayors of Frankfurt Since 1868

Since 1868, Frankfurt has had 19 mayors. Most were chosen by the city council. Some were appointed, and only a few were directly elected by the people.

How Mayors are Elected

The Mayor of Frankfurt is chosen using a "two-round system." This means if no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes in the first election, the top two candidates have a second election (a run-off).

To vote, you must be a German or EU citizen, at least 18 years old, and have lived in Frankfurt for at least three months. A mayor's term lasts for 6 years. If a mayor resigns or is removed, a new election happens sooner.

2023 Election Results

In the 2023 election, Mike Josef (SPD) won in the second round. He received 51.7% of the votes. Uwe Becker (CDU) was the other candidate in the run-off.

See also

• Timeline of Frankfurt