Michael Ludwig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Ludwig
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| Mayor and Governor of Vienna | |
| Assumed office 24 May 2018 |
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| Deputy | Maria Vassilakou (2018–19) Birgit Hebein (2019–20) Christoph Wiederkehr (2020–) |
| Preceded by | Michael Häupl |
| Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Vienna | |
| Assumed office 27 January 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Häupl |
| Second Deputy Mayor of Vienna | |
| In office 26 March 2009 – 25 November 2010 |
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| Governor | Michael Häupl |
| City Councillor for Housing, Construction, and Urban Renewal | |
| In office 22 January 2007 – 24 May 2018 |
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| Governor | Michael Häupl |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 April 1961 Vienna, Austria |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Austria |
| Spouse |
Irmtraud Rossgatterer
(m. 2018) |
Michael Ludwig was born on 3 April 1961. He is an Austrian politician. Since May 2018, he has been the Mayor and Governor of Vienna. Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria. He is also the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) in Vienna. Before becoming mayor, he was a City Councillor. This role meant he was in charge of housing, construction, and urban renewal from 2007 to 2018. He also served as the Second Deputy Mayor of Vienna from 2009 to 2010.
Contents
About Michael Ludwig
Early Life and Education
Michael Ludwig grew up in Floridsdorf, a district in Vienna. He lived in a Gemeindebau, which is a type of public housing estate. He looked up to Bruno Kreisky, who was an SPÖ Chancellor at the time.
He went to primary school and then a general high school in Vienna. From 1975 to 1980, he attended a commercial academy. He graduated from there with his Matura, which is a high school diploma in Austria.
After serving in the military from 1981 to 1982, he went to the University of Vienna. He studied political science and history. In 1992, he earned his doctorate degree. His research was about the ruling party of East Germany at that time.
Work Before Politics
From 1984 to 1986, Michael Ludwig worked in adult education. He led courses and projects. Then, from 1986 to 1991, he was an educational assistant. He worked at an adult education center in Vienna.
In 1991, he became a regional manager for the Dr. Karl Renner Institute Vienna. He also became the education secretary for the SPÖ Vienna. Later, he became chairman of the Association of Viennese Adult Education. He was also Vice President of the Austrian Adult Education Centres. Since 2008, he has been the honorary chairman of the supervisory board for Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH. He also chairs the Bruno Kreisky Archive.
In August 2018, Michael Ludwig married his long-term partner, Irmtraud Rossgatterer.
Michael Ludwig's Political Journey
Starting in Local Politics
Michael Ludwig began his political career in Vienna. From 1994 to 1995, he was a district councillor in Floridsdorf. This was his first local political role.
After that, he served in the Federal Council from 1996 to 1999. The Federal Council is part of Austria's parliament. In 1999, he became a representative in the Gemeinderat and Landtag of Vienna. This is Vienna's city council and state parliament.
Key Roles in Vienna's Government
In January 2007, Michael Ludwig became the City Councillor for Housing, Construction, and Urban Renewal. This meant he was responsible for important city projects. He took over this role from Werner Faymann.
He also served as the Second Deputy Mayor of Vienna. This happened on 26 March 2009, after Grete Laska resigned. He held this position until November 2010. After the 2010 state election, Maria Vassilakou took over this role.
In 2010, Ludwig became the chairman of the SPÖ Floridsdorf. This is the Social Democratic Party branch in his home district. In May 2011, he was elected as one of five deputy chairmen for the SPÖ Vienna party.
Becoming Mayor of Vienna
In 2017, the long-serving Mayor of Vienna, Michael Häupl, announced he would retire. The SPÖ Vienna party needed to choose a new leader. On 27 January 2018, Michael Ludwig was elected as the new chairman of the SPÖ Vienna. He won with 57 percent of the votes against Andreas Schieder. He had strong support from party members in districts like Floridsdorf and Donaustadt.
After this, Michael Ludwig was elected as the Mayor and Governor of Vienna. This happened on 24 May 2018. He has been leading the city ever since.
