80 years of Gerd Rheude: A life for Hördt and society!

80 years of Gerd Rheude: A life for Hördt and society!

On April 5, 2025, Gerd Rheude celebrates his 80th birthday. Born in A Bomb Shelter During the War, Rhude experiences the many changes of times in his life. Born in a basement in Hördt, when the Allies moved into the Palatinate in March 1945, he can look back on a moving biography. A Moroccan soldier showed his mother a photo of his children at the time and expressed a ban on house for other soldiers, which shaped his early childhood. These experiences had an impact on his later political commitment.

As a child, Rhude was interested in politics, inspired by the discussions of his grandfather. In the early 1970s he joined the SPD and initially lived in Edesheim. His political career really started when he was elected to the local council in 1979 and took over the office of Mayor of Hördt in 1989. He held this position for 25 years and significantly shaped the community during this time.

merit as mayor

In his time as mayor, Rheude ensured that Hördt became an attractive residential community. Under his leadership, building sites for young families were created and the place lived on cultural and social activities. He was unanimously appointed honorary citizen of Hördt in June 2023 in June 2023. The decision was made on the proposal of local mayor Max Frey, who paid tribute to Rheudes in the political and cultural area. Association Mayor Matthias Schardt congratulated him on behalf of the Rülzheim community on behalf of him.

Rheude was also chairman of the works council at the Wörth truck plant and a member of the general works council and the Daimler supervisory board. Even after retiring from active politics, he remained connected to his community. However, he emphasizes that he does not want to talk his successor in and spend the colder months together with his wife in Spain, where they travel in the motorhome.

political commitment and outlook

Despite his retirement, Rheude remains politically interested. He believes that the SPD should be focused more on employee concerns. He currently supports decisions on military security and infrastructure investments. In the context of the grand coalition, he plans to vote with "yes" in the SPD membership decision.

The couple who has two daughters and four grandchildren who live nearby enjoys his freedom and retirement. Rheude, whose roots are anchored deep in the municipality of Hördt, remains a lively example of how strongly municipal self -government and individual life stories are interwoven. His career illustrates the developments in the political landscape and the challenges that local managers have to deal with.