Dirk-Ulrich Mende | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theBundestag | |
| Assumed office 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Andreas Philippi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1957-12-26)26 December 1957 (age 67) |
| Political party | SPD |
| Alma mater | University of Göttingen |
Dirk-Ulrich Mende (born 26 December 1957 inMünster) is a German politician of theSocial Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as a member of the GermanBundestag since 2023.[1] and was the Lord Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) of the town ofCelle in North Germany.
Mende studied law in Marburg and Göttingen and passed hisstate legal exams in 1987.
Thereafter Mende was employed as thepresident of the regional council in Kassel, at the former Federal Office for the Recognition of Refugees (now theFederal Ministry of Migration (Bundesamt für Migration), at the Hesse State Welfare Agency (Landeswohlfahrtsverband Hessen) in Kassel, at the Schleswig-Holstein State Insurance Institution (Landesversicherungsanstalt Schleswig-Holstein) and at Lower Saxony's State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women, Families and Health (Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Soziales, Frauen, Familie und Gesundheit).
Since 1975 Mende has been a member of the SPD and since 1972 an honorary member of the Worker's Welfare Association (Arbeiterwohlfahrt).
From 1999 to 2003 Mende was the leader of the SPD party in theState Parliament of Lower Saxony. From 2003 to 2008 Mende was the divisional head (Referatsleiter) of the Lower Saxon Ministry for Home Affairs, Sport and Integration. There he worked for five years in the area of administrative modernisation and then in the field of integration.
From 22 February 2009 Mende served as the Lord Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) of the town of Celle in Lower Saxony, having won at the first vote with a clear and "surprising" majority of 50.8%.[2] He has been elected for a term of office lasting to 2017.[3]
Mende lost the 2016 elections against hisCDU opponent Jörg Nigge. Therefore, his regular period in office ended in February 2017.
In the2021 German federal election, Mende contestedCelle – Uelzen but came second. In 2023, he moved up the list afterAndreas Philippi resigned.[4] He has since been serving on the Health Committee.[5]
Mende is married with three children.
