Wolfgang Tiefensee

Wolfgang Tiefensee

Wolfgang Tiefensee (born January 4, 1955 in Gera) is a German SPD politician. He has been the Federal Minister for Transport, Building and Urban Development in the Grand coalition cabinet led by Angela Merkel since November 22, 2005.

Originally an electrical engineer, he turned to politics in 1989, during the democratization process of the German Democratic Republic. Tiefensee was elected mayor of Leipzig in 1998, and was re-elected with 67.1% of the vote in April 2005. Before 2005, he declined offers of a position in the federal government, stating his place was in Leipzig.

As mayor, he put great effort into Leipzig's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. While Leipzig unexpectedly won the campaign to tender the German bid, the middle-sized city did not get past the first round of the international competition, which was in fact won by London.

Wolfgang Tiefensee is also known for playing the cello, a talent that he successfully incorporated into Leipzig's Olympic bid. His brother, Eberhard Tiefensee, is a Catholic priest and professor of theology at the University of Erfurt.