Herber, Wolfgang Wilhelm (gen. Wolli)

Teacher, local politician

Born: 19.07.1949 in Wiesbaden

Died: 07.02.2013 in Wiesbaden

Growing up in a middle-class home in the Rheingau district, Herber studied psychology, German studies, political science and education in Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, where he joined the protest movement of 1968.

He took part in discussions about the Adenauer era at Club Voltaire. He had already been involved as a class and school representative and founder of the "Pop Club" during his school years. Herber was the impresario of the Alternative May Festival (1979), appeared as mayor in the alternative carnival procession "Lalü" in 1982 and was the initiator of other cultural initiatives.

After completing his studies, he taught German and social studies as a secondary school teacher. He was also involved in local politics. From 1981-84, he was a member of the Mitte local council as a representative of the "Wiesbaden Liste", of which he was a founder. He joined the SPD in 1987. In 1989, he was elected to the city council for the first time and was a member of the Committee for Schools and Culture. From 1997, he was an honorary member of the city council, representing the respective head of cultural affairs. In 2005, at the request of Wiesbaden's Lord Mayor Hildebrand Diehl, he was temporarily in charge of the cultural department with a focus on culture for 13 months. In 2005, he supported the founding of the City Archive Association and declared 2007 a Year of Historicism.

Herber was committed to the unification of Germany, was a founding member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft (dg) Berlin in 1990 and has been a member of the board of trustees ever since. With over 250 events a year, the dg is one of the non-partisan educational institutions that addresses issues of politics, culture and society in Germany. Herber also maintained close relations with Wiesbaden's twin city Görlitz, which he visited every year as a member of the SPD. He had a special love for the history of Wiesbaden and Nassau. As a dedicated city guide, Herber knew how to inspire his audience with enthusiasm for his home town and its past. In his district of Auringen, he had been a member of the church council since June 2009 and initiated the Auringer Reformation Concerts.

On November 29, 2010, Herber was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany for his decades of voluntary work.