Matthias Buschfeld sworn in as mayor – Bottrop’s new era begins!

Matthias Buschfeld sworn in as mayor – Bottrop’s new era begins!

On Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, the political landscape in Bottrop was redesigned. At the inaugural meeting of the new council, Matthias Buschfeld officially took over the office of mayor. In a ceremony led by Councilor Hermann Hirschfelder, the longest-serving council member, Buschfeld received the certificate of appointment. The new mayor, elected with over 62 percent of the vote, thanked him for the trust placed in him and emphasized that the well-being of all Bottrop citizens will be his central goal. As wir-lieben-bottrop.de reports, Hirschfelder emphasized the urgency of change in his speech and called on the council members to actively participate in shaping the future.

In his inaugural speech, Matthias Buschfeld spoke of the importance of the Council as a central organ of democracy. Thomas Göddertz and Frank Kien were also chosen as the first and second deputy mayors, and the structure of the main, finance and complaints committee was determined. Before the meeting, an ecumenical service took place in St. Martin's Church, led by both Pastor Dieter Naumann and the city dean, Provost Dr. Jürgen Cleve was designed. Cleve wished the council members a good start and placed emphasis on respect in cooperation.

Voter turnout and challenges

The local elections on September 14th and the subsequent runoff election on September 28th led to the election of Buschfeld, who succeeded Bernd Tischler, who had been in office for 16 years. The turnout revealed a challenge: only 33 percent of voters cast their votes. Of the votes he received, Buschfeld is proud of the over 20,000 votes he secured in the first round. In his first statements he expressed “humility towards the voters”. As wdr.de reports, one of its first steps is the creation of staff positions to improve digitalization, volunteer support and event organization.

Another intended step by Buschfeld will be to combat vacancies in the city center. He also plans to strengthen the weekly markets and found an “Alliance for Security” to improve the feeling of security in Bottrop. The CDU's losing candidate, Frank Kien, expressed regret over the number of voters who did not vote, but remains optimistic for the next five years as he continues to develop ideas for Bottrop.

A new beginning

It's an exciting time for Bottrop. With Matthias Buschfeld at the helm, a new era begins that brings with it both challenges and opportunities. His clear agenda, characterized by a sense of responsibility, could bring a breath of fresh air to the city. The coming months will show how successful the first steps will be and whether citizens will perceive the changes that Buschfeld is striving for as positive.