Lars Pletscher becomes head of the cultural department in Ludwigshafen – a new start!

Lars Pletscher becomes head of the cultural department in Ludwigshafen – a new start!

A significant change has taken place in the Ludwigshafen city council. On June 30, 2025, Lars Pletscher was elected by the CDU as the new head of the department for culture, schools, youth and family, with a remarkable result of 77.5 percent of the votes. He is taking on a very important position in the city administration from January 1, 2026, where he will head the largest department with almost 2,000 employees. Pletscher succeeds Prof. Dr. Cornelia Reifenberg, who is retiring after more than two decades in this position.

Pletscher, who currently works in the Bad Dürkheim city administration and was previously managing official of the Lambsheim-Heßheim municipality, has made a name for himself in the political landscape. He now has a lot of experience and wants to work pragmatically and constructively as a “team player” in order to master the challenges in his new position. Mayor Jutta Steinruck has already congratulated him on his new position and the votes he successfully won.

The new faces on the city board

The new head of social affairs will be David Guthier from the SPD, who will also take office on January 1, 2026. Guthier received 36 of 58 votes and replaces Beate Steeg, who has headed the social affairs department since 2018. At 35, he is the younger of the two new councilors and particularly wants to strengthen social cohesion in Ludwigshafen. The city council sent a strong signal by electing Pletscher and Guthier and also agreed on these personnel decisions in advance, as the two parties together make up 31 of the 60 city councilors.

The two new representatives expect not only an exciting but also challenging field of work. While Pletscher plans to create a lack of daycare places and improve the schools in Ludwigshafen that are in need of renovation, Guthier has set himself the goal of further promoting integration and social projects.

A review and outlook

The outgoing incumbents Reifenberg and Steeg have done important work over the years. Reifenberg had been an alderman since March 2003 and was elected mayor in 2018, while Steeg had been an alderman since 2018. The city will also have to reorganize itself in the next mayoral election, which is scheduled for September 21st - because it looks like only men have applied as candidates so far.

From January 2026, the Ludwigshafen city board will be headed by five men. A circumstance that currently raises questions about how the committee is set up. What is certain, however, is that with Pletscher and Guthier, two committed politicians are taking office who are ready to actively meet the city's challenges.

The developments in Ludwigshafen remain exciting. The new course under the leadership of the two councilors will not only be important for the city's citizens, but also represents an opportunity to set the course for the future.

Further details and background information about these elections and future plans can be found on the website Rhine Palatinate, from Ludwigshafen.de as well as that SWR.