{{Short description|German local politician and mayor}} {{Infobox officeholder | party = Party of Progress (since 2024) | other_party = {{interlanguage link|Free Parliamentary Alliance|de|Freiparlamentarische Allianz}} (2018–2024) | office = Mayor of Gartz | term_start = 9 June 2024 | predecessor = Inge Reppenhagen | alma_mater = University of Greifswald | website = {{URL|https://www.luca-piwodda.de/}} | birth_place = Schwedt/Oder, Germany | birth_date = 4 September 1999 }} '''Luca Piwodda''' (born 4 September 1999) is a German politician who has served as the mayor of Gartz since 9 June 2024. He is the third youngest mayor in Germany, being elected at the age of 25.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-24 |title=Luca Piwodda: Junger Bürgermeister will Demokratie stärken |url=https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/luca-piwodda-buergermeister-gartz-100.html |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=ZDFheute |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ostdeutschland: „Hier ist keiner plötzlich rechtsextrem geworden. Leute fühlen sich von Bundespolitik verlassen“ - WELT |url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus256401916/Ostdeutschland-Hier-ist-keiner-ploetzlich-rechtsextrem-geworden-Leute-fuehlen-sich-von-Bundespolitik-verlassen.html |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=DIE WELT |language=de}}</ref>
== Early life == Piwodda was born on 4 September 1999 in Schwedt/Oder and grew up in Gartz. He completed his ''Abitur'' at the Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Gymnasium in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Luca Piwodda - Über mich |url=https://www.luca-piwodda.de/%C3%BCber-mich |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=www.luca-piwodda.de |language=en-US}}</ref> Piwodda attended the University of Greifswald, where he studied politics, history, and philosophy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herr Piwodda meistert die Wende |url=https://energiewinde.orsted.de/koepfe-der-energiewende/luca-piwodda-gartz-energiewende-kommunalpolitik |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=Herr Piwodda meistert die Wende |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Weyer |first=Eva-Martina |date=2024-03-29 |title=Dieser 24-Jährige gründet seine eigene Partei und will Bürgermeister werden |url=https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/uckermark/dieser-24-jaehrige-gruendet-seine-eigene-partei-und-will-buergermeister-werden-2383582 |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=www.nordkurier.de |language=de}}</ref>
== Political career == Piwodda's political career began at the age of 15, when his family took him to a local Social Democratic Party (SPD) gathering. Later being able to secure an internship at the Bundestag,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Junger Bürgermeister: Aufbruch an der Oder |url=https://kommunal.de/buergermeister-Gartz-Oder-aufbruch |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=KOMMUNAL.DE |language=de}}</ref> Piwodda grew disillusioned with the SPD by the 2017 federal election and founded his own political party, the {{interlanguage link|Free Parliamentary Alliance|de|Freiparlamentarische Allianz}} (FPA) in summer of 2018, a self-proclaimed centre-left party for the youth.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Der Kandidat - JoinPolitics |url=https://www.joinpolitics.org/showcase/der-kandidat |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=www.joinpolitics.org |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Junger Bürgermeister in der Uckermark: Ein 25-Jähriger krempelt die Provinz um |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/junger-burgermeister-in-der-uckermark-ein-25-jahriger-krempelt-die-provinz-um-13402849.html |access-date=2026-02-26 |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de-DE |issn=1865-2263}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Politik in der Uckermark: Jung-Politiker Luca Piwodda aus Gartz bei Schwedt darf trotz Wahlniederlage auf Geldsegen hoffen |url=https://www.moz.de/lokales/schwedt/politik-in-der-uckermark-jung-politiker-luca-piwodda-aus-gartz-bei-schwedt-darf-trotz-wahlniederlage-auf-geldsegen-hoffen-59888965.html |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=www.moz.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Liebetrau |first=Niklas |date=2024-08-12 |title=Brandenburgs jüngster Bürgermeister: „Der eine AfD-Stadtverordnete hier ist ein total Netter“ |url=https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/luca-piwodda-buergermeister-gartz-brandenburg-im-interview-li.2242930 |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=Berliner Zeitung |language=de}}</ref>
During the 2024 Brandenburg local elections, Piwodda ran as an independent for four positions simultaneously: a seat on the Uckermark district council as well as mayor, ''{{ill|Ortsbeirat|lt=|de||}}'', and city council of Gartz; all of which he won.<ref name=":0" /> As the mayor of Gartz, Piwodda succeeded Inge Reppenhagen of the FPA who ran in place of Piwodda during the 2019 mayoral election against Piwodda's SPD grandfather.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Garbe |first=Sophie |date=2021-08-15 |title=(S+) Wie Luca Piwodda gegen seinen SPD-Großvater in den Wahlkampf zog |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/gartz-in-brandenburg-wie-luca-piwodda-gegen-seinen-spd-grossvater-in-den-wahlkampf-zog-a-4865be33-5713-4327-ab60-1d558d70f497 |access-date=2026-02-26 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}</ref> In his 2024 mayoral bid, he won 74.35% of the vote (919 votes), defeating the only other candidate, Evelin Wenzel of The Left, in the first round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hauptwahl 09.06.2024 {{!}} Wahlen Brandenburg |url=https://wahlen.brandenburg.de/wahlen/de/kommunalwahlen/ergebnisse/buergermeisterwahlen/ergebnisse/~h_09062024_120735304189# |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=wahlen.brandenburg.de}}</ref>
Piwodda's party, the FPA, merged with the Party of Progress (PdF) in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herrmann |first=Christian |title=Gartz wählt AfD - und einen jungen Windkraft-Bürgermeister |url=https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Klima-Labor-mit-Luca-Piwodda-Gartz-waehlt-AfD-und-einen-jungen-Windkraft-Buergermeister-article25691630.html |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=ntv.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-20 |title=Luca Piwodda - Die Zukunft in die Politik holen |url=https://www.carls-zukunft.de/luca-piwodda-die-zukunft-in-die-politik-holen/ |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Carls Zukunft |language=de}}</ref> Piwodda has since served on the PdF's presidium.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vorstand |url=https://partei-des-fortschritts.de/vorstand/ |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=Partei des Fortschritts |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bildung |first=Bundeszentrale für politische |date=2025-02-06 |title=Partei des Fortschritts {{!}} Bundestagswahl 2025 |url=https://www.bpb.de/themen/parteien/wer-steht-zur-wahl/bundestagswahl-2025/558936/partei-des-fortschritts/ |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=bpb.de |language=de}}</ref>
== Personal life == Piwodda is a midfielder at the local ''SV Blau-Weiß 90 Gartz'' football club.<ref>{{Cite web |title="In meiner Mannschaft bin ich nicht Bürgermeister Piwodda, sondern Mitspieler Luca" |url=https://www.fussball.de/newsdetail/in-meiner-mannschaft-bin-ich-nicht-buergermeister-piwodda-sondern-mitspieler-luca/-/article-id/10062413 |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=www.fussball.de |language=de}}</ref>
== References == <references />
== External links ==
* [https://www.luca-piwodda.de/ Official website] * {{Instagram|id=luca_piwodda}} * {{Facebook|id=luca.piwodda}} * [https://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de/profile/luca-piwodda/fragen-antworten Luca Piwodda] on abgeordnetenwatch
=== Interviews === * [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/beitrag/2025/07/junger-buergermeister-gartz-lucapiwodda-uckermark-brandenburg-kommunalpolitik-ehrenamt.html Interview with Piwodda] at rbb24 * {{YouTube|id=WDmPanvIXXw|title=Luca Piwodda - Der Weg zum jüngsten Bürgermeister Brandenburgs - mit Arne Friedrich #FDTD}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piwodda, Luca}} Category:Living people Category:1999 births Category:People from Gartz Category:Mayors of places in Brandenburg Category:Politicians from Brandenburg