One thing is certain even before the municipal elections in march 2014: obertrubach will have a new mayor. Willi muller (CSU) is not standing for re-election after twelve years at the helm of the municipality, and the local christian socialists recently agreed on the current deputy mayor, markus gruner, as a possible successor.
Muller had proposed gruner as "a candidate with a high level of professional competence" who has gained experience in the municipal council since 1990. "We were very happy when he indicated his readiness", said muller "everything else would be water in the trubi schutten".
His decision was reached in many caucus meetings and after careful consideration, gruner explained. He is now ready to take over the mayor’s office. "Thanks to good internet access, I can now work from home", explained the electrical engineering graduate, who commutes back and forth between obertrubach and london on a weekly basis.
"Many people encouraged me and gave me encouragement to run for office", he said. "My community and my village are very close to my heart. The longer i’m away in the world, the more i like it at home in the beautiful french part of switzerland", he added a declaration of love after the event. The basic supply in the country, tourism, the attractiveness, that people stay here and don’t move away, that’s important to him. He wants to continue where willi muller will leave off. His family gives him support, so he keeps his feet on the ground.
"Not much will change, of course I will support him where I can", says his wife elisabeth in a conversation in their home after the nomination. "I am convinced that he will do his job well and with a lot of heart", she adds.
Markus gruner himself is 52 years old and was born in obertrubach. Four years at the local elementary school were followed by nine years of high school in pegnitz, then 15 months of basic military service with the air force in manching and studies in electrical engineering at the university in erlangen, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering.-engineer.
He had an eventful professional life in the software sector, wrote programs, partly had his own company. Gruner also worked at the stock exchange in frankfurt and has been a software executive at the american company morning star since 2005, which moved its headquarters and his workplace to london in 2009.
"What willi muller is able to do as head of schmetterlingreisen with his 400 employees and worldwide activities as mayor, i should also be able to do", he is convinced. It is strange. He himself has never sought a position, they have always been brought to him. He faces up to the responsibility.
For fifteen years he played active soccer in obertrubach, and now gruner belongs to pretty much all the clubs in town. In his private life he loves mountain biking, windsurfing, hiking with the family. Markus gruner has been married for 25 years, always to the same woman, as he emphasizes with a smile. They have a son, alexander, 15 years old.
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