Edith von welser-ude was actually looking forward to retiring with christian ude, her husband. "When he announced to me that he might run for the office of prime minister, i cried at first. But then the pleasure-seeker in me won out over the wife," she said on monday in kitzingen.
The 72-year-old is a mother of six, a well-known photographer and book author, and hosts a cooking show on munich’s regional television station. Twelve years as a member of the munich city council for the SPD. She has been married to the mayor of munich, christian ude, since 1983.
Two in dialogue
Welser-ude was a guest at the cafehaus harmonie, invited by the district association and district parliamentary group of the SPD. "Edith welser-ude and markus rinderspacher in dialogue" is the name of the series of events with which welser and the chairman of the SPD state parliamentary group are touring bavaria, campaigning for election.
Around 30 people in the audience witnessed a visibly cheerful faction chairman robert finster after his victory in the state elections in lower saxony. "Today is a wonderful day for us social democrats," he said happily. Rinderspacher also rejoiced at the election results, offering hope for the currently far behind bavarian SPD. "If it’s only 0.2 percent that we’re ahead in bavaria in the fall, that’s fine with us," says the munich resident. Then he advertises for the newly elected candidate for the state parliament in kitzingen, doris aschenbrenner, and promises her the full support of the state leadership. Aschenbrenner is network advisor in ude’s election campaign team.
Then it’s welser-ude’s turn – and there’s no sign of electioneering. Announced by finster as a cameo talk, the evening develops into a talk show. Rinderspacher asks, welser-ude answers. Listeners learn a lot of private information about the ude couple. She did not like the fact that she was described in the media as "a woman who is preparing to become first lady": "I am a woman divided into three parts."There was her role as OB’s wife, her family and her job as a photographer. She tells how she came to bavaria from kiel, still had to chop the wood for the stove herself, and talks about the problems of finding a kindergarten place for her offspring. "It was like a revolving door. I wanted a place in kindergarten so that I could work, but there were only places if you worked.
Welser also quickly crossed paths with the bavarian school system and took action: together with like-minded people, she founded the state parents’ council. She has not been able to help her children in school, has been overwhelmed by it, she says, and demands a place in childcare for every child. And the CSU’s care allowance may be abolished by the bundesrat again.
Work and talk about it
It’s no secret that welser advises her husband on political issues. "I’ll have to ask edith first," he is said to have said when he was offered the office of top candidate. When edith welser joined the munich city council in 1978, the CSU was at the helm. And rinderspacher asks how to get out of the opposition: "work, work, work, and talk about it". The guests learn that the couple ude met at carnival, that his cooking skills are limited to "leberkas hawaii" and that he considers it a sufficient contribution to the housework if he carries the mulleimer downstairs every now and then. At the end of the hour-long talk show, a compliment from welser-ude. "The comrades in franconia are much nicer than the sharp-tongued people in munich," she says, adding, "if we all help together, we’ll manage in the fall.".