As a child, I grew runner beans. In the rainy Sauerland, they were soon just about the only thing that yielded anything at all. By 44, I had long forgotten that and joined an allotment association. Grateful for Germany’s allotment legislation, I run my own little urban gardening project, growing mainly herbs, but also fruit, vegetables, salad leaves and more. Mixed planting, no pesticides as a matter of principle, and mostly compost for fertiliser. Well: my green conscience on a small scale, though essentially a luxury project, of course. Making jam, steeping liqueurs, preparing salads with unusual herbs. It really is fun.

With a Master of Arts in Political Science, it might seem obvious, but in truth I enjoyed the advantages of German democracy rather passively for 48 years. Yes, I always thought and debated politically and took an interest. But getting involved myself? I did not think it necessary. Now people are winning elections who would prefer to undo the last 20 years of German history in particular: turn the EU into a loose confederation, raise borders again, enforce a dominant national culture, push feminism back and probably return sexual morality to the days before 1968 and 1994, 2001 and September 2017. Now I am convinced: grumbling is no longer enough. We should get involved. Since 2019, I have been doing so with the Greens. In Jülich.

In the local elections in autumn 2020, I was elected to Jülich Town Council from fourth place on the party list. Since then, I have served on the committee for Culture, Economic Development, Village and Urban Development. In 2025, I was elected to the council again from fourth place on the list. No sooner had I got involved than – just like that – I was on all sorts of committees.