Background
Runde was born in Elbing (Elbląg), Danzig-Westpreußen.
Runde was born in Elbing (Elbląg), Danzig-Westpreußen.
After receiving his high-school diploma in 1964, Runde studied Economics and Sociology at the universities of Münster and Hamburg.
He was the First Mayor (Erster Bürgermeister) of the Free and Hanseatic City Hamburg from 1997 to 2001. He received his diploma in Sociology in 1969. He entered public service in Hamburg in 1970.
In 1978 he became one of deputy chairman of Hamburg"s Social Democratic Party of Germany, from 1983 to 1988 he was chairman of Hamburg"s Social Democratic Party of Germany. From 1988 to 1993 he was senator (as the official title in Hamburg is) of the department for labour, health and social welfare, from 1993 to 1997 of the treasury department.
After Henning Voscherau (Social Democratic Party of Germany) stepped down after internal arguments which whom a political coalition should formed, Runde was elected as First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City Hamburg on November 12, 1997. In the next election four years later, the coalition of Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Green Party lost its majority, and therefore Runde had to leave his office as mayor as well on October 31, 2001.
Runde joined the Social Democratic Party (Social Democratic Party of Germany) in 1968, and was member of in the state executive of the youth organizations of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Young Socialists in the Social Democratic Party of Germany) from 1969 to 1971. From 1974 to 1988 he was elected as a member of Hamburg"s city assembly (Hamburger Bürgerschaft). Since 2002, Runde has been a member of the German parliament, the Bundestag.
