Thomas Geisel


Thomas Geisel is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party who has been serving as mayor of Düsseldorf, the capital of Northrhine-Westphalia, since 2014.

Education and early career

A a trained lawyer, Geisel worked at Enron in London from 1998 until 2000 and at Ruhrgas from 2000 until 2013.

Political career

Geisel joined the SPD as a member in 1983.
In a runoff election, Geisel defeated the previous Christian Democratic mayor Dirk Elbers by gaining 59.2% of the votes. During his time in office, Düsseldorf sold its stake in utility RWE for 155.4 million euros in 2019.

Other activities

Corporate boards

In late 2017, Geisel came under intense international criticism for canceling an exhibition about the Jewish art dealer Max Stern, who was forced to liquidate his gallery in Düsseldorf after the Nazis took power before World War II. At the time, he cited “demands for information and restitution in German museums in connection with the Galerie Max Stern.” Following protests from the Jewish community in Düsseldorf, the World Jewish Congress, the partner museums in Israel and Canada, and the German government, Geisel later backtracked on his last-minute cancellation.

Personal life

Geisel is married and has five daughters. The family lives in Düsseldorf-Pempelfort.