a young university professor, Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff, of the PDS (party). After politics? Between 2002 and 2006 Schöttler headed up the "Sanssouci Business Academy", a recently opened private sector business school in Potsdam. Under her leadership the academy specialised in organising seminars for leaders from business and trades unions. District mayor In August 2005 it was reported that the party had approached her, requesting that she should apply to become the party candidate for the post of local mayor in Treptow-Köpenick, in political terms a district of Berlin with a rich and long-standing socialist tradition. Beyond her obvious qualities, there were hints that the party hierarchy had been underwhelmed by the number and/or quality of the candidates who had already applied to the party district association. The deadline for applications was still two months away, however. Schöttler's reaction was cautiously positive, "if that is what the comrades want". By the time the reports appeared, it turned out that several members of the party district association had already nominated her as the party's candidate to succeed the long-standing and popular (but by this point three years past the normal retirement age) district mayor, Klaus Ulbricht. By the time of the local elections, which took place on 17 September 2006, Schöttler's name was at the top of the SPD party list for the Treptow-Köpenick district council, which effectively guaranteed her election to the council. Six weeks later the new council convened, and was then up to the members of the new council to vote for a district mayor. 43 of the 55 voting chose Gabriele Schöttler who accordingly was duly elected. Within the district council she also took a leadership role in respect of finance, economics, arts and culture, personnel matters and regulatory affairs. Gabriele Schöttler served out her full term as district mayor, remaining in post till 27 October 2009. A particular high point during her term of office was the 800 anniversary celebrations for Köpenick. Following her retirement it was reported that she remained engaged, in particular through her support for the welfare oriented "Köpenick social foundation" ("Sozialstiftung Köpenick"). Personal Gabriele Schöttler is married with a son, born in the mid 1970s. Asked in 2009 how she spent her spare time she replied: "That belongs to my family". She added that she likes to spend time in her garden, and takes particular pleasure in reading crime-novels "provided it is not already