her becoming mayor, given her already renowned political activities. Due to various tensions in town councils and municipalities, the first postwar mayor Otto Ostrowski stepped down from his position, allowing for Ernst Reuter to be elected into office in June 1947. However, he was not allowed to serve in this position due to Soviet objection. Consequently, Schroeder became acting mayor from 8 May 1947 until 7 December 1948, after which she became mayor of West Berlin until 18 January 1951. To this day Schroeder is the only woman to have held this position in Berlin. Honours Louise Schroeder was awarded the Great Cross of Merit with Star and Shoulder Ribbon of the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit). On 2 April 1957 she was named honorary mayor of Berlin. A square in the Wedding district of Berlin was named after her and later in 1998, the Louise Schroeder Medal was founded. Since then, the Louise-Schroeder-Gymnasium in Munich was named after her, as well as a conference room of Hamburg Airport, and a street in her birthplace of Hamburg-Altona. References External links Short biography of Louise Schroeder on the Berlin SPD website (German) 1887 births 1957 deaths People from Altona, Hamburg German Lutherans Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians Members of the Weimar National Assembly Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Women mayors of places in Germany Mayors of Berlin 20th-century German women politicians 20th-century Lutherans