Borussia Dortmund mourn the loss of Gerd Pieper

04.07.24

Obituary

Borussia Dortmund mourn the loss of Gerd Pieper

The long-time Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA and the Deputy President of Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, Gerd Pieper, has passed away at the age of 80 following a long illness. The BVB management is deeply saddened by the news of his death.

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The long-time Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA and the Deputy President of Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, Gerd Pieper, has passed away at the age of 80 following a long illness. The BVB management is deeply saddened by the news of his death.

\"Gerd Pieper showed great personal dedication towards Borussia Dortmund for two decades. We developed a close friendship that extended beyond our work together on the committees. Gerd was a wonderful person who could listen well and formulate clear thoughts. Even though he had unfortunately been suffering from health problems for a long time, today's news comes as a shock,\" said Hans-Joachim Watzke. The Chairman of the Executive Board added: \"Our thoughts are with his family and we send Gerd's wife Gabriele and his two sons Oliver and Torsten our love during this difficult time. Borussia Dortmund will always honour Gerd Pieper's memory. Without his involvement, we would never be where we are today!\"

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\"Gerd never focused on himself but rather on the well-being of others. He was an extraordinary person. His voluntary involvement was unparalleled,\" explained BVB President Dr. Reinhold Lunow. \"This is a sad day in the history of our club. For many years, I had the honour of having him by my side on the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board. We had a close friendship. I am grateful for the countless moments we shared together. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family at this time of loss.\"

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Born in Eutin on 28 August 1943, the entrepreneur ran the family business \"Stadt Parfümerie Pieper\", which has around 140 shops in four federal states and employs around 900 people, from 1969 to 2018. He served as the Honorary Mayor of Herne alongside his professional responsibilities from 1981 to 1994, was a member of the Executive Board of the German Retail Federation between 1997 and 2006, and chaired the Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce in North Rhine-Westphalia from 2000 to 2009. Pieper was awarded the honorary title of \"Citizen of the Ruhr\" in 2005 and was additionally awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Cross of Merit First Class, the Federal Cross of Merit with Ribbon and numerous other honours.

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His fascination with Borussia Dortmund accompanied him for six decades. \"For me, the first special experience was the 5-0 victory against Benfica in 1963. BVB have been close to my heart ever since,\" he once said. He led the Supervisory Board for 17 years from 2004 to 2021. \"You couldn't occupy this office any better than he did,\" declared Hans-Joachim Watzke at the time. Former BVB President and now Honorary President Dr. Reinhard Rauball paid tribute to Pieper following his retirement from the role of Vice President, which he held from 2008 to 2021, with the words: \"All Black & Yellows owe Gerd Pieper a great debt of gratitude. His unifying demeanour, with which he carried out the role of Vice President over a period of almost 13 years, was consistently exemplary and has shaped this club.

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"Gerd Pieper showed great personal dedication towards Borussia Dortmund for two decades. We developed a close friendship that extended beyond our work together on the committees. Gerd was a wonderful person who could listen well and formulate clear thoughts. Even though he had unfortunately been suffering from health problems for a long time, today's news comes as a shock," said Hans-Joachim Watzke. The Chairman of the Executive Board added: "Our thoughts are with his family and we send Gerd's wife Gabriele and his two sons Oliver and Torsten our love during this difficult time. Borussia Dortmund will always honour Gerd Pieper's memory. Without his involvement, we would never be where we are today!"

"Gerd never focused on himself but rather on the well-being of others. He was an extraordinary person. His voluntary involvement was unparalleled," explained BVB President Dr. Reinhold Lunow. "This is a sad day in the history of our club. For many years, I had the honour of having him by my side on the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board. We had a close friendship. I am grateful for the countless moments we shared together. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family at this time of loss."

Born in Eutin on 28 August 1943, the entrepreneur ran the family business "Stadt Parfümerie Pieper", which has around 140 shops in four federal states and employs around 900 people, from 1969 to 2018. He served as the Honorary Mayor of Herne alongside his professional responsibilities from 1981 to 1994, was a member of the Executive Board of the German Retail Federation between 1997 and 2006, and chaired the Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce in North Rhine-Westphalia from 2000 to 2009. Pieper was awarded the honorary title of "Citizen of the Ruhr" in 2005 and was additionally awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Cross of Merit First Class, the Federal Cross of Merit with Ribbon and numerous other honours.

His fascination with Borussia Dortmund accompanied him for six decades. "For me, the first special experience was the 5-0 victory against Benfica in 1963. BVB have been close to my heart ever since," he once said. He led the Supervisory Board for 17 years from 2004 to 2021. "You couldn't occupy this office any better than he did," declared Hans-Joachim Watzke at the time. Former BVB President and now Honorary President Dr. Reinhard Rauball paid tribute to Pieper following his retirement from the role of Vice President, which he held from 2008 to 2021, with the words: "All Black & Yellows owe Gerd Pieper a great debt of gratitude. His unifying demeanour, with which he carried out the role of Vice President over a period of almost 13 years, was consistently exemplary and has shaped this club.