AH January 28 2026
The City of Erlangen has decided to award honorary citizenship to Ms Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, former City Councillor and former Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024). She thus becomes the second woman in the city’s history and the First Black woman from African descent to receive this distinction.
With the appointment of Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, she is, after Dinah Radtke, the second woman to be awarded this honour in Erlangen.
Since 1822, over a period spanning more than two centuries, the city’s highest distinction has been conferred upon only 53 men and two women. In accordance with the municipal statutes, the title of Honorary Citizen may be held concurrently by no more than five living persons. The four other current Honorary Citizens are Dinah Radtke; Dr. Diemar Hahlweg and Dr. Siegfried Balleis, both former Mayors of the City of Erlangen; and the former Federal Minister, Dr. Dieter Haack.”
Through her sustained civic, social, academic and political engagement, Ms Herzberger-Fofana has made a significant contribution to the development of the City of Erlangen and to strengthening social cohesion. Her work has consistently focused on education, social affairs, gender, health and youth policy.
Born in Mali, raised in Senegal and educated in Paris, Munich and Trier, Ms Herzberger-Fofana pursued an academic career in teaching and research in Erlangen. She served as a member of the City Council from 2005 to 2019, during which time she initiated and supported numerous long-term projects benefiting the city.
Among her key initiatives was the launch of the Black History Weeks in 2015, within the framework of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. This initiative has contributed to increasing visibility, intercultural dialogue and awareness-raising on issues of diversity and equality, while highlighting both the history and the contemporary realities of Black people in Germany.
Commitment to Women’s Rights
Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana’s voluntary engagement is wide-ranging and longstanding. For several decades, she has been actively involved in efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation, as well as in the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls.
“Being here today represents far more to me than a personal honour. It is a sign of trust from a city that not only values commitment, equality, diversity and social cohesion, but also makes them a lived reality. I sincerely thank the City of Erlangen and its citizens,” she stated in her acceptance speech, according to a press release.
As a co-founder of Forward-Germany – Foundation of Women’s Health Research and Development e. V., she has been committed for many years to combating female genital mutilation. In this capacity, she addressed the United Nations in New York in 2013.
From 2019 to 2024, Ms Herzberger-Fofana representedGermany and the region, Bavaria in the European Parliament, where she was particularly committed to global justice, sustainable development and human rights.
Through this appointment, the City of Erlangen pays tribute to the exemplary career of Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, marked by an unwavering commitment to the public interest and to the advancement of democratic values
