Germany
Germany is a Central European country situated at the heart of the European continent, where its geography, history, and economic development have been strongly shaped by its position between major European cultural and physical regions. The country extends from the low-lying North German Plain in the north to the uplands of central Germany and the Alpine foreland in the south. The northern region is dominated by flat to gently rolling terrain formed by glacial and fluvial processes, while central Germany consists of forested uplands such as the Harz Mountains, the Thuringian Forest, and the Rhenish Massif. In the far south, Germany reaches the northern edge of the Alps, where higher elevations and alpine valleys dominate the landscape, particularly in Bavaria. Major rivers such as the Rhine, Elbe, Danube, and Weser serve as essential drainage systems and have historically functioned as important transportation corridors and centers of settlement and trade. Germany has a temperate climate influenced by both maritime air masses from the Atlantic and continental influences from Eastern Europe, resulting in relatively moderate temperatures, year-round precipitation, and increasing continentality from west to east.
The historical development of Germany is complex and deeply rooted in the fragmentation and later unification of Central Europe. In antiquity, the region was inhabited by various Germanic tribes, and parts of the south and west were incorporated into the Roman Empire. During the early Middle Ages, the formation of the Holy Roman Empire established a loose political structure that lasted for nearly a millennium but was characterized by significant decentralization. The modern German state emerged much later, with unification achieved in 1871 under Prussian leadership following the Franco-Prussian War. The 20th century brought profound upheaval: Germany played a central role in both World War I and World War II, with the latter resulting in defeat, occupation, and division into East and West Germany during the Cold War. West Germany developed as a democratic state aligned with Western Europe, while East Germany became a socialist state under Soviet influence. In 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, Germany was reunified. Since then, it has become Europe’s largest economy and a leading political actor within the European Union.
Agriculture in Germany is highly modernized and technologically advanced, though it occupies a relatively small share of national employment and GDP compared to industry and services. The sector benefits from fertile soils in regions such as the North German Plain, the Rhine Valley, and parts of southern Germany. Major crops include wheat, barley, rye, oats, maize, sugar beet, and rapeseed, with rapeseed being particularly important for vegetable oil and biofuel production. Horticulture and viticulture are also significant, especially along the Rhine and Moselle valleys, which are internationally known for wine production. Livestock farming, particularly dairy cattle and pigs, plays a major role in rural economies, supported by intensive and highly mechanized production systems.
Forestry is an important ecological and economic resource, with forests covering roughly one-third of Germany’s territory. German forests are predominantly composed of spruce, pine, beech, and oak, and are managed under long-established principles of sustainable yield forestry, a concept historically developed in German-speaking regions. These forests provide timber for construction, paper, and energy production, while also serving important environmental functions such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and recreation.
Fisheries in Germany are relatively modest compared to other sectors but remain regionally important. The main activity is concentrated in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, where species such as herring, cod, plaice, and mackerel are harvested. However, fish stocks in these seas have been affected by overfishing and environmental pressures, leading to strict regulation and quotas under European Union fisheries policy. Inland fisheries and aquaculture also contribute to production, particularly in freshwater lakes and rivers, where species such as carp and trout are cultivated. Overall, Germany’s economy is highly industrialized and export-oriented, but its agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors remain important components of its diversified and environmentally managed land use system.
Gerold was born on Sunday, 29 April 1962 at 23:00 in Wittmund District Hospital in East Frisia. He grew up on a small farm in “America” near Hesel, in the Geest region of Central East Frisia. His parents, Hilda and Diedrich Rahmann, ran a mixed farm with cows, young cattle, pigs, chickens, a fish pond, forest, and grassland—typical for the region. He attended a small village school within walking distance before continuing to Reepsholt, then Friedeburg, and later the Realschule Altes Amt Friedeburg. Afterward, he went on to the Mariengymnasium in Jever, choosing education over early work despite family expectations.
At 18, Gerold moved to Hanover, where he worked as a conscientious objector in drug counselling services while becoming involved in demonstrations, environmental activism, and alternative urban life. He shared his life between political engagement, friendships, and an evolving personal freedom. After a short phase with his teenage partner Helga, he met Barbara, who soon moved into a shared flat with him and Sabine. This period marked the beginning of a more alternative, mobile lifestyle.
In 1981–1982, Gerold moved to Hesse for a practical year in organic farming at Bertram Eberhard’s farm near Witzenhausen. The work was intense but formative, and he developed a strong connection to the landscape and rural life. He then studied agricultural economics in Göttingen from 1983 to 1990, while living in student communities, engaging in activism, and participating in early ecological and political movements. In 1987, at only 23 years old, he and his circle bought a farm in Bischhausen, which became a base for organic farming, restoration work, and the development of an organic wine trade. Life combined practical work, self-sufficiency, political engagement with the Greens, and a wide range of side jobs to sustain their activities.
During his studies, Gerold travelled widely in Africa, Asia, and South America, with plans for development work abroad. A turning point came when he met Klaudia in 1989. Shortly after, they married in December 1990 and began building a shared life. Despite international plans, family life gradually took priority. After fieldwork abroad and the birth of their first child Ayla, Gerold and Klaudia settled more permanently in Bischhausen, later joined by their second child Kim. The farm became a vibrant family and community space, shifting from political experimentation to everyday rural life.
In 2000, Gerold took on a major professional step as director of the Federal Research Institute for Organic Agriculture, based in Trenthorst in Schleswig-Holstein. He moved first alone, later joined by Klaudia and the children in 2002, and also bought a house in Bad Oldesloe. The role combined administrative responsibility, institutional development, and the integration of organic farming into state research structures.
Growing up in divided Germany shaped Gerold’s early worldview. Living near the inner German border, he experienced the contrast between East and West firsthand through school trips, travel, and activism. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 became a striking personal and historical experience, especially as it unfolded directly in his region. The early years of reunification brought both excitement and disorientation, as East Germany transformed economically and socially over time.
Across these phases—from rural East Frisia to student activism, from experimental farming communities to federal research leadership—Gerold’s life reflects a continuous movement between agriculture, politics, travel, and family, shaped by both personal choices and historical change.
