Bayreuth alumna becomes first female ORH president

Heidrun Piwernetz is moving to an authority that controls whether state funds are used properly and economically according to legal regulations. In other words, she keeps a close eye on the authorities and ministries. On Tuesday, 4 July 2023, the Landtag elected the 60-year-old lawyer as the first woman to hold the post. Piwernetz will take up the post on 1 September. The foundation for her career was laid in Bayreuth: She studied law at our University. 

UBTaktuell: Why did you decide to study law back then?

Heidrun Piwernetz: At the time I chose my studies, I didn't have a clear idea of my professional life, so I looked for a course of study that would open doors in all directions. As a lawyer, you can help shape living conditions in the state and society in many different ways. A law degree opens up very wide-ranging career and development opportunities. Lawyers can work in law firms and companies, in courts or public authorities and in many other organisations. They can choose from various specialisations such as civil law or, of course, preferably public law. Depending on their personal preferences, they can work as specialists or in cross-sectional areas.

Why in Bayreuth?

I was born in Bayreuth and grew up in the Bayreuth district. The family moved to Speyer in Rhineland-Palatinate in 1970. After my Abitur in Speyer, I wanted to come back to Bavaria to study. At that time, law study places were allocated via the Central Allocation Office for Study Places (ZVS). In my application, Bayreuth was ranked first among the desired places of study. I wanted to go to a smaller university with more personal connections and I was also drawn back to my home country. Another decisive argument was the additional training in economics, which was already offered in Bayreuth as a supplement to law studies when I was a student. Back then, business graduates and lawyers often competed for the same jobs.

When you think back to your student days, what do you remember most fondly?

When I look back, the first thing that comes to mind are the fellow students with whom I studied, but also enjoyed the time off from studying. Many of these contacts have existed for decades now. In addition, Bayreuth and the region score points with a very large, attractive range of leisure activities. You can enjoy culture of all kinds, but you're also quickly in nature, whether in the Fichtelgebirge mountains or in Franconian Switzerland. Upper Franconia is a great place to live, even on a student's budget.

What would you like to give students at the University of Bayreuth to take with them?

Confidence and otherwise light luggage. But all joking aside: In my eyes, it is the privilege of youth to try out and discover the world. Therefore: Take full advantage of what the university, the city and region of Bayreuth and Upper Franconia in general have to offer. The university offers a variety of academic programmes and activities. Get involved in student organisations, participate in projects and internships to expand your skills and experience. By the way, the civil service and, of course, the government of Upper Franconia also offer interesting career opportunities in a variety of fields. Be open to interdisciplinary work and learning. Thinking outside the box broadens your thinking and your own perspective. Of course, the proverbial student life should not be neglected in all of this.

Please finish the following sentence: For me, Bayreuth is...

... my home and an attractive university town worth living in, which offers practically everything you need to live, has once again undergone outstanding development as a result of its World Heritage status and offers the best future opportunities in business, trade and the public sector with a wide variety of employers.

As chairwoman of the Oberfranken Offensiv association, we got to know you as a tireless promoter of Upper Franconia's quality of life. Tell us, why is it better than in a big city?

An exciting, innovative, liveable environment is often automatically attributed to urban areas. In fact, you have practically the same options in the entire administrative district of Upper Franconia with the same amount of time, if you consider how long it takes to get to your destination in big cities, especially during rush hour. We just don't realise that enough. In addition, the euro is worth comparatively more here, and life is cheaper on average. Families find affordable, sufficiently large living space, childcare facilities in daycare centres, all-day schools or after-school care and a safe environment. Upper Franconia rightly enjoys a reputation as an excellent family region. Career and development opportunities exist here as well as in the metropolitan areas, especially in the economically so important small and medium-sized businesses, which are internationally positioned here. The spirit of the start-up scene around the incubators and faculties of the colleges and universities, also at the new decentralised locations, is downright tangible. We have made a great leap forward thanks to digitalisation and the possibilities of home offices and coworking, especially in the Corona times. Munich-based corporations and large companies are recruiting employees with 100% teleworking in Upper Franconia. This proves that our offers are absolutely on a par, technically and even more so qualitatively.

Now Munich is your home again - are you still looking forward to it?

I am very sad to leave Upper Franconia behind as my centre of life for the time being. The 7 ½ years of work as District President of Upper Franconia and the associated offices, such as co-chairwoman of Oberfran-ken Offensiv or chairwoman of the Upper Franconia Foundation, have brought me much joy and fulfilment. Together, we have achieved a lot in these institutions. I think Upper Franconia as a whole is in a good position. But of course I am also very much looking forward to my new task as President of the Bavarian Supreme Court of Audit and I consider it a great honour to be able to preside over a top Bavarian state authority in the future.

Munich is not new to you: you have already worked in the State Chancellery and the Ministry of the Interior - like virtually all of your predecessors in the office of the ORH President. That sounds like a very straight career plan. Was that the case? Or what was your career goal directly after graduation?

At that time, after my studies and traineeship, I could not foresee where my journey would lead me. Such a path in life cannot be planned. I already had a preference for the public sector during my studies. My elective placement in Speyer at the German University of Administrative Sciences confirmed this once again. After joining the Bavarian State Administration, I was always open to change and am grateful that I was always asked when interesting positions were to be filled. I courageously seized opportunities to change, always supported by my private environment.

You can now "watch" the state government, "rebuke" it - as many media wrote - for pointless spending and ask if a measure seems strange. How does that feel?

The Court of Audit Act states that the Supreme Court of Audit is a supreme state authority, independent of the state government and subject only to the law. In a certain sense, the Supreme Audit Office stands alongside the three classic state powers (legislation, executive power, jurisdiction). It is a supporting pillar in our democratic system, in which all powers and institutions must interact. The Supreme Court plays a very important role in this. It ensures that the state funds raised are used properly and economically in accordance with the legal rules. The work of the SAI is thus also the basis for trust in the state. After many years in the profession, the judicial independence that has opened up for me for the first time with the position of the Supreme Court means another completely new experience and a high level of responsibility. I am approaching this great task with the necessary respect, I will fully commit myself and quickly familiarise myself with it.