Dominic Fritz

Fritz was born on 28 December 1983 in Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany. His parents were both teachers.{{cite web |url=https://www.suedkurier.de/region/hochrhein/kreis-waldshut/ein-junger-hotzenwaelder-ist-jetzt-buergermeister-einer-rumaenischen-grossstadt;art372586,10628833 |title=Ein junger Hotzenwälder ist jetzt Bürgermeister einer rumänischen Großstadt |last=Vonberg |first=Markus |work=Südkurier |date=2 October 2020}} Fritz grew up as the third child of a total of eight siblings in Görwihl in the Southern Black Forest. In 1999, at the age of 16, a scholarship from the Bundestag enabled him to spend a year in the United States. He passed his Abitur at the Jesuit Kolleg St. Blasien in 2003.{{cite web |url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/timisoara/foto-video-povestea-consilierului-guvernamental-1554905.html |title=Povestea consilierului guvernamental german care strânge 100 de timișoreni într-un cor de gospel |work=Adevărul |last=Both |first=Ștefan |date=2 August 2014}}{{cite news |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/profil-dominic-fritz-1.5049943 |title=Dominic Fritz |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |last=Kahlweit |first=Cathrin |date=30 September 2020}} In the same year, Fritz came to Timișoara for the first time as part of a voluntary social year with the Jesuit European Volunteers, where he worked in a children's hospice in the Freidorf district run by Salvatorian priest and humanitarian {{ill|Berno Rupp|de}},{{cite web |url=https://adz.ro/artikel/artikel/im-dienste-der-ausgegrenzten |title=Im Dienste der Ausgegrenzten. Pater Berno Rupp feierte seinen 80. Geburtstag |last=Nelepcu |first=Raluca |work=Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung für Rumänien |date=18 November 2015}} which takes care of orphans and street children in the city.{{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/de/ein-begeisterter-deutscher-f%C3%BCr-rum%C3%A4nien/a-51049876 |title=Ein begeisterter Deutscher für Rumänien |work=DW |last=Pitu |first=Lavinia |date=4 November 2019}} From then on, he will visit Timișoara several times a year, finally buying an apartment in the Iosefin district in 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.banater-schwaben.org/nachrichten/dokumentation/dokumentation-detail/3174-temeswar-dominic-fritz-geht-neue-wege?tx_news_pi1%5Bday%5D=06&tx_news_pi1%5Bmonth%5D=10&tx_news_pi1%5Byear%5D=2020&cHash=b1825337cd56d4adbe68c2f4256a2613 |title=Temeswar: Dominic Fritz geht neue Wege |work=Landsmannschaft der Banater Schwaben e.V. |last=Leber |first=Peter-Dietmar |date=6 October 2020}}

Between 2004 and 2008 he studied political and administrative sciences at the University of Konstanz with a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.{{cite web |url=https://www.tion.ro/stirile-judetului-timis/cine-este-dominic-fritz-noul-primar-al-timisoarei-1349604/ |title=Cine este Dominic Fritz, noul primar al Timișoarei? |work=TION |last=Deaconescu |first=Roxana |date=28 September 2020}} His bachelor thesis addressed social policies in Romania.{{cite web |url=https://life.ro/povestea-de-viata-a-lui-dominic-fritz-neamtul-pe-mana-caruia-isi-lasa-timisorenii-orasul-de-la-copilaria-intr-o-familie-numeroasa-la-actiunile-de-voluntariat-in-romania-si-pana-la-biroul-in-slujba/ |title=Povestea de viață a lui Dominic Fritz, neamțul pe mâna căruia își lasă timișorenii orașul |work=Life.ro |last=Raduly |first=Ramona |date=28 September 2020}} Later, in 2009, he obtained a master's degree in post-conflict studies at the University of York. In 2006, he did a seven-month internship at the Pentru Voi Foundation, where he established the first mentoring program for adults with intellectual disabilities in Romania.{{cite web |url=http://timisoara.tvr.ro/dominic-samuel-fritz-neamtul-pentru-care-timisoara-e-acasa_24556.html |title=Dominic Samuel Fritz, neamțul pentru care Timișoara e "acasă" |work=TVR Timișoara |date=18 May 2019}}

From 2009 to 2019 Fritz was a member of Alliance 90/The Greens,{{cite web |url=https://de.euronews.com/2020/09/29/deutscher-dominic-fritz-37-ist-neuer-burgermeister-von-temeswar-in-rumanien |title=Deutscher Dominic Fritz (37) ist neuer Bürgermeister von Temeswar in Rumänien |work=Euronews |last=Herbert |first=Rudolf |date=29 September 2020}} in whose Frankfurt district association he was elected as an assessor in 2011.{{cite web |url=https://gruene-ger.de/presse/presse-volltextansicht/article/gruene_waehlen_neuen_kreisvorstand-3/ |title=Grüne wählen neuen Kreisvorstand |work=B90/Grüne KV Germersheim |date=5 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009002445/https://gruene-ger.de/presse/presse-volltextansicht/article/gruene_waehlen_neuen_kreisvorstand-3/ |archive-date=9 October 2020 |url-status=dead}} Here he helped organize the campaign for local elections. From 2009 to 2012 he also worked as a consultant for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on international development projects and peacekeeping missions in Africa.{{cite web |url=https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/dominic-samuel-fritz-kommt-aus-dem-schwarzwald-und-ist-nun-buergermeister-in-rumaenien-a-58c6bfcc-f012-40ae-acaf-a51f25aa797d |title=Herr Fritz aus dem Schwarzwald ist nun Bürgermeister in Rumänien |work=Spiegel |last=Verseck |first=Keno |date=3 October 2020}} After that, from 2016 to 2019, he was an advisor and chief of staff of former German president Horst Köhler.

File:Dominic Fritz in seara castigarii alegerilor 27 septembrie 2020 Piata Operei Timisoara.PNG]]

Amid the countrywide anti-corruption protests in the winter of 2017, he joined the liberal party Save Romania Union (USR), which nominated him as a candidate for the upcoming local election,{{cite web |url=https://www.digi24.ro/interviurile-digi24-ro/dominic-fritz-candidat-usr-plus-la-primaria-timisoarei-am-venit-romania-la-19-ani-si-m-am-indragostit-de-timisoara-1350887 |title=Dominic Fritz, candidat USR-PLUS la Primăria Timișoarei: Am venit în România la 19 ani și m-am îndrăgostit de Timișoara |work=Digi 24 |last=Costea |first=Alexandru |date=10 August 2020}} for which he moved from Berlin to Timișoara in 2019. His candidature was also supported by the local branch of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR). In the 27 September 2020 election, Fritz won with 53.25% of the votes against incumbent Nicolae Robu, the National Liberal Party (PNL) candidate, who had sought a third term in office.{{cite web |url=https://www.tion.ro/stirile-judetului-timis/alegeri-locale-2020-rezultate-finale-oficiale-in-timisoara-dominic-fritz-castiga-detasat-in-fata-lui-nicolae-robu-1349888/ |title=Alegeri locale 2020. Rezultate finale oficiale în Timișoara: Dominic Fritz câștigă detașat în fața lui Nicolae Robu |work=TION |last=Panduru |first=Adrian |date=29 September 2020}} Robu, former rector of the Politehnica University of Timișoara, had previously refused an electoral debate with Fritz and in a nationalist campaign{{cite web |url=https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/suedbaden/schwarzwaelder-wird-oberbuergermeister-im-rumaenischen-temeswar-100.html |title=Ein Schwarzwälder wird Oberbürgermeister in Rumänien |work=Südwestrundfunk |date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029051449/https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/suedbaden/schwarzwaelder-wird-oberbuergermeister-im-rumaenischen-temeswar-100.html |archive-date=29 October 2020 |url-status=dead}} called him a "foreign adventurer" who regarded Romania as a cow to be milked.{{cite web |url=https://debanat.ro/2020/09/intr-un-nou-atac-la-dominic-fritz-nicolae-robu-ii-face-irationali-pe-zeci-de-mii-de-timisoreni-e-invocat-si-statul-paralel_307845.html |title=Într-un nou atac la Dominic Fritz, Nicolae Robu îi face iraționali pe zeci de mii de timișoreni. E invocat și statul paralel |work=deBanat.ro |last=Nestor |first=Alex |date=24 September 2020}} His investiture was delayed by appeals filed in court by PNL sympathizers, since Fritz does not have Romanian citizenship.{{cite web |url=https://romania.europalibera.org/a/dominic-fritz-nu-%C8%99i-poate-lua-mandatul-de-primar-al-timi%C8%99oarei-cine-sunt-cei-care-%C3%AEl-contest%C4%83/30908918.html |title=Dominic Fritz nu-și poate lua mandatul de primar al Timișoarei. Cine sunt cei care îl contestă |work=Europa Liberă România |date=23 October 2020 |last1=Liberă |first1=Europa }} However, according to Law no. 115 of 2015, EU citizens have the right to be elected as mayor, local councilor, county councilor, and president of the county council anywhere in Romania, provided they have their official residence in that area.{{cite web |url=https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/168136 |title=Lege nr. 115 din 19 mai 2015 |work=Portal Legislativ}} The appeals were ultimately rejected, and Fritz took the oath in the Capitol Hall of the Banatul Philharmonic on 30 October 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.observatordetimis.ro/2020/10/30/ceremonie-de-investire-cu-distantare-dominic-fritz-a-depus-juramantul-ca-primar-al-timisoarei/ |title=Ceremonie de învestire cu distanțare. Dominic Fritz a depus jurământul ca primar al Timișoarei |work=Observator de Timiș |last=Miron |first=Andreea |date=30 October 2020}}

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent refugee crisis, he helped establish{{Cite web |last=Telescu |first=Oana |date=1 March 2022 |title="Timișoara pentru Ucraina", o coaliție care a pornit achizițiile de echipament medical pentru Ucraina |url=https://debanat.ro/2022/03/timisoara-pentru-ucraina-o-coalitie-care-a-pornit-achizitiile-de-echipament-medical-pentru-ucraina_360847.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230209101412/https://debanat.ro/2022/03/timisoara-pentru-ucraina-o-coalitie-care-a-pornit-achizitiile-de-echipament-medical-pentru-ucraina_360847.html |archive-date=9 February 2023 |access-date=9 February 2023 |website=deBanat.ro}} coalition of support Timișoara For Ukraine, an initiative that brought NGOs, religious communities, local entrepreneurs and citizens together to support Ukrainian citizens and local authorities, especially from the sister city of Chernivtsi. Its main objectives are buying vital equipment for Ukraine and developing a complex system for receiving, supporting and integrating refugees arriving in Timișoara.

Being a vocal campaigner for a less car-centric urban mobility,{{Cite web |last=Hoster |first=Marcel |date=8 July 2020 |title=Automobilul nu poate fi mijlocul de transport dominant. Dominic Fritz a dezbătut problema traficului timişorean şi a transportului în comun |url=https://debanat.ro/2020/07/automobilul-nu-poate-fi-mijlocul-de-transport-dominant-dominic-fritz-a-dezbatot-problema-traficului-timisorean-si-a-transportului-in-comun_300424.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211215092558/https://debanat.ro/2020/07/automobilul-nu-poate-fi-mijlocul-de-transport-dominant-dominic-fritz-a-dezbatot-problema-traficului-timisorean-si-a-transportului-in-comun_300424.html |archive-date=15 December 2021 |access-date=9 February 2023 |website=deBanat.ro}} he has attracted European funding from the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Romania (PNRR) in order to renew the city's public transport fleet.{{Cite web |last=Cristea |first=Alexandra |date=3 January 2023 |title=Primăria poate cumpăra 55 de tramvaie, autobuze și troleibuze. A fost semnat contractul din PNRR |url=https://stiridetimisoara.ro/primaria-poate-cumpara-55-de-tramvaie-autobuze-si-troleibuze-a-fost-semnat-contractul-din-pnrr_48250.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230209102925/https://stiridetimisoara.ro/primaria-poate-cumpara-55-de-tramvaie-autobuze-si-troleibuze-a-fost-semnat-contractul-din-pnrr_48250.html |archive-date=9 February 2023 |access-date=9 February 2023 |website=Știri de Timișoara}} The amount of 308 million lei will be used to buy 30 electric buses, 8 trolleybuses and 17 trams. PNRR is a plan approved in 2021 for Romania's economic recovery package ensuing COVID-19 pandemic, and is part of Next Generation EU economic recovery package.

In 2021, the local branch of USR elected Fritz as its president, who ran unopposed.{{cite web |url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/timisoara/dominic-fritz-noul-presedinte-al-usr-plus-timis-2105812.html |title=Dominic Fritz, noul președinte al USR PLUS Timiș. Primarul Timișoarei nu a avut contracandidat |work=Adevărul |last=Dancea |first=Daniel |date=5 July 2021}}

At the beginning of the campaign for the 2025 Romanian presidential election, Dominic Fritz was among the USR leaders (alongside Ionuț Moșteanu) who, after an internal poll conducted in April showed that Save Romania Union president Elena Lasconi had only 4.1% of voter support, publicly called on her to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of Nicușor Dan.

The two argued that such a decision would strengthen Save Romania Union's chances according to the polls and mobilize the electorate against the major political parties. However, Lasconi rejected the request, denouncing the internal pressure as a “game of the system.”{{Cite web |last=Pantazi |first=Cristian |date=April 8, 2025 |title=SURSE Tensiuni majore în USR: Ionuț Moșteanu și Dominic Fritz i-au cerut Elenei Lasconi să se retragă în favoarea lui Nicușor Dan după ce un nou sondaj o arată pe președinta USR la 4,1% din opțiuni / Lasconi îi acuză că sunt cai troieni ai Sistemului |url=https://www.g4media.ro/surse-tensiuni-majore-in-usr-ionut-mosteanu-si-dominic-fritz-i-au-cerut-elenei-lasconi-sa-se-retraga-in-favoarea-lui-nicusor-dan-dupa-ce-un-nou-sondaj-o-arata-pe-presedinta-usr-la-41-din-optiuni-l.html |website=G4Media}}

Ultimately, at Fritz’s proposal, the Save Romania Union's National Bureau decided that the party would officially support the independent candidacy of Nicușor Dan,{{Cite web |last=Dinu |first=Ioana |date=April 10, 2025 |title=USR a oprit finanțarea campaniei prezidențiale a Elenei Lasconi și îl va susține pe Nicușor Dan: "El e singurul candidat care are şanse să intre în turul 2" |url=https://www.libertatea.ro/stiri/usr-a-oprit-finantarea-propriului-candidat-sustine-pe-nicusor-dan-5264659 |website=Libertatea}} who would go on to become the President of Romania.

Fritz, who plays piano and cello, has performed with various orchestras and chamber ensembles. He also sang in semi-professional choirs, conducted several ensembles, composed choral music and published two CDs with his own compositions in Germany.{{cite web |url=http://www.asociatia-tgp.ro/asociatia/dsf.html |title=Dominic Samuel Fritz |work=Asociația Culturală TGP}} In 2004, he created the Timișoara Gospel Project, initially a gospel choir made up of institutionalized children which over time grew in size and would hold concerts with the Banatul Philharmonic for charitable causes. Since 2012 he has been president of the TGP Cultural Association. For his commitment to culture, he was awarded the city's diploma of excellence in 2014 at Timișoara City Hall.

Since 2021, Fritz has been married to Yiran Lin, a Chinese-born former UN diplomat.{{cite web |url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/timisoara/primarul-timisoarei-dominic-fritz-s-a-casatorit-2115965.html |title=Primarul Timișoarei, Dominic Fritz, s-a căsătorit. Cine este Yiran Lin, soția sa |last=Morozan |first=Cristina |work=Adevărul |date=25 August 2021}} Fritz and Lin live in a house in the Elisabetin district of Timișoara. They have a daughter together, Maya Luming.{{cite web |url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/timisoara/dominic-fritz-primarul-timisoarei-a-devenit-2124999.html |title=Dominic Fritz, primarul Timișoarei, a devenit tată. A venit pe lume Maya Luming Lin |work=Adevărul |last=Both |first=Ștefan |date=8 October 2021}}

In addition to his mother tongue, German, Fritz is fluent in Romanian, English, and French.

Fritz is a practicing Roman Catholic.{{cite web|url=https://ziare.com/stiri/politie/dominic-fritz-despre-credinta-sa-in-dumnezeu-1635498|title=Dominic Fritz, despre credința sa: "Mă simt chemat. Simt că pot să îmi împlinesc datoria față de Dumnezeu și de semeni"|work=Ziare.com|date=5 October 2020}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1983 births

Category:Alumni of the University of York

Category:German emigrants to Romania

Category:German Roman Catholics

Category:Mayors of Timișoara

Category:People from Lörrach

Category:People from Waldshut (district)

Category:Save Romania Union politicians

Category:University of Konstanz alumni