PUNE, NOV 14: When Pune Mayor Vandana Chavan visited Bremen in Germany a few months ago, she was surprised to see her counterpart there arriving at his office on a bicycle. What made the sight more astonishing was that he was an imposing figure standing at 6.8 feet.

On Wednesday, when Chief Minister and Lord Mayor of Bremen, Henning Scherf arrived here, he explained with a mischievous grin, ``I like it that way. No controls, no police. I do not know of a home or a corner in Bremen where I cannot go by myself.'' Scherf is here on a two-day visit as part of efforts to strengthen Pune-Bremen solidarity. The 57-year-old Lord Mayor is a multifaceted personality. A lawyer, politician, church leader, veteran marathoner, firm believer in Gandhian philosophy and an organiser of many workers' strikes.

While speaking to media persons after a grand civic reception accorded to him at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), he said, ``I like to be informal.'' Born to Christian parents who were imprisoned in Nazi-Germany, Henning came up the hard way in life. Perhaps that was why he observed as the plane hovered over Mumbai that more than 50 per cent of the people live in slums. Scherf has decided to stay with a family rather than in a five-star hotel.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.