Stefan Sternberg

Stefan Sternberg (born 28 April 1984) is a German politician who has served as the Landrat of Ludwigslust-Parchim since 2018. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) since 2012, Sternberg previously served as the mayor of Grabow between 2013 and 2018.

Early life Sternberg was born on 28 April 1984 in Ludwigslust and grew up in Grabow, where he spent his childhood and attended the Fritz Reuter Realschule. After school, he completed an apprenticeship.

Political career Sternberg is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) since 2012. During his tenure, Sternberg conceptualized the controversial "Businesspark Eldetal" in the Grabow forest.

Endorsed by the incumbent Landrat of Ludwigslust-Parchim, Rolf Christiansen (SPD), Sternberg was elected as his successor on 27 September 2018 with 60.1% of the vote for a 7-year term. During this tenure, he was faced with the largest wildfire in Germany since the end of World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to his "good crisis management" he was chosen to be on the COVID-19 expert committee of the federal government. Sternberg was reelected in the first round of the Landrat election on 11 May 2025, winning 57.9% of the vote.

In February 2026, it was exposed that Sternberg had used tax payer funds to stay at a five-star hotel in Hamburg while visiting for a local congress in 2023, causing controversy. Starnberg defended the expenses as necessary and noted that they were filed legally. Sternberg has also been criticized for his choice of official car, choosing an expensive BMW hybrid over a more moderately priced electric. Due to these controversies, he has been called "the luxury-Landrat" by some outlets.

Personal life Sternberg is married and has two children.