Karl Delorme (January 23, 1920 – March 12, 2011) was born in the heart of Mainz's old town as the third child of a family of craftsmen. He began his professional career with an apprenticeship as a typesetter in the printing shop of the Catholic apprentice house. In his youth, he was an active member of the Catholic youth movement. From August 1939 to March 1946, Delorme experienced and endured the war and captivity as a prisoner of war – arguably the most painful chapter of his life.

Karl Delorme is one of the personalities in Mainz who played a key role in shaping local politics in the decades after the Second World War. In the spirit of social solidarity and Christian charity, he carried out comprehensive, formative reconstruction work in Mainz, setting a forward-looking course for the city in many areas, from which the people of Mainz continue to benefit today.

Among his achievements was overcoming the catastrophic housing shortage in the 1950s and 1960s that followed World War II. Karl Delorme, who had been campaigning for this as a city councilor for many years, became full-time deputy mayor for social affairs and housing in 1957. With his inexhaustible energy and assertiveness, he made the promotion of social housing, the repatriation of evacuees, aid for the homeless, and the housing shortage in devastated Mainz his most important tasks.

This was followed by a large number of other projects, such as the expansion of the kindergarten system, the construction of daycare centers and nurseries, the establishment of playgrounds, the new construction of the House of Youth, the establishment of youth centers, workshops for the disabled, the construction of residential homes for the disabled, the Mainz Center for the Blind, special kindergartens for mentally and physically disabled children, the founding of a psychosocial working group, the construction of the first retirement home in Rhineland-Palatinate and two further retirement homes, the establishment of day centers for the elderly and many cultural and social events for senior citizens, the development of mobile assistance services, the introduction of the "Day of the Foreign Citizen" (today: Intercultural Week), and the promotion of the work of independent welfare organizations.

As head of the redevelopment department, he had a "task of the century" to accomplish since 1972, mediating with great diplomatic skill between the various interest groups and ensuring that the disputes ultimately led to fruitful results and that the people of Mainz were given back their old town.

The native Mainzer's attachment to his city was also evident in Karl Delorme's numerous initiatives, which effectively promoted customs and culture. There is hardly a major folk festival in Mainz that does not trace its origins, directly or indirectly, back to Karl Delorme. The Johannisfest, the Open Ohr Festival, and the "Mainz lebt auf seinen Plätzen" series would be unthinkable without his commitment. An active participant in carnival himself, he supported the festive customs and, most recently, as the "spiritus rector" and emphatic promoter of the Mainz Carnival Museum, he created a unique and lasting monument to his hometown's biggest festival. As a member of the German Bundestag, the return of the districts of Mainz on the right bank of the Rhine (AKK) was a particular concern of his.

Karl Delorme can look back on an impressive life's work, which he dedicated to his city of Mainz and with which he had a lasting impact on Mainz. This earned him high esteem, recognition, and popularity in Mainz and beyond. His Christian-ethical, credible, and lived humanity, combined with an eye for what is feasible, continues to serve as a role model to this day. Over decades, Karl Delorme has made unique and lasting contributions to Mainz in many important areas.