Peter Eigen, Transparency International

Its mission is to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity thorughout society. It works with all individuals and groups, with for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and organisations, and with governments and international bodies committed to the fight against corruption. Peter Eigen joins us on Talking Germany to talk about corruption and how it hinders development.

Peter Eigen was born in 1938 in Augsburg. After he completed his law and economics, he started his carrier at the World Bank in Washington D.C. In the first 25 years of his carrier and through the work of his fist wife, who worked as a doctor in the slums of Nairobi, he became aware of the scale of corruption world-wide and how it can hinder the development of effected countries. Because the world bank followed a strict "hands off" policy, he was forced to watch as loans and World Bank funds were funneled into the pockets of corrupt politicians instead of reaching those who needed them. That's why Peter Eigen was forced to tender his resignation.

After his early retirement, he co-founded "Transparency International" in 2003, which is dedicated to fighting international corruption. The groups efforts include publishing the Corruption Index each year. That's one of the reasons that Readers Digest declared him "European of the year" in 2004. Because of his dedication, corruption is no longer considered a gentlemen's transgression in many countries around the world.

Peter Eigen has been married to Gesine Schwan since 2004. He has 3 children from his fist marriage, who live in the USA.