Peter Eigen

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Peter Eigen
Peter Eigen in 2012
Born (1938-06-11) June 11, 1938 (age 87)
Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany
Alma materHarvard University, Free University of Berlin
Occupation(s)Economist, lawyer, lecturer
Known forAnti-corruption advocacy, Political transparency, Political Science
Spouse
Jutta Philippi
​
(m. 1963)​
Children3
AwardsOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss Prize (1998), European of the Year (2004), Markgräfler Gutedelpreis (2006)

Peter Eigen (born June 11, 1938) is a German lawyer and development economist. He is also the founder of Transparency International (TI), a non-governmental organization with national chapters in over 100 countries.

Early life and education

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Peter Eigen was born on June 11, 1938, in Augsburg, Germany, to Grete Eigen (born Müchler) and Fritz Eigen, an engineer and industry manager. Eigen spent his early childhood during World War II in Berlin and in Czechoslovakia, where his father had been assigned during the Nazi regime to manage a large factory.

After the war, Eigen moved back to Germany and settled in Mettmann with his grandparents, later relocating to Erlangen in 1952. He later studied law in Erlangen and Frankfurt, and earned a Doctor of Laws in 1964 (Dr. iur.) from Goethe Universität Frankfurt. From 1962 to 1963, he studied at the University of Kansas in the United States as a scholar of the Fulbright Program.[1][better source needed]

Career

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Early career

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Eigen worked as a regional director at the World Bank, but later left to pursue his anti-corruption efforts in Berlin.[1]

Founding and Building Transparency International (TI)

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Eigen's interest in combatting corruption led to the development of Transparency International (TI). In February 1993, he gathered approximately 20 individuals and experts in The Hague, Netherlands, where they signed the Founding Charter of Transparency International in the office of the Dutch Development Minister Jan Pronk. The organization was established as a charitable society based in Berlin. In May 1993, Eigen secured funding from the GTZ and the German Development Foundation, Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung (DSE) to publicly launch TI at the Villa Borsig, the official Guest House of the German Government in Berlin-Tegel. Leaders from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the German development community participated in the launch.[2] Transparency International's mission is to address corruption in all its forms through engagement with civil society, business, and government, a strategy Eigen describes as 'the magic triangle'.[3]

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan reportedly referred to the 10th (anti-corruption) Principle of the UN Global Compact as 'the Peter Principle' in a 2004 speech.[4][better source needed]

Leadership with other initiatives

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By the late 1990s, Eigen believed the World Bank had the political will and resources to support anti-corruption efforts, but lacked direct mechanisms to finance and empower civil society organizations globally. Along with other Transparency International board members, including Frank Vogl, Barry Metzger, and Pierre Landell-Mills, Eigen conceptualized the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) as an independent organization to address this gap. The PTF was formally registered under New York State law in December 2000, with Eigen serving as its first board chair. The PTF was established as a charitable entity, with the goals of providing small grants and technical assistance to civil society organizations working to promote good governance and hold governments accountable.[5]

In 2007, Eigen initiated the launch of the Berlin Civil Society Centre (now the International Civil Society Centre), a think tank supporting global civil society organizations. He partnered with Burkhard Gnärig, former CEO of International Save the Children Alliance (London), to establish and lead the centre. Gnärig served as the centre's managing director until 2018, working pro bono in the early years.[6][better source needed]

Eigen was one of the initiators and served as the first chair of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).[7] The initiative was formally launched following the conclusion of the "Publish What You Pay" campaign in June 2003, when representatives from governments, industries, and civil society groups convened in the United Kingdom to endorse a common set of "EITI Principles."[8] Under Eigen's leadership, the group convened five times between 2005 and 2006, publishing the EITI Validation Guide and creating the framework for the initiative's governance.[9]

Eigen has worked on governance initiatives in the oil, gas, and natural resources sectors that involve companies, governments, and civil society in transparency efforts. During his leadership, initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Transparency International supported the development of codes of conduct and accreditation standards aimed at promoting good governance. He has cited cases like Siemens in Germany as examples of positive corporate reform following anti-corruption efforts.[10]

In 2022, Peter Eigen founded the Local Electricity Access Programme (LEAP Transparency), a Senegalese-led initiative aimed at increasing energy access in rural communities.[11][better source needed]

Awards

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  • First Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse), 2001.[12]
  • European of the Year, Reader's Digest Prize, 2004.[13]
  • Gustav Heinemann Award, 2007.[13]
  • Inamori Ethics Prize, 2015.[13]
  • Deutscher Kulturpreis (German Culture Prize), 2019.[13]
  • Persönlichkeit des Jahres (Personality of the Year), German-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, 2019.[13]

Personal life

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In 1963, Peter Eigen married Jutta Philippi, a physician and musician, with whom he had three children. Jutta died in 2002.[14][1]

Publications

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  • Eigen, P. (2008). The Web of Corruption – How a Global Movement Fights Graft / Adapted from the original *Das Netz der Korruption*, Frankfurt/Main, Campus Verlag, 2003. ISBN 3-593-37188-X.
  • Eigen, P. (2003). Das Netz der Korruption / Campus Verlag, Frankfurt/Main, New York. / Language: German.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Eigen, Peter (2003). Das Netz der Korruption : wie eine weltweite Bewegung gegen Bestechung kämpft. Frankfurt am Main: Campus. ISBN 3-593-37188-X. OCLC 53057796.
  2. ^ "Corruption: Major cause of poverty" (PDF). Transparency International. 6 May 1993. Retrieved 22 February 2021.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Our story". Transparency.org. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  4. ^ "Transparency International Founder receives prestigious German award..." Transparency.org. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  5. ^ "Our History". PT Fund. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  6. ^ "Our Story – The International Civil Society Centre". icscentre.org. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  7. ^ "EITI – Initiative für mehr Transparenz im Rohstoffsektor". Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) (in German). Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  8. ^ "Die Anfänge von EITI". D-EITI (in German). Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  9. ^ "Schlussbericht der Internationalen Beratergruppe über die Transparenzinitiative der rohstoffgewinnenden Industrie" (PDF). EITI (in German). Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  10. ^ "Widespread corruption in oil industry – says Eigen". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  11. ^ "LEAP's Vision". LEAP Transparency. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  12. ^ Transparency International (23 January 2013). "Transparency International founder Peter Eigen honoured by German Government". Transparency International. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (12 June 2023). "Peter Eigen". EITI. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  14. ^ "Obituaries: August 7, 2002". Washington Post. 2002-08-07. Retrieved 2025-09-01.