According to reports from the German press agency DPA, Wolfgang Urban, the life partner of dressage legend Isabell Werth, passed away on October 6, 2025. Urban was 80 years old.
Although Urban was best known for his role in the German business world, he was also the long-time partner of multiple Olympic champion Isabell Werth. He rarely appeared at equestrian events but remained an important source of support for Werth behind the scenes. The couple met through a sponsorship project, shortly before Werth ended her collaboration with trainer Uwe Schulten-Baumer. Together, they had a son, Frederik, born on October 30, 2009.
Urban began his career in 1973 as a commercial employee at the department store group Kaufhof in Cologne. In 1995, he was appointed CEO of Kaufhof Holding, where he led a major restructuring process. A year later, he joined the board of directors of parent company Metro AG, where he served as co-spokesperson of the management board.
Following the merger between Karstadt and Quelle, Urban was appointed chairman of the newly formed retail group in Essen in 2000. He held that position until 2004, when he stepped down for health reasons.
