Artzinger-Bolten originally came from
Allenstein in
Ostpreußen, but was relocated to
Weinheim in 1945. As a teenager he was a supporter of
Stuttgarter Kickers and played on the school football team. He
graduated in Weinheim in 1960, and also joined the
Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) that same year. Artzinger-Bolten, who was deputy federal chairman of the Ring of Christian Democratic Students, began studying
Jurisprudence at the
Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg. After three semesters he left
Heidelberg and continued his studies in
Cologne, then in
Bonn. While studying in Köln, Artzinger-Bolten came into contact with
1. FC Köln as a spectator during the home games. Beginning in 1969, he worked as a lawyer. He was a member of the City Council of Cologne from 1975 to 1994 and chaired the Urban Development Committee between 1980 and 1994. From the start of the 1980's, Artzinger-Bolten was the
legal advisor to the players of 1. FC Köln. This was therefore classified as an "emergency solution". He wanted to convert the
Bundesliga club into a
Joint-stock company and place it into the
Exchange (organized market) in 1991–92. At the time of his resignation as president in 1991, the club was heavily in debt. His successor as president to 1. FC Köln was Klaus Hartmann. Artzinger-Bolten was awarded the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at the end of November 1985 in recognition of his social commitment (member of the
Lions Clubs International and the Board of Trustees of the
Kölner Philharmonie), as well as receiving the Cross of Merit 1. Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in November 2004. ==References==