Dorothee Bär | |
|---|---|
 Bär in 2025 | |
| Minister of Research, Technology and Space | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2025 | |
| Chancellor | Friedrich Merz |
| Preceded by | Cem Özdemir(as Minister for Education and Research) |
| Minister of State for Digitization | |
| In office 14 March 2018 – 8 December 2021 | |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Parliamentary State Secretary for Transport and Digital Infrastructure | |
| In office 17 December 2013 – 14 March 2018 | |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Minister | Alexander Dobrindt Christian Schmidt(Acting) |
| Preceded by | Andreas Scheuer |
| Succeeded by | Steffen Bilger |
| Deputy General Secretary of theChristian Social Union in Bavaria | |
| In office 9 February 2009 – 1 February 2017 | |
| Leader | Horst Seehofer |
| Preceded by | Joachim Herrmann |
| Succeeded by | Markus Blume |
| Member of theBundestag forBad Kissingen | |
| Assumed office 22 September 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Eduard Lintner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dorothee Gisela Renate Maria Mantel (1978-04-19)19 April 1978 (age 47) |
| Political party | CSU (since 1994) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Free University of Berlin |
| Signature |  |
| Website | www |
Dorothee Gisela Renate Maria Bär (néeMantel; born 19 April 1978)[1] is a German politician of theChristian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) who has been serving as theFederal Minister of Research, Technology and Space in thegovernment ofChancellorFriedrich Merz since 2025.
Bär has been a member of the GermanBundestag since 2002. From 2014 to 2021, she served in various capacities in the government ofChancellorAngela Merkel.
Dorothee Bär, grew up inEbelsbach,Landkreis Haßberge where she still lives.[1]She finished high school inGrayslake, Illinois in 1996 and Franz-Ludwig-Gymnasium in Bamberg in 1999.[1]
Supported by a scholarship of theHanns Seidel Foundation, Bär studiedpolitical science in several universities throughoutGermany and received her diploma in 2005 fromOtto-Suhr-Institut of theFree University of Berlin.[1] After her graduation, she worked as a journalist for several radio stations and newspapers.[1]
Bär started her political career in 1996 by joining theYoung Union (JU), the youth organization of the CSU. In 1994 she became a member of theCSU. In 1999, she became a member of the Board of Directors of the Junge Union for the region of Lower Franconia. From 2001 to 2003, she served as the Chairperson of theAssociation of Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) of Bavaria.
Since the2002 national elections, Bär has been a member of theGerman Parliament representing theBad Kissingen electoral district (#248) which comprises threecounties:Bad Kissingen,Rhön-Grabfeld, andHaßberge.[2] Between 2005 and 2009, Bär was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Within her parliamentary group, she served as deputy spokesperson for foreign policy between 2008 and 2009, succeedingKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.[3]
In November 2008 Bär was elected as the Deputy National Chairperson of the Young Union, under the leadership of chairmanPhilipp Mißfelder. In February 2009, she became the Deputy Secretary General of theCSU, serving alongside Secretary GeneralAlexander Dobrindt under party chairmanHorst Seehofer.
In the negotiations to form acoalition government following the2009 federal elections, Bär was part of the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on families, integration of immigrants and culture, led byMaria Böhmer andHans-Joachim Otto. Between 2009 and 2013, she then served on the Committee on Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as well as on the Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs.
In addition to her committee assignments, Bär was a member of the German-Korean Parliamentary Friendship Group and of the German-Swiss Parliamentary Friendship Group.[4]
In the coalition talks following the2013 federal elections, Bär led the working group on digital policy; her co-chair wasBrigitte Zypries of theSPD. In thethird government underChancellorAngela Merkel, she served as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure under the leadership of MinisterAlexander Dobrindt. In this capacity, she was also the government’s Coordinator for Freight Transport and Logistics.[5]
In the negotiations to form afourth cabinet under Merkel following the2017 federal elections, Bär again led the working group on digital policy, this time alongsideHelge Braun andLars Klingbeil. Following the formation of the new government, she was appointed to the newly established post of State Minister for Digitization at theFederal Chancellery.[6] Together with investorFrank Thelen she also co-chaired the German Innovation Council at the Federal Chancellery.[7]
Ahead of the2021 elections, CDU chairmanArmin Laschet included Bär in his eight-membershadow cabinet for the Christian Democrats’ campaign; she was the only CSU politician selected for this role.[8]
From 2021 to 2025, Bär served as one her parliamentary group's deputy chairs, under the leadership of successive chairsRalph Brinkhaus (2021–2022) andFriedrich Merz (2022–2025). In this capacity, she oversaw the group’s legislative activities on families and cultural affairs.[9]
In the negotiations to form aGrand Coalition of the Christian Democrats and the SPD following the2025 German elections, Bär was part of the CDU/CSU steering group under the leadership of Friedrich Merz.
Since May 6, 2025, Bär has been serving as theFederal Minister of Research, Technology and Space in thegovernment ofChancellorFriedrich Merz.
Ahead of the2021 national elections, Bär endorsedMarkus Söder as the Christian Democrats' joint candidate to succeedChancellorAngela Merkel.[12]
Bär is married to lawyer and fellow CSU politician Oliver Bär. The couple has two daughters and a son.[2]
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
