Günther Krause Bundesminister a. D.[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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_(cropped).jpg) Krause in 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Transport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 18 January 1991 – 6 May 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Friedrich Zimmermann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Matthias Wissmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Post and Telecommunications | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 17 December 1992 – 22 January 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Christian Schwarz-Schilling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Bötsch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Special Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 October 1990 – 17 January 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Office established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Office abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of theChristian Democratic Union inMecklenburg-Vorpommern | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 March 1990 – May 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary |
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| Preceded by | Office established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Angela Merkel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of theBundestag forWismar – Gadebusch – Grevesmühlen – Doberan – Bützow (Volkskammer; 1990) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 October 1990 – 10 November 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Constituency established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Hans-Otto Schmiedeberg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1953-09-03)3 September 1953 (age 72) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Christian Democratic Union (East Germany) (1975–1990) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Werder (Havel) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Wismar University of Technology, Business and Design | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  East Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service |  National People's Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1972–1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Günther Krause (born 3 September 1953) is a German engineer, academic, politician and businessman.
After thePeaceful Revolution, he entered politics, serving in theVolkskammer and as a senior adviser to Minister-PresidentLothar de Maizière. In that role, he was a co-signatory to the Unification Treaty.
AfterGerman reunification, he was elected to theBundestag and served in various roles in theHelmut Kohl government. He served asMinister for Special Affairs from 1990 to 1991 and then asMinister of Transport from 1991 to 1993. He resigned from the office due to numerous scandals. Legal problems and scandals followed after his career in politics, earning him the nicknameSause-Krause.[2]
FormerChancellor of GermanyAngela Merkel was his protégée. As leader of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU) inMecklenburg-Vorpommern, he helped her garner the nomination inher constituency. Merkel succeeded him as leader after he resigned.
Krause is a native ofGüstrow nearMecklenburg, East Germany.[3] He was born on 3 September 1953 inHalle.[4][5] He received a PhD in engineering fromWismar University of Technology, Business and Design in 1987.[4]
Krause joined theChristian Democratic Union of East Germany in 1975.[4][6] He worked as an engineer on computerized planning in housing inRostock.[4] In 1982, he began to work at hisalma mater, Wismar Technology University,[4] and was promoted to a professorship in computer science.[5] Then he became the CDU state chairman from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.[7] He served as state secretary and the chiefreunification negotiator for East Germany's only freely elected government headed by Lothar de Maizière.[8][9] Krause was also his senior advisor.[10] The Unification Treaty was signed by West GermanInterior MinisterWolfgang Schauble and Krause on 31 August 1990.[9][5]
Following the reunification of West and East Germany, Krause served at the Bundestag and in its committee on research and technology.[3] He was appointed as minister of transport on 18 January 1991 in thefourth Kohl cabinet.[10] He was the most prominent eastern German politician in the government[3][8] and one of the three ministers from East Germany in addition to Angela Merkel (CDU; Minister for Women and Youth) andRainer Ortleb (FDP; Minister of Education).[11] Krause resigned from the office on 6 May 1993 after his alleged involvement in scandals,[8][12] and was replaced byMatthias Wissmann, another CDU member, in the post.[6] Krause was the eighth minister to quit the Kohl cabinet in the past 13 months.[13]
In 1993, Krause resigned from politics and public office and began to deal with business.[5] As of 2010, he headed a company on information, advice and project development based in Kirchmöser, a district ofBrandenburg.[5] Later, Krause was targeted by the judiciary due to his company's insolvency and was sentenced to imprisonment and suspended sentences. He also lived in a luxury mansion without pay for over a year and was involved in other cheating scandals, such as an unreturned kitchen purchase.[14][15][16]
In 2020, he enteredthe 14th season of the TV reality show,Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!, the German version ofI'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, filmed in Australia, but had to withdraw for medical reasons after one day.[17]
Krause married twice and has six children, three from his previous marriage.[5] He lives inAdmannshagen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with his second wife.[5]
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