Rudolf Dreßler | |
|---|---|
 Dreßler, 2018 | |
| German Ambassador to Israel | |
| In office 1 September 2000 – 31 August 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Theodor Wallau |
| Succeeded by | Harald Kindermann |
| Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs | |
| In office 28 April 1982 – 1 October 1982 | |
| Chancellor | Helmut Schmidt |
| Minister | Heinz Westphal |
| Preceded by | Hermann Buschfort |
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Vogt |
| Member of theBundestag forWuppertal I | |
| In office 4 November 1980 – 31 August 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Adolf Scheu |
| Succeeded by | Ulrich Kelber |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1940-11-17)17 November 1940 |
| Died | 8 January 2025(2025-01-08) (aged 84) |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party (1969–2025) |
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Rudolf Dreßler (17 November 1940 – 8 January 2025) was a German politician and diplomat.
Born in 1940, the son of a German who resistedAdolf Hitler,[1] Dreßler grew up inSprockhövel and went to school in Wuppertal. He was an apprentice at a printer company and worked then for different newspapers. From 1969 to 1981 he was a member of thework council of the newspaperWestdeutsche Zeitung (WAZ). From 1974 to 1983, he was a member of thePrinting and Paper Union.
Since 1969 Dreßler was a member of theSocial Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
From 1980 to 2000, Dreßler was a member of GermanBundestag, representing theWuppertal I district.[citation needed] In 1982, he briefly served asParliamentary State Secretary at theFederal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, in this capacity assisting ministerHeinz Westphal. From 1987 to 2002, he served as deputy chair of the SPD parliamentary group, under the leadership of successive chairmenHans-Jochen Vogel,Hans-Ulrich Klose,Rudolf Scharping andPeter Struck.
From 2000 to 2005, Dreßler served asGerman ambassador in Israel.[2] During this time, he coined the phrase that "Israel's security is part of German raison d'état." He wrote these words in a 2005 article for theFederal Agency for Civic Education. Later, then-ChancellorAngela Merkel (CDU) reiterated this principle in a speech to the Kneset.[3]
In February 2023, Dreßler was one of the first signatories of a petition initiated bySahra Wagenknecht andAlice Schwarzer calling for an end to military support for Ukraine in the wake of theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
Dreßler married three times and had two children.[4]
On 11 November 1997, he had a car accident nearBonn.[5]
Dreßler died on 8 January 2025, at the age of 84.[6]
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