Kurt Biedenkopf | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Biedenkopf in 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister-President of Saxony | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 November 1990 – 18 April 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Rudolf Krause Heinz Eggert Hans Geisler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Rudolf Krause(asLandesbevollmächtigter) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Georg Milbradt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of theBundesrat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 November 1999 – 31 October 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Vice President | Roland Koch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Roland Koch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Kurt Beck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 12 June 1973 – 7 March 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Helmut Kohl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Konrad Kraske | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Heiner Geißler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of theChristian Democratic Union in theLandtag of North Rhine-Westphalia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 29 May 1980 – 24 May 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Heinrich Köppler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bernhard Worms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1930-01-28)28 January 1930 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 August 2021(2021-08-12) (aged 91) Dresden, Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kurt Hans Biedenkopf (German pronunciation:[kʊʁtˈbiːdn̩ˌkɔp͡f]ⓘ; 28 January 1930 – 12 August 2021[1]) was a German jurist, academic teacher and politician of theChristian-Democratic Union (CDU) party. He was rector of theRuhr University Bochum.
Biedenkopf made a political career first inNorth Rhine-Westphalia, where he was chairman of the party. After there-unification of Germany, he served as the firstMinister President of theFree State of Saxony from 1990 until 2002. He was54th president of theBundesrat from 2000, overseeing the body's move from Bonn to Berlin. Biedenkopf is regarded as the intellectual leader of the CDU whenHelmut Kohl was chancellor.[2]
Biedenkopf worked on advisory boards of institutions including theBertelsmann Stiftung, Deutsche Nationalstiftung,Dresden Frauenkirche,Independent Commission on Turkey and theStaatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen. Among his numerous recognitions were international honorific doctorates.
Biedenkopf was born inLudwigshafen am Rhein. When his father became technical director of theBuna-Werke,[2] the family moved toSchkopau, where he attended school.[3] Biedenkopf first studied political sciences from 1949 to 1950 atDavidson College inNorth Carolina and atGeorgetown University.[3][4] He then studied economics and law in Germany at theUniversity of Munich,[3] achieving a law doctorate in 1958.[5][6] He obtained a Master in Law in 1962 from Georgetown University, where he studied and researched again from 1958 to 1959 and 1961 to 1962.[7] In 1963 Biedenkopf completed his habilitation atGoethe University Frankfurt.[8] He became lecturer of theRuhr University Bochum in 1964.[2] In 1967, he was appointed rector of the university; he was the youngest head of a university in West Germany at the time.[3] He was lecturer and visiting professor also at theGoethe University Frankfurt andLeipzig University.[5][9][10] In the early 1970s, Biedenkopf moved to the board ofHenkel.[3]
Biedenkopf was a member of theChristian-Democratic Union (CDU). He entered his professional political career when he became secretary general of the CDU in 1973, under the leadership of chairmanHelmut Kohl. He resigned from that office in 1977 after disagreements with Kohl and went on to become one of his fiercest rivals within the party.[11][7]
From 1977 to 1983 he was deputy chairman of the CDU in Germany.[7] During the terms 1976–1980 and 1987–1990 he was a member of theBundestag.[5]
In 1979, it was revealed that Christel Broszey, Biedenkopf's secretary, disappeared and was presumed to have fled to East Germany.[12] Media reported that Broszey had been a spy.[13][14]
In the 1980, state elections inNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Biedenkopf unsuccessfully ran against the incumbent Minister-PresidentJohannes Rau. He served as chairman of the CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia – the party's largest chapter – until 1987, when he was succeeded byNorbert Blüm. In late 1989, he joined forces withLothar Späth,Heiner Geißler,Rita Süssmuth and others in an unsuccessful effort to oust Kohl as CDU chairman.[15]
After there-unification of Germany in 1990 Biedenkopf was elected as Minister-President in the newly formed state of Saxony.[5] His party also won the subsequent elections in 1994 and 1999 with an absolute majority. He held his office until April 2002.[5]
At the CDU's initiative, the state parliament resolved to declare Saxony a "free state" once again, recalling its 19th century history.[16] Early in his tenure, Biedenkopf emerged as a kind of unofficial spokesman for the regions of East Germany.[17] He enjoyed great popularity among a majority of the people of Saxony. Known for hisautocratic leadership style, he was often referred to as "the Saxon King" or "King Kurt".[18] During his time in office, he doubled outlays on primary and secondary education and sharply ramped up spending on research and development.[19] He also led a legal battle against theEuropean Commission on subsidies forVolkswagen investments in Saxony.[20]
Ahead of theGerman presidential election in 1994, Biedenkopf was widely seen as a likely candidate, but the post went toRoman Herzog.[21]
In 2000, Biedenkopf held the rotating presidency of theBundesrat of Germany. In this capacity, he oversaw the body's move to Berlin to complete the government's return to the pre-World War II capital from Bonn.[22]
In January 2001, Biedenkopf dismissed State Minister of FinanceGeorg Milbradt because Milbradt had started a debate about Biedenkopf's succession. Milbradt eventually succeeded Biedenkopf in 2002.[23]
Biedenkopf died in Dresden on 12 August 2021 at the age of 91.[24][25][26][27]
Before the introduction of theeuro, Biedenkopf was the only German state leader to vote against themonetary union in theBundesrat, the legislative body that represents the German states; he later argued that "Europe wasn't ready for that epochal step."[28] Already in 1997, he had joined the minister-presidents of two other German states,Gerhard Schröder andEdmund Stoiber, in making the case for a five-year delay in Europe's currency union.[29]
Ahead of the Christian Democrats'leadership election in 2018, Biedenkopf publicly endorsedAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeedAngela Merkel as the party's chair.[30] He later supportedArmin Laschet's candidacy to succeed Kramp-Karrenbauer in the2021 leadership election.[31]
In 1983, Biedenkopf became a member of theadvisory board of the non-profitBertelsmann Stiftung.[32] In 1987, he became chairman of the board (until 1990).[33] During his term, the Carl Bertelsmann Prize (todayReinhard Mohn Prize) was awarded for the first time.[34] He was active on the board of theDeutsche Nationalstiftung [de], active for the unification of Germany after the separation and within the European community, and was the foundation's honorary senator until his death.[35]
Between 2004 and 2006, Biedenkopf andChristine Bergmann served asombuds, observing the impact of the Schröder government'slabour market reforms, with a mandate to advise government and parliament on any recommended revisions to it. In 2005, he was appointed byChancellorGerhard Schröder to head a commission on the future ofcodetermination in Germany.[36] Both Biedenkopf and Schröder later served as mediators in a 2006 conflict over privatisation plans at German railway operatorDeutsche Bahn; the plans eventually fell through.[37]
In addition, Biedenkopf held a number of paid and unpaid positions, including:
Bisherige Träger der Medaille sind unter anderem der ehemalige sächsische Ministerpräsident Prof. Dr. Kurt Biedenkopf (2002)
