Dieter Althaus | |
|---|---|
 Althaus in 2008 | |
| Minister-President of Thuringia | |
| In office 5 June 2003 – 30 October 2009 | |
| Deputy | Andreas Trautvetter Birgit Diezel Volker Sklenar |
| Preceded by | Bernhard Vogel |
| Succeeded by | Christine Lieberknecht |
| President of the Bundesrat | |
| In office 1 November 2003 – 31 October 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Böhmer |
| Succeeded by | Matthias Platzeck |
| Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union of Thuringia | |
| In office 2003 – 25 October 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Bernhard Vogel |
| Succeeded by | Christine Lieberknecht |
| Leader of theChristian Democratic Union in theLandtag of Thuringia | |
| In office 1 October 1999 – 5 June 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Christian Köckert |
| Succeeded by | Frank-Michael Pietzsch |
| Minister of Education of Thuringia | |
| In office 11 February 1992 – 1 October 1999 | |
| Prime Minister | Bernhard Vogel |
| Preceded by | Christine Lieberknecht |
| Succeeded by | Michael Krapp |
| Member of theLandtag of Thuringia forEichsfeld I (CDU List; 1990–1994) | |
| In office 25 October 1990 – 30 April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Manfred Scherer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1958-06-29)29 June 1958 (age 66) Heilbad Heiligenstadt,Thuringia,German Democratic Republic |
| Occupation | Politician |
Dieter Althaus (born 29 June 1958 in Heiligenstadt/Eichsfeld) is a German politician of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU). He served as the 3rdMinister President ofThuringia from 2003 to 2009. In 2003/04 he was the 58thPresident of the Bundesrat.
Althaus was a teacher for Physics and Mathematics at thePolytechnic Secondary School inGeismar, Thuringia, from 1983 to 1989, where he became deputy headteacher in 1987.
Since 1985 Althaus has been a member of theCDU, remaining with the party as it transformed itself from a loyal supporter of the GDR's rulingSocialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) to a loyal supporter of the West German party of the same name with which it merged in 1990 shortly afterGerman reunification. In 2000 he became chairman of theCDU in Thuringia. Since 1990 he has been a member of the ThuringianLandtag.
In 1992 he became a member ofBernhard Vogel's cabinet as State Minister of Cultural Affairs and Education.
On 5 June 2003 Althaus was electedMinister President of Thuringia; he succeeded Bernhard Vogel, who had resigned for reasons of age. As Minister-President he served asPresident of theBundesrat in 2003/04. Althaus was also part of theCDU/CSU team in the negotiations with the SPD on a coalition agreement following the2005 federal elections,[1] which paved the way to the formation ofChancellorAngela Merkel’sfirst government.
After theThuringia elections of 2009, where the CDU went from having an absolute majority to not even having enough seats to form a majority coalition with theFDP, Althaus resigned as Minister-President and as chairman of the CDU in Thuringia.
Since 2010, Althaus has been working forMagna International.[2]
Althaus was nominated by his party as delegate to theFederal Convention for the purpose of electing thePresident of Germany in2022.[3]
In 2006 Althaus spoke out in favour of auniversal basic income.[4]
Althaus caused a skiing collision inStyria, Austria on 1 January 2009 in which he suffered severe injuries.[8][9] Althaus was skiing down an expert run, but wandered onto an easy slope, where he was skiing in the wrong direction,[10] whereupon he and a 41-year-old Slovak woman collided. The woman subsequently died from her injuries. Althaus was wearing a skiing helmet, while the woman was not.[11][12] Althaus was fined €33,300 fornegligent homicide.[13]
Althaus is married to Katharina and has two children.
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| Soviet administration / DDR (1945–1952) |
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| Federal Republic of Germany (since 1990) | ||
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