| Thomas de Maizière | |
 Giving a speech at the Dresden University of Technology in December 2007 |
|
|
|
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 28 October 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Schäuble |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| In office 22 November 2005 – 27 October 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Pofalla |
|
|
|
| In office November 11, 2004 – November 22, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Horst Rasch |
|
|
|
| In office May 2, 2002 – November 11, 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | Manfred Kolbe |
| Succeeded by | Geert Mackenroth |
|
|
|
| In office January 30, 2001 – May 2, 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Georg Milbradt |
| Succeeded by | Horst Metz |
|
State Minister and Chief of the State Chancellery of Saxony
|
|
| In office October 26, 1999 – January 30, 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Günter Meyer |
| Succeeded by | Georg Brüggen |
|
|
|
| Born | January 21, 1954 Bonn, Germany |
| Nationality |  Germany |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |
| Alma mater | University of Münster University of Freiburg |
| Profession | Jurist |
Thomas de Maizière (German pronunciation: [də mɛˈzjɛʀ]; born January 21, 1954 in Bonn) is a German politician (CDU), currently serving as the Federal Minister of the Interior (since 28 October 2009) in the Second Cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
A close confidant of Merkel, he served as Chief of Staff at the Chancellor's Office and Federal Minister for Special Affairs in the First Cabinet Merkel from 2005 to 2009. Prior to his appointment to the federal cabinet, he served as a cabinet minister of the state of Saxony, including as Chief of Staff, Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior.
Contents |
Background
Thomas de Maiziere graduated at the Aloisiuskolleg in Bonn. After studies of law and history at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster and the University of Freiburg, he passed his first state examination in law in 1979 and his second 1982, earning his doctorate of law (Dr. jur.) in 1986.
He belongs to a noble family originally from Maizières-lès-Metz who, as Huguenots, had fled France for asylum in Prussia in the late 17th century. The Maizière family still attended French-language schools and Huguenot churches in Berlin until the beginning of the 20th century. His father was Ulrich de Maizière, Inspector General of the German Armed Forces. His cousin Lothar de Maizière is also a CDU politician and was the last, and only democratically elected, Premier of the German Democratic Republic, who later served as Federal Minister of Special Affairs in the Kohl government. Thomas de Maizière is married to Martina de Maizière, with whom he has three children.
Political career
He worked for the Governing Mayor (Prime Minister) of Berlin (Richard von Weizsäcker and Eberhard Diepgen), before he was part of the West German delegation to negotiations on German reunification. After 1990 he worked with reestablishing democratic structures in states that were part of the former German Democratic Republic. He became Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in November 1990. From December 1994 to 1998 he was Chief of Staff of the Chancellery of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Cabinet minister in Saxony
He served as Chief of the Saxon Chancellery from 1999 to 2001, with the rank as a cabinet minister. From 2001 to 2002 he served as Minister of Finance of Saxony, from 2002 to 2004 Minister of Justice, and from 2004 to 2005 Minister of the Interior.
Chief of the German Chancellery
On October 17, 2005, he was nominated for membership of the Federal Government, as Chief of the Chancellor's Office and Federal Minister of Special Affairs in the First Cabinet Merkel. He took office on November 22, 2005 after Merkel's election by the Bundestag.
Federal Minister of the Interior
He took office as Federal Minister of Interior in the Second Cabinet Merkel.
External links
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||
|
|||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
