Bernhard Vogel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bernhard Vogel
Vogel in 1994
Minister-President of Thuringia
In office 5 February 1992 – 5 June 2003
Deputy	Ulrich Fickel Gerd Schuchardt Andreas Trautvetter
Preceded by	Josef Duchač
Succeeded by	Dieter Althaus
President of the Bundesrat
In office 1 November 1987 – 31 October 1988
First Vice President	Walter Wallmann
Preceded by	Walter Wallmann
Succeeded by	Björn Engholm
In office 3 December 1976 – 31 October 1977
First Vice President	Albert Osswald
Preceded by	Albert Osswald
Succeeded by	Gerhard Stoltenberg
Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate
In office 2 December 1976 – 8 December 1988
Deputy	Otto Meyer Carl-Ludwig Wagner
Preceded by	Helmut Kohl
Succeeded by	Carl-Ludwig Wagner
Minister for Education and Culture of Rhineland-Palatinate
In office 18 May 1967 – 2 December 1976
Minister-President	Peter Altmeier Helmut Kohl
Preceded by	Eduard Orth
Succeeded by	Hanna-Renate Laurien
Parliamentary constituencies Member of the Landtag of Thuringia for Erfurt II In office 10 November 1994 – 8 July 2004 Preceded by Norbert Otto Succeeded by Michael Panse Member of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate for Wahlkreis 3 (Wahlkreis 5; 1971–1975) In office 29 April 1971 – 6 December 1988 Preceded by multi-member district Succeeded by Hans-Henning Grünwald Member of the Bundestag for Neustadt – Speyer In office 19 October 1965 – 17 July 1967 Preceded by Constituency established Succeeded by Ludwig Knobloch
Personal details
Born	(1932-12-19)19 December 1932 Göttingen, Province of Hanover, Prussia, Germany
Died	2 March 2025(2025-03-02) (aged 92) Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Political party	CDU (from 1960)
Relatives	Hans-Jochen Vogel (brother)
Alma mater	Heidelberg University Munich University
Signature

Bernhard Vogel was an important German politician. He was born on December 19, 1932, and passed away on March 2, 2025. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) political party.

Bernhard Vogel served as the Minister President of two different German states:

• Rhineland-Palatinate from 1976 to 1988.
• Thuringia from 1992 to 2003.

He was the only person to lead two different German federal states. He was also the longest-serving Minister President in Germany's history. He also served twice as the President of the Bundesrat, which is like the upper house of Germany's parliament.

Bernhard Vogel's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Bernhard Vogel was born in Göttingen, Germany. He grew up in a town called Giessen. In 1953, he finished high school in Munich.

After high school, he went to university. He studied many subjects, including:

• Political science
• History
• Sociology
• Economics

He studied first at Heidelberg University and then at Munich University. In 1960, he earned his doctorate degree. At the same time, he worked as a research assistant at the University of Heidelberg. The next year, he became a lecturer there, teaching adults.

His Political Journey

Bernhard Vogel joined the CDU party in 1960. This was the start of his long political career.

Early Political Roles

• In 1963, he was elected to the city council in Heidelberg.
• In 1965, he became a member of the Bundestag, which is the German federal parliament. He left this role in 1967.
• From 1967 to 1976, he was the Minister for Education and Culture in Rhineland-Palatinate. He worked under two different Minister Presidents during this time.
• In 1973, he became the leader of the CDU party in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Leading Rhineland-Palatinate

In December 1976, Bernhard Vogel became the Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate. He took over from Helmut Kohl, who became a federal politician.

While leading Rhineland-Palatinate, he also became the chairman of ZDF. This is one of Germany's largest public TV broadcasters. He won elections in 1979 and 1983, keeping his party in power. In 1987, his party won again, but with fewer votes.

In 1988, he was not re-elected as the state leader of his party. Because of this, he resigned as Minister President. He ended his farewell speech with a famous phrase: "May God protect Rhineland-Palatinate!"

Leading Thuringia

After leaving his role in Rhineland-Palatinate, Vogel became the chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in 1989. This foundation promotes democracy and political education.

In 1992, he became the Minister President of Thuringia. He took over after the previous leader resigned. From 1993 to 1999, he also led the CDU party in Thuringia.

In the 1999 elections, his party won a strong majority in Thuringia. He continued to serve until June 5, 2003. He resigned due to his age and was followed by Dieter Althaus.

Life After Politics

Vogel in 2019

Even after stepping down as Minister President, Bernhard Vogel remained active.

• From 2001 to 2009, he again served as president of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin.
• In 2012, he was a visiting professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen. He taught about political management.
• In 2022, he was chosen as a delegate to help elect the President of Germany.

Personal Life

Bernhard Vogel was a devoted Roman Catholic. He was single and did not have children. His brother, Hans-Jochen Vogel, was also a well-known politician from a different party (SPD). Hans-Jochen Vogel was a former mayor of Munich and Berlin. Bernhard Vogel lived in Speyer since 1965. He passed away in Speyer on March 2, 2025, at the age of 92.

Awards and Honors

Bernhard Vogel received many awards for his service:

• 1984: Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 1990: Order of Merit of Rhineland-Palatinate
• 2002: Honorary citizen of Speyer
• 2005: Order of Merit of the Free State of Thuringia

See also

In Spanish: Bernhard Vogel para niños