Bernhard Vogel facts for kids

Bernhard Vogel (born 19 December 1932 – died 2 March 2025) was an important German politician. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.

Vogel served as the leader (called "Minister President") of two different German states. He led Rhineland-Palatinate from 1976 to 1988. Later, he led Thuringia from 1992 to 2003. He was the only person to ever lead two different German states. He was also the longest-serving Minister President in Germany's history.

Quick facts for kids Bernhard Vogel
Vogel in 1988
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)
Relatives	Hans-Jochen Vogel (brother)
Alma mater	Heidelberg University Munich University
Signature

Bernhard Vogel's Life and Work

Growing Up and School

Bernhard Vogel was born in Göttingen, Germany, on 19 December 1932. 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 political science, history, sociology, and economics. He studied first in Heidelberg and then in Munich. In 1960, he earned his doctorate degree. He also worked as a helper at the University of Heidelberg.

Becoming a Politician

In 1960, Vogel joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. This was the start of his long political career.

• In 1963, he was elected to the local council in Heidelberg.
• From 1965 to 1967, he was a member of the Bundestag, which is Germany's national parliament.
• He then became the State Minister for Culture and Education in Rhineland-Palatinate. He worked under two different state leaders, Peter Altmeier and Helmut Kohl.
• In 1973, he became the leader of the CDU party in Rhineland-Palatinate.

In December 1976, Bernhard Vogel became the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate. This meant he was the head of the state government. He also became the President of the Bundesrat, which is a council where German states work together. He held this position from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1987 to 1988.

He won state elections in 1979 and 1983. In 1987, he won again, but his party lost its absolute majority. In 1988, he resigned as Minister-President. He ended his speech with a famous phrase: "May God protect Rhineland-Palatinate!"

After leaving Rhineland-Palatinate, Vogel became the head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in 1989. This foundation helps promote democracy and education.

In 1992, he became the Minister-President of Thuringia, another German state. He led the CDU party in Thuringia from 1993 to 1999. In 1999, his party won a lot of votes and had a strong majority. Because of his age, he stepped down as Minister-President of Thuringia in 2003.

After His Time in Office

Even after leaving his main political roles, Bernhard Vogel continued to be active.

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

About His Family and Beliefs

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. Hans-Jochen was a member of a different party (SPD) and served as mayor of Munich and Berlin. Since 1965, Bernhard Vogel lived in Speyer.

Bernhard Vogel passed away on 2 March 2025, at the age of 92.

Other Important Roles

Bernhard Vogel was involved in many other organizations. He often helped with groups that do good work for society.

• He was a member of the board of trustees for "donum vitae," an organization that supports pregnant women.
• He was also on the board of trustees for CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg, which is a relief agency.
• He helped with the Eugen Biser Foundation and the European Foundation for the Speyer Cathedral.
• He was a member of the board of trustees for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Willy Brandt Foundation.

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

Images for kids

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  Bernhard Vogel's signature

See also