Dorothee Wilms facts for kids
Dorothee Wilms was born on October 11, 1929, in Grevenbroich, Germany. She is a well-known German politician.
She held important roles in the German government. From 1982 to 1987, she was the Federal Minister for Education and Science. After that, from 1987 to 1991, she served as the Federal Minister for Inner-German relations. This role was very important before Germany became one country again.
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Her Early Life and Studies
After finishing school in 1950, Dorothee Wilms went to the University of Cologne. She studied economics, social policy, and sociology. She finished her studies in 1954.
In 1956, she earned a special degree called a PhD. Her research looked at how big and small parts of the German economy worked together. From 1953 to 1973, she worked as a research assistant. She focused on youth and job training at a research center in Cologne. Later, from 1977 to 1982, she led a research center. This center studied how education and social policies developed.
Getting Involved in Politics
Dorothee Wilms joined a political party called the Christian Democratic Union (Germany) (CDU) in 1961. The CDU is one of the main political parties in Germany. From 1974 to 1976, she was a deputy leader of the CDU.
In 1986, she was chosen to be on the CDU's main committee for the region of North Rhine-Westphalia. She also served for 25 years on the board of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. This foundation helps promote democracy and education. She left this role in 2005.
Working in the Bundestag
From 1976 to 1994, Dorothee Wilms was a member of the German Bundestag. The Bundestag is like the parliament or main law-making body of Germany. It's where elected politicians meet to make decisions for the country.
While in the Bundestag, she had another important job. From 1980 to 1982, she was the parliamentary business manager for the CDU/CSU group. This meant she helped organize the work of her party's members in the Bundestag.
Important Government Roles
On October 4, 1982, Dorothee Wilms became a Federal Minister. A Federal Minister is like a top government official. She was in charge of education and science in the government led by Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
After the elections in 1987, she took on a new role. She became the Federal Minister for Intra-German relations. This job was about managing the relationship between West and East Germany. After Germany became one country again, this ministry was no longer needed.
Since 1992, she has been the chairperson of a special board. This board looks after the Chancellor Adenauer-Haus in Bad Honnef. It's a foundation dedicated to the first German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer. From 2000 to 2004, she also led a group for former members of the Bundestag and the European Parliament.
