Günther Beckstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Günther Beckstein
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Beckstein in 2023
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| Minister President of Bavaria | |
| In office 9 October 2007 – 27 October 2008 |
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| Deputy | Christa Stewens |
| Preceded by | Edmund Stoiber |
| Succeeded by | Horst Seehofer |
| Deputy Minister President of Bavaria | |
| In office 29 January 2001 – 9 October 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Edmund Stoiber |
| Preceded by | Barbara Stamm |
| Succeeded by | Martin Zeil |
| Minister of the Interior of Bavaria | |
| In office 17 June 1993 – 9 October 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Edmund Stoiber |
| Preceded by | Edmund Stoiber |
| Succeeded by | Joachim Herrmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 November 1943 Hersbruck, Nazi Germany |
| Political party | CSU |
| Spouse | Marga Beckstein |
| Children | Ruth Frank Martin |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Günther Beckstein (born November 23, 1943) is a German politician from Bavaria. He was the leader of Bavaria, known as the Minister-President, from October 2007 to October 2008. He belongs to the Christian Social Union (CSU) party. Beckstein is also known for his strong opinions on keeping law and order.
Contents
Biography and Early Life
Günther Beckstein was born in Hersbruck, Germany. He finished high school in Nuremberg in 1962. After that, he went to university to study law. He attended the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
In 1975, he earned a Ph.D., which is a very high university degree. His special study was about people who break laws because of their beliefs. Before becoming a full-time politician, he worked as a lawyer from 1971 to 1978.
Beckstein married Marga Beckstein, a teacher, in 1973. They have three children named Ruth, Frank, and Martin. The family lives in Nuremberg. He is a Protestant and has been an active member of his church. He was part of the church's main council from 1993 to 2015.
Political Journey
Beckstein began his political journey in youth politics. He was the district chairman of the Junge Union in Nuremberg-Fürth from 1973 to 1978. Later, he became the vice chairman of the CSU party in his district. In 1991, he became the chairman of that group.
In 1974, Beckstein became a member of the Bavarian State Parliament, called the Landtag. He represented the CSU party there. In 1987, he ran to be the mayor of his hometown, Nuremberg, but he did not win.
In 1988, Beckstein became a State Secretary in Bavaria's Ministry of Interior. This is a high-level position in the government. In 1993, he became the Interior Minister of Bavaria. He took over this role from Edmund Stoiber. Then, in 2001, he was chosen to be the Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria.
In 2005, Beckstein won a seat in the German national parliament, the Bundestag. However, he chose to stay in Bavarian state politics instead of taking the national position.
Becoming Minister-President
In 2007, the Minister-President at the time, Edmund Stoiber, announced he would resign. The CSU party in the Landtag decided that Beckstein should take his place. They chose him with a large majority of votes. On October 9, 2007, the Bavarian Landtag officially elected him as the new Minister-President. He received 122 out of 178 votes.
His election was quite special for Bavaria. He is from Franconia, which is the northern part of Bavaria. Also, he is a Protestant. Usually, Bavarian leaders have been from the southern part of Bavaria and were Catholic.
On October 1, 2008, Beckstein resigned from his position. This happened after the Bavarian state elections on September 28, 2008. His party lost its absolute majority of seats for the first time in 46 years. He stayed in office until a new Minister-President was elected on October 27.
In 2017, Beckstein was a CSU delegate. He attended the Federal Convention to help elect the President of Germany.
Key Opinions
- Beckstein has openly criticized the Church of Scientology.
- He strongly supports Israel. He has often warned about the dangers of right-wing extremism and antisemitism. In July 2006, he received the Jerusalem Prize for his efforts. This award came from the Zionist Organization of Germany.
- He has also warned about dangers from extremist groups in Germany. He asked for more power for government security departments to deal with these threats. Some members of the SPD and German Muslims did not agree with him on this.
- As the head of the Bavarian government, Beckstein had the final say on whether Hitler's book Mein Kampf could be published in Germany. This was because Bavaria held the copyrights. Beckstein did not allow the book to be published in Germany. He was worried it would encourage right-wing extremism.
- Before the Oktoberfest festival, Beckstein made a statement that caused discussion. He said that people who drink a certain amount of beer over several hours could still drive safely. This view was controversial.
Other Activities
- Deutsche Bank: He has been a member of the Regional Advisory Board for Bavaria since 2011.
- University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU): He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the university.
See also
In Spanish: Günther Beckstein para niños
