Gesine Schwan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gesine Schwan
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Gesine Schwan in Berlin (2023)
|
|
| President of the Viadrina European University | |
| In office 1 October 1999 – 30 September 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Hans Weiler |
| Succeeded by | Gunter Pleuger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 May 1943 Berlin, Germany |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouses |
Alexander Schwan
(died 1989)Peter Eigen
(m. 2004) |
| Education | Free University of Berlin University of Freiburg |
Gesine Schwan (born Gesine Schneider on May 22, 1943) is a German professor of political science. She is also a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. This party chose her twice to run for the federal President of Germany. In 2004 and 2009, she ran against Horst Köhler but did not win.
Contents
About Gesine Schwan's Life
Gesine Schwan was born in Berlin on May 22, 1943. Her parents were part of a quiet resistance movement during the Third Reich (Nazi Germany). They even hid a Jewish girl to protect her. After World War II, her family worked hard to help Germany and Poland become friends again.
In 1969, Gesine married Professor Alexander Schwan. They had two children together. Alexander passed away in 1989. In 2004, Gesine married her second husband, Peter Eigen. He used to work for the World Bank and started an organization called Transparency International. Gesine Schwan is very active in helping Germans and Poles understand each other better. She gives many talks on this important topic.
Gesine Schwan's School and Work
Her Education Journey
In 1962, Gesine Schwan finished high school at the Französisches Gymnasium in Berlin. This was a special school where students learned in both German and French. After high school, she went to the Free University of Berlin and later the University of Freiburg. She studied history, philosophy, languages, and political science.
Starting Her Career
Gesine Schwan spent time studying in Poland, in the cities of Warsaw and Kraków. In 1970, she earned her Ph.D. (a high university degree) from the Free University of Berlin. Her Ph.D. paper was about a Polish philosopher named Leszek Kołakowski. After that, she became an assistant professor at the same university. She continued her studies on the ideas of Karl Marx and became a full professor in 1977.
Becoming a Professor
As a professor, Gesine Schwan focused on topics like political ideas, how societies work, and different types of democracy. She also spent time doing research in other countries. In 1980 and 1981, she was at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the USA. In 1984, she visited Robinson College at Cambridge University in England. In 1998, she was a visiting professor in New York. From 1993 to 1995, she was the dean (a leader) of the Political Science Faculty at the Free University of Berlin.
In 1999, Gesine Schwan tried to become the president of the Free University of Berlin but was not chosen. However, in the same year, she was elected as the president of Viadrina European University in Frankfurt (Oder).
Gesine Schwan's Political Life
Gesine Schwan is part of a group within the Social Democratic Party that has different ideas from Karl Marx's theories. In 1974, she helped start a group called the Seeheimer Kreis. This group had more traditional views within the party. In 1977, she joined the party's "Commission for Fundamental Values."
In 1984, she was removed from this group because she openly disagreed with the party's "Ostpolitik." This policy was about working with communist governments. Gesine Schwan believed the party should support people who spoke out against their governments in Eastern Europe. She was put back into the "Commission for Fundamental Values" in 1996.
Since 2002, she has led the "German-Polish Forum" with Janusz Reiter. In 2004, the German government chose her to be the special coordinator for working with Poland. She kept this job even when a new government came into power. In 2009, she spoke out against former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for being too friendly with Vladimir Putin and not caring enough about Poland's worries about Germany and Russia.
In 2010, Gesine Schwan supported the Spinelli Group in the European Parliament. This group wants to make the European Union (EU) more united. Other important people like Jacques Delors and Daniel Cohn-Bendit also supported this idea.
Running for President
On May 23, 2004, Gesine Schwan was the candidate for president of Germany. She received many votes but was defeated by Horst Köhler. In 2008, her party chose her again to run for president in 2009. Once more, she ran against Horst Köhler, who won his second term as president.
Later Political Work
In 2019, Gesine Schwan wanted to become a co-leader of the Social Democratic Party. She ran for this position with Ralf Stegner.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Gesine Schwan has received several important awards for her work:
- 1993: Federal Cross of Merits (Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse)
- 1999: Urania-Medal Award for her work in teaching science to the public.
- 2002: Commander's Cross of the Order of Merits of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- 2004: Marion Dönhoff Award for helping different countries agree and make peace.
- 2006: Honorary doctor's degree from the European University Institute in Florence.
See also
In Spanish: Gesine Schwan para niños
