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 23 November 1943) is a German CSU politician. He served as the 17th minister-president of Bavaria from 2007 to 2008. He is known for his strong opinions on law and order.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Günther Beckstein was born in Hersbruck, Germany. After finishing high school in Nuremberg in 1962, he went on to study law. He attended the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
He earned an advanced degree, a Ph.D., from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. His special research paper in 1975 was about "The Delinquent of Conscience in Criminal Law and Trial Law." Before becoming a full-time politician, he worked as a Lawyer from 1971 to 1978.
Family and Personal Life
Beckstein married Marga Beckstein, a teacher, in 1973. They have three children named Ruth, Frank, and Martin. The family lives in Nürnberg-Langwasser.
He is a Protestant and an active member of his church. From 1993 to 2015, he was part of the synod, which is a governing body, of the Evangelical Church in Germany.
Political Journey
Günther Beckstein began his political career in youth politics. He was the district chairman of the Junge Union (the youth wing of the CSU party) in Nürnberg-Fürth from 1973 to 1978. Later, he became the vice chairman and then the chairman of the CSU party in his local district.
Serving in Bavaria's Government
In 1974, Beckstein became a member of the Bavarian State Parliament, which is like the state's main law-making body. In 1987, he ran to become the Lord Mayor of Nuremberg but did not win.
He took on more important roles in the Bavarian government. In 1988, he became a State Secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of Interior. This ministry is responsible for things like public safety and local government. In 1993, he became the Interior Minister of Bavaria, taking over from Edmund Stoiber.
In 2001, he was chosen as the Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria. This means he was the second-in-command in the state government.
Becoming Minister-President
In 2005, Beckstein won a seat in the Bundestag (Germany's national parliament). However, he chose to stay in Bavarian state politics instead.
When the Minister-President, Edmund Stoiber, decided to step down in 2007, the CSU party in the state parliament chose Beckstein to be his successor. On 9 October 2007, the Bavarian Landtag officially elected him as the new Minister-President. He received 122 out of 178 votes.
His election was quite special because he is from Franconia (northern Bavaria) and is a Protestant. Traditionally, many Bavarian Minister-Presidents have been from southern Bavaria and were Catholic.
After the state elections in September 2008, his party lost its majority in the parliament for the first time in 46 years. Because of this, Beckstein resigned from his position on 1 October 2008. He stayed in office until a new Minister-President was elected later that month.
Key Beliefs and Opinions
Günther Beckstein is known for his clear views on several important topics:
- He has openly criticized the Church of Scientology.
- He strongly supports Israel and has spoken out against the dangers of right-wing extremism and antisemitism (hatred towards Jewish people). For his efforts, he received the Jerusalem Prize in 2006.
- He has often warned about the threats from Islamist extremists in Germany. He has asked for more power for government security agencies to deal with these threats.
- As the head of the Bavarian government, Beckstein had the final say on whether Hitler's book Mein Kampf could be published in Germany. Bavaria owns the copyrights to the book. Beckstein decided against any publication in Germany, fearing it would encourage right-wing extremism.
Other Activities
Even after leaving his main political roles, Günther Beckstein has remained active:
- He has been a member of the Regional Advisory Board for Bavaria for Deutsche Bank since 2011.
- He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
See also
In Spanish: Günther Beckstein para niños
