Heinz Riesenhuber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heinz Riesenhuber
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Riesenhuber in 2014
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| President by right of age of the Bundestag | |
| In office 27 October 2009 – 1 June 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Otto Schily |
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Schäuble |
| Minister of Scientific Research | |
| In office 4 October 1982 – 21 January 1993 |
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| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl |
| Preceded by | Andreas von Bülow |
| Succeeded by | Matthias Wissmann |
| Member of the Bundestag for Hesse |
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| In office 14 December 1976 – 24 October 2017 |
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| Succeeded by | Norbert Altenkamp |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 December 1935 Frankfurt |
| Political party | CDU (1961–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Technical University of Munich |
| Occupation | Chemist |
Heinz Friedrich Ruppert Riesenhuber (born 1 December 1935) is a German politician. He was a member of the CDU party. From 1982 to 1993, he served as the Minister of Scientific Research. He worked under Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
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Early Life and Education
Heinz Riesenhuber was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He finished high school in 1955. After that, he studied economics and chemistry. He received a special scholarship during his studies.
In 1965, he earned his doctorate degree in chemistry. He worked as a researcher for four years. This was at the chemistry department of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität.
Career Before Politics
From 1966 to 1982, Heinz Riesenhuber worked for a company called Metallgesellschaft AG. This company was located in Frankfurt am Main. He held important leadership roles there. He was a CEO for one part of the company. Later, he became the Chief Technical Officer for another part.
He also helped lead a council. This council worked on high-technology and environmental technology. It was a cooperation between Germany and Japan. Since 1995, he has been an honorary professor. He teaches at the University of Frankfurt.
Political Journey
Heinz Riesenhuber joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1961. This is a major political party in Germany. From 1965 to 1969, he led the youth group of the CDU in Hesse. He also chaired the CDU in Frankfurt from 1973 to 1978.
He became a member of the Bundestag in 1976. The Bundestag is Germany's federal parliament. He served there for over 40 years, until 2017. This made him one of the longest-serving members. He represented different areas of Frankfurt.
In 1982, he became the Minister of Scientific Research. He held this important job until 1993. As minister, he supported new technologies. These included the Transrapid train and wind turbines.
In 2009, he became the Alterspräsident of the Bundestag. This means he was the oldest member of parliament. He held this special role in two different parliaments. He retired from politics in 2017.
Awards and Recognition
Heinz Riesenhuber has received many honors. Several universities gave him honorary degrees. These include:
- The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
- The University of Krakau in Poland.
- The University of Surrey in England.
- The University of Göttingen in Germany.
He also received several important awards. These awards recognize his service and achievements. Some of them are:
- The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- The Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour from France.
- The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.
- The Order of the Sacred Treasure from Japan.
Interesting Fact
Heinz Riesenhuber is known for always wearing a bow tie. It became his personal symbol. In his election campaigns, he even used posters. These posters only showed a bow tie. It was in the German national colors: black, red, and gold. People in his area recognized him just by this symbol. His name or party was not even on the poster!
