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 – 24 October 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 |
| Constituency |
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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 was born on December 1, 1935. He is a German politician from the CDU party. He served as the Minister of Scientific Research under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. This important role lasted from 1982 to 1993.
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Early Life and Education
Heinz Riesenhuber finished high school in 1955 in Frankfurt am Main. He then went on to study economics and chemistry. He completed his studies in 1961. He even received a special scholarship called the Cusanuswerk.
From 1962, he worked as a researcher. He was in the chemistry department at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität. In 1965, he earned a Doctorate degree in chemistry. This means he became a highly qualified chemist.
After his research, he worked for a company called Metallgesellschaft AG. He was there from 1966 to 1982. He held important leadership roles in their smaller companies. For example, he was CEO of "Erzgesellschaft mbH" and Chief Technical Officer of "Synthomer Chemie GmbH".
Later Career and Family
Heinz Riesenhuber also helped with international cooperation. He was a co-president of a German-Japanese council. This council focused on high-technology and environmental technology.
Since 1995, he has been an honorary professor. He teaches at the University of Frankfurt. He has also led the German Parliamentary Union since 2006. This group is for members of the German parliament.
He is part of many important company and institute boards. Heinz Riesenhuber lives in Frankfurt-Unterliederbach. He is married and has four children.
Political Journey
Heinz Riesenhuber joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1961. This is one of Germany's main political parties. From 1965 to 1969, he led the CDU's youth group in Hessen.
He became the chairman of the CDU in Frankfurt. This was from 1973 to 1978. Later, in 1979, he was chosen to lead the CDU district of Untermain. This area is now known as FrankfurtRheinMain.
Serving in the Bundestag
From 1976 to 2017, he was a member of the Bundestag. The Bundestag is Germany's federal parliament. He was first elected through a "state list" system. Later, he represented specific voting areas. These included Frankfurt am Main I - Main-Taunus and Main-Taunus.
He served for over 40 years in the Bundestag. This makes him one of the longest-serving members ever. In the 2009 elections, he won 47.5% of the votes. In 2013, he won even more, with 52.5%.
Minister of Scientific Research
On October 4, 1982, he became the Minister of Scientific Research. Helmut Kohl was the Chancellor at the time. He held this position until January 21, 1993.
As minister, he supported important projects. These included the Transrapid, a high-speed magnetic train. He also supported the wind turbine project called Growian.
In 2009, he became the Alterspräsident of the Bundestag. This means he was the oldest member of the parliament. He held this special role in the next parliament too. In 2017, he decided not to run for parliament again.
Awards and Recognitions
Heinz Riesenhuber has received many special honors. He has been given honorary degrees from several universities:
- Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel
- University of Krakau, Poland
- University of Surrey, England (in 1993)
- University of Göttingen, Germany (in 1997)
He also received many awards, including:
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour from France
- Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Order of the Sacred Treasure from Japan
Fun Fact
Heinz Riesenhuber is known for his unique style. His personal trademark is his Bow tie. He always wears one! In his political campaigns, he used a special poster. It only showed a bow tie in the German national colors: black, red, and gold. His name or party were not on it. But everyone in his voting area knew it was for Riesenhuber.
