Lothar Bisky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lothar Bisky
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Lothar Bisky in 2005
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| Chairman of The Left | |
| In office 16 June 2007 – 15 May 2010 Serving with Oskar Lafontaine
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| Preceded by | himself (as Leader of the Party of Democratic Socialism) |
| Succeeded by | Gesine Lötzsch |
| Chairman of the Party of Democratic Socialism | |
| In office 29 June 2003 – 15 June 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Gabi Zimmer |
| Succeeded by | himself (as co-leader of The Left) |
| In office 31 January 1993 – 14 October 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Gregor Gysi |
| Succeeded by | Gabi Zimmer |
| Member of the European Parliament for Germany |
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| In office 14 July 2009 – 13 August 2013 |
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| Succeeded by | Martina Michels |
| Member of the Bundestag for Brandenburg |
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| In office 18 October 2005 – 14 July 2009 |
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| Succeeded by | Steffen Hultsch |
| Constituency | The Left Party.PDS List |
| Vice President of the Landtag of Brandenburg (on proposal of the PDS-group) |
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| In office 13 October 2004 – 20 October 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Gerlinde Stobrawa |
| Leader of the PDS in Landtag of Brandenburg | |
| In office 26 October 1990 – 13 October 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Dagmar Enkelmann |
| Member of the Landtag of Brandenburg | |
| In office 26 October 1990 – 20 October 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Kerstin Meier |
| Constituency | PDS List |
| Member of the Volkskammer for Potsdam |
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| In office 5 April 1990 – 2 October 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 August 1941 Zollbrück, Pomerania, Nazi Germany (now Korzybie, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland) |
| Died | 13 August 2013 (aged 71) Leipzig, Germany |
| Political party | SED (1963–1989) PDS (1989–2007) The Left (2007–2013) |
| Website | lothar-bisky.de |
Lothar Bisky (born August 17, 1941 – died August 13, 2013) was an important German politician. He was the chairman of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). This party was the successor to the Socialist Unity Party (SED), which was the ruling party in East Germany.
In June 2007, he became a co-chairman of The Left (Die Linke) party. This new party was formed when the PDS joined with another smaller party. From 2007 to 2010, he also led the Party of the European Left. He was also the publisher of a socialist newspaper called Neues Deutschland.
Early Life and Education
Lothar Bisky was born in a place called Zollbrück in Pomerania, Germany. This area is now part of Poland. After 1945, his family became refugees and moved to West Germany.
When he was 18, he moved to Communist East Germany to get a free university education. He joined the Socialist Unity Party in 1963. From 1986 to 1990, he was the head of the University of Film and Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Later, in 1991, he joined the board of directors for a regional TV channel.
Political Career Highlights
In 1990, Lothar Bisky became a member of the Volkskammer, which was the parliament of East Germany. After Germany reunited, he became a member of the state parliament in Brandenburg in 1990.
He was the chairman of the PDS party from 1993. He stepped down in 2000 after a disagreement within the party. He was re-elected as chairman in 2003. Bisky was known for being a moderate leader within his party. He was good at leading discussions between groups with different ideas.
In the 2005 election, his party won many seats in the Bundestag, which is Germany's main parliament. Bisky was nominated to become one of the six vice presidents of the Bundestag. However, he was not elected for this role. This was because of his past activities as an informer for the Stasi. The Stasi was East Germany's secret police.
Stasi Informer Role
In 1995, it was found that Lothar Bisky had been an informer for the Stasi. Stasi records showed his activities as an informant. These records used code names for him, like Bienert and Klaus Heine.
The Stasi described Bisky as "reliable." This was the highest level of trust for an informer. They said he was "a reliable comrade, who strictly follows orders and always is honest with the Ministry for State Security (Stasi)."
Family Life
Lothar Bisky was married and had three sons. His oldest son, Jens Bisky, is a journalist and writer. His second son, Norbert Bisky, is a painter. His youngest son, Stephan Bisky, passed away in 2008.
Lothar Bisky died in a hospital in Leipzig in August 2013. He passed away after falling down the stairs at his home.
