Norbert Lammert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Norbert Lammert
Lammert in 2014
Chair of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 December 2018
General Secretary	Michael Thielen
Preceded by	Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the Bundestag
In office 18 October 2005 – 24 October 2017
Preceded by	Wolfgang Thierse
Succeeded by	Wolfgang Schäuble
Vice President of the Bundestag (on proposal of the CDU/CSU-group)
In office 17 October 2002 – 18 October 2005
President	Wolfgang Thierse
Preceded by	Rudolf Seiters
Succeeded by	Gerda Hasselfeldt
Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport
In office 15 May 1997 – 26 October 1998
Chancellor	Helmut Kohl
Minister	Matthias Wissmann
Preceded by	Manfred Carstens
Succeeded by	Achim Großmann
Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Economic Affairs
In office 17 November 1994 – 15 May 1997
Chancellor	Helmut Kohl
Minister	Günter Rexrodt
Preceded by	Reinhard Göhner
Succeeded by	Heinrich Leonhard Kolb
Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Education and Science
In office 21 April 1989 – 17 November 1994
Chancellor	Helmut Kohl
Minister	Heinz Riesenhuber Matthias Wissmann
Preceded by	Irmgard Karwatzki
Succeeded by	Bernd Neumann
Member of the Bundestag for North Rhine-Westphalia
In office 4 November 1980 – 24 October 2017
Preceded by	multi-member district
Succeeded by	multi-member district
Personal details
Born	(1948-11-16) 16 November 1948 (age 76) Bochum, British occupation zone, Allied-occupied Germany (now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Political party	Christian Democratic Union (1966–)
Spouse	Gertrud
Children	4
Alma mater	Ruhr University Bochum
Occupation	Politician Academic
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Norbert Lammert, born on November 16, 1948, is a well-known German politician. He belongs to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. From 2005 to 2017, he held a very important job as the 12th President of the Bundestag. This role is similar to being the speaker of Germany's parliament.

Early Life and Education

Norbert Lammert grew up as the son of a baker. He went to a special high school called a gymnasium in Bochum. There, he focused on studying classic subjects. He finished school in 1967.

After school, he served in the German army, the Bundeswehr, from 1967 to 1969. Then, he went to Ruhr University Bochum. He also spent some time studying abroad at the University of Oxford in England. He studied political science and modern history. In 1975, he earned his doctorate degree from Ruhr University Bochum.

Political Career Highlights

Norbert Lammert joined the CDU political party in 1966. He quickly became active in local politics in Bochum. From 1978 to 1984, he was a leader in the youth branch of the CDU.

In 1980, he was elected to the Bundestag, which is the German parliament. He served as a member of parliament continuously until 2017. During his time in the Bundestag, he worked on many different committees.

Norbert Lammert speaking in the German Bundestag in 2014.

After the 2005 elections, the CDU became the strongest party. They formed a "grand coalition" government with the Social Democratic Party (SPD). On October 18, 2005, the Bundestag elected Lammert to be its President. He took over from Wolfgang Thierse. Lammert received a lot of support, getting 564 out of 607 votes.

He was re-elected as President after the 2009 election. As President, he led the parliament's Council of Elders. This group helps decide what laws to discuss each day. Norbert Lammert was known for being fair and for his clever sense of humor.

In 2016, the German President, Joachim Gauck, announced he would not seek re-election. Many people thought Norbert Lammert might be the next president. However, in October 2016, Lammert decided not to run in the 2017 elections. He chose to retire from active politics.

Later Career and Public Service

After leaving the Bundestag, Norbert Lammert took on new roles. In 2018, he became the chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS). This foundation promotes political education and research.

Since 2022, he has been part of a special three-person group. This group helps make sure that senior German officials follow rules about taking new jobs after leaving the government. This helps prevent conflicts of interest.

Important Political Views

Parliament's Role

Norbert Lammert always believed in the importance of the parliament. He often spoke out to protect the rights of elected members. For example, in 2016, he strongly supported recognizing the 1915 Armenian massacres as a genocide.

In 2011, he questioned why the parliament was not fully consulted on a big decision. This was when Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to close all nuclear power plants. He also insisted that members of parliament should be fully involved in decisions about the euro zone debt crisis.

European Integration

Lammert supported the idea of a financial transaction tax in Europe. He wanted this tax to be used in as many countries as possible. In 2012, he also suggested that the European Union should not add new members for a while. He felt this was important because of the ongoing debt crisis.

Human Rights

Norbert Lammert has been a strong voice for human rights. After the Charlie Hebdo shooting in 2015, he criticized Saudi Arabia. He pointed out that they condemned the attacks but then publicly punished a blogger for insulting Islam.

In June 2015, he refused to meet the Egyptian president. He explained that this was because of the "unbelievable number of death sentences" in Egypt. In 2016, he visited a refugee camp in Jordan. He wanted to understand the challenges faced by Syrians fleeing the civil war.

In June 2017, Lammert voted against Germany allowing same-sex marriage.

Other Activities and Boards

Norbert Lammert has been involved in many organizations outside of his political roles.

Company Boards

• RAG AG: Member of the Supervisory Board
• RAG-Stiftung: Member of the Board of Trustees (2017–2022)
• Evonik Industries: Member of the Supervisory Board (2005-2007)
• RTL Television: Member of the Program Committee (1998-2007)

Non-Profit Organizations

• Deutsche Nationalstiftung: Member of the Senate
• Konrad Adenauer Prize: Member of the Advisory Board
• Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI): Member of the Board of Trustees
• Federal Cultural Foundation: Member of the Board of Trustees
• Goethe-Institut: Member of the General Meeting
• Institute for Advanced Study: Member of the Board of Trustees (2009-2013)
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation: Chairman of the Board of Directors
• Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: Chairman of the Board of Trustees
• musikFabrik: Member of the Board of Trustees
• Norbert Lammert Foundation: Chairman of the Board of Trustees
• Ruhrfestspiele: Member of the Supervisory Board
• Ruhr University Bochum: Member of the Board of Trustees (2002-2008)

Awards and Recognition

• 2019: He received the Hans Ehrenberg Prize.

Personal Life

Norbert Lammert is a member of the Catholic Church. He is married to Gertrud, and they have four children.

Images for kids

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  Lammert in 2014

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  Norbert Lammert's signature

See Also

In Spanish: Norbert Lammert para niños