Rita Süssmuth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita Süssmuth
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Süssmuth in 2014
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| President of the Bundestag West Germany until 1990 |
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| In office 25 November 1988 – 26 October 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Philipp Jenninger |
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Thierse |
| Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth | |
| In office 26 September 1985 – 25 November 1988 |
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| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl |
| Preceded by | Heiner Geißler |
| Succeeded by | Ursula Lehr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 February 1937 Wuppertal, Germany |
| Political party | CDU |
| Alma mater | University of Münster |
Rita Süssmuth (born February 17, 1937) is a well-known German politician from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. She is famous for being the tenth President of the Bundestag, which is the person in charge of Germany's main parliament.
From 1985 to 1988, she was the government minister in charge of youth, family, women, and health. Later, from 1988 to 1998, she served as the President of the German Bundestag. She held this important job for almost 10 years, making her one of the longest-serving presidents in the history of the Bundestag.
Besides her work in government, Süssmuth has been involved in many other organizations. She was the president of a group called the European Movement Germany and worked with the Bertelsmann Foundation, which focuses on solving social problems.
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Early Life and Education
Rita Süssmuth was born in Wuppertal, Germany, and grew up in the town of Wadersloh. In 1956, she graduated from high school. After that, she went to universities in Münster, Tübingen, and Paris to study history and Romance languages (like French and Spanish).
She continued her studies in education, sociology, and psychology. In 1964, she earned her Ph.D. (a high-level university degree) from the University of Münster. Before starting her political career, she worked as a professor of educational science at several universities, including the TU Dortmund University.
Political Career
Süssmuth joined the CDU party and quickly became an important figure. From 1982 to 1985, she was the director of an institute in Hanover that studied issues related to women and society.
Minister for Families and Health
In 1985, Chancellor Helmut Kohl appointed her as the Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. During this time, she faced the serious health crisis of AIDS. She believed that teaching people how to stay safe was very important.
Süssmuth strongly supported public health education and preventative measures to stop the spread of the disease. She pushed for these ideas even when some people in her own political party and other groups disagreed with her. Her work helped increase government funding for AIDS research.
President of the Bundestag
From 1987 to 2002, Süssmuth was an elected member of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament. In 1988, she became the President of the Bundestag. This is one of the most powerful positions in German politics. She held this role during a very important time in German history: the German reunification in 1990, when East and West Germany became one country again.
As president, she played a key role in many important discussions. For example, in 1989, she supported making a clear agreement with Poland about the border between the two countries. She served as president until 1998.
From 1986 to 2001, Süssmuth was also the leader of the Frauen Union, an organization for the female members of her party. This position gave her a strong voice in shaping the party's goals.
Life After Politics
After leaving the Bundestag in 2002, Rita Süssmuth did not stop working. She has remained very active in public life.
In 2000, the German government asked her to lead a special commission on immigration. The group's job was to create a modern plan for how Germany should handle immigration. The commission presented its ideas in a detailed report in 2001.
Süssmuth has also been involved in many organizations and foundations. Some of her important roles include:
- Co-chair of a high-level commission on HIV prevention for UNAIDS.
- Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees for the Technische Universität Berlin.
- Member of a commission that helps resolve issues about art taken during the Nazi era.
- President of a private university in Berlin from 2005 to 2010.
She is also a member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, which works to fight prejudice in Europe.
Awards and Honors
Throughout her career, Rita Süssmuth has received many awards for her work in politics and society. Here are a few of them:
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1990): One of Germany's highest honors.
- Avicenna Gold Medal (1997): An award from UNESCO for her work.
- Theodor Heuss Prize (2007): For her efforts to promote democracy.
- Reinhard Mohn Prize (2015): For her work on social change.
She has also received many honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the world, including in the United States, Israel, France, and Poland.
Personal Life
Rita Süssmuth was married to Hans Süssmuth, a university professor, from 1964 until he passed away in 2020. Together, they have one daughter.
