Thilo Sarrazin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thilo Sarrazin
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Sarrazin in 2009
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| Berlin Senator of Finance | |
| In office 17 January 2002 – 30 April 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Christiane Krajewski |
| Succeeded by | Ulrich Nußbaum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 February 1945 Gera, Thuringia, Germany |
| Political party | SPD (until 2020) |
| Spouse | Ursula (née Breit) |
| Alma mater | University of Bonn |
| Profession | Economist, politician, writer |
Thilo Sarrazin (born February 12, 1945) is a German writer and former politician. He was a member of the SPD until 2020. He served as the Finance Senator for the State of Berlin from 2002 to 2009. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany's central bank, until 2010.
Sarrazin became widely known after he published a book in 2010. This book, called Germany Abolishes Itself, discussed his views on Germany's immigration policy. It caused a big discussion across the country about how multiculturalism affects society. Because of his controversial views, he is no longer a member of the SPD party.
Contents
About Thilo Sarrazin
His Early Life and Education
Thilo Sarrazin was born in Gera, which was then part of Germany. His father was a doctor, and his mother's family owned land. His family roots include French Huguenots, English, and Italian ancestors. He once joked that his name, Sarrazin, means "Saracen" (a term for Muslims in the Middle Ages). He called himself "a European mongrel," meaning he has a mix of European backgrounds.
He grew up in Recklinghausen, where he finished high school. After that, he served in the military. From 1967 to 1971, he studied economics at the University of Bonn. He earned his doctorate degree there. In the early 1970s, he started working for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and became active in the SPD party.
His Career in Government
In 1975, Sarrazin began working for the Federal Ministry of Finance. He also worked for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. He later returned to the Finance Ministry. There, he worked closely with top finance ministers. He helped prepare for the joining of East and West Germany's money, economy, and social systems. He also had some responsibility for German railways.
From 1990 to 1991, Sarrazin worked for the Treuhand, an agency that privatized East German companies. He then became a State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in Rhineland-Palatinate until 1997. After that, he was the chief executive of a real estate company called TLG Immobilien.
Working for Deutsche Bahn
Between 2000 and 2001, Sarrazin worked for Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway company. He helped develop a plan for the railway that would limit the influence of private investors. He believed that Deutsche Bahn should focus on being efficient and cost-effective. His relationship with the CEO of Deutsche Bahn was not good.
Sarrazin left Deutsche Bahn after some disagreements. He had a legal dispute with the company, but the court sided with Deutsche Bahn.
As Finance Senator in Berlin
In January 2002, Sarrazin became the Finance Senator for the Senate of Berlin. This meant he was in charge of Berlin's money. He believed in strict savings and careful financial management for the city.
Sarrazin often made strong statements about social issues and education in Berlin. His ideas for cutting social benefits sometimes led to protests. For example, he suggested that people receiving unemployment benefits could eat for less than €4 a day. He also said that unemployed people use more heating because they are home more often. He believed that pension increases were "senseless" and that older citizens should prepare for a lower standard of living.
Working for Deutsche Bundesbank
On April 30, 2009, Sarrazin left his role as Finance Senator. He was then appointed to the executive board of the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank. He was responsible for areas like information technology and risk monitoring.
However, on September 2, 2010, he was removed from his specific duties. This happened after he made a controversial statement. On September 9, 2010, Sarrazin asked the President of Germany to let him leave his position at the Bundesbank.
His Party Membership
In August 2010, the leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) began to look into ending Sarrazin's membership. They felt his ideas went against the basic values of the party.
An arbitration committee decided in April 2011 that Sarrazin could stay in the party. They said he had not intended to harm the party. He also stated that he never meant to suggest that social-Darwinist ideas should be used in politics. However, many SPD leaders were not happy with this decision.
The SPD started a third process to remove Sarrazin from the party after he published another book. This book was called Hostile Takeover: How Islam Impedes Progress and Threatens Society. The SPD leadership's request to remove him was accepted by a local party committee. Sarrazin and his lawyers said they would appeal this decision.
Personal Life
Thilo Sarrazin is married to Ursula Sarrazin. They have two sons. He has a unique smile because of an operation he had in 2004. The operation was to remove a tumor near his ear, which affected the right side of his face.
His Views
Immigration, Islam, and Social Welfare
Sarrazin supports strict rules for immigration. He believes that only highly skilled people should be allowed to immigrate. He also thinks that government welfare benefits should be reduced. In 2009, his ideas on immigration in Berlin were published. He said that many Arab and Turkish immigrants were not trying to fit into German society. He stated that he would not respect those who did not make an effort. He also mentioned that he did not have to respect people who live on welfare, do not respect the state that provides it, and do not care about their children's education.
In August 2010, Sarrazin's book Deutschland schafft sich ab (Germany Abolishes Itself) was published. It quickly became a bestseller. Within two months, it sold over a million copies. In the book, he wrote that no other religion in Europe makes as many demands as Islam. He also claimed that Muslim immigrant groups are strongly linked to welfare and crime. He also stated that no other group emphasizes their differences so much in public, especially through women's clothing.
The book was criticized for saying that Germany's Muslim population does not want to integrate. It also claimed they rely more on social services than on being productive. Sarrazin suggested strong changes to the welfare system to fix these problems.
Views on Genetics
In 2010, Sarrazin caused a stir in an interview. He claimed that "all Jews share a certain gene like all Basques share a certain gene." He later said he was sorry for any confusion. He explained that his information came from international media reports about a study on genetics.
His statements were criticized by many people, including politicians and Jewish community leaders. They called his views racist. The General Secretary of the SPD party also criticized Sarrazin for his approach.
The New Terror of Virtue
When his book "Deutschland schafft sich ab" was published, Sarrazin was accused of encouraging racism. This strong criticism led him to write another book. It was called Der neue Tugendterror - Über die Grenzen der Meinungsfreiheit in Deutschland (The new terror of virtue - on the limits of freedom of opinion in Germany).
In this book, he talks about political correctness and the political mood in Germany. He explained that he expected a discussion about his first book. However, he was not ready for the huge public outcry. He said he was accused of believing in biological determinism and was called a racist.
Selected Books
- Deutschland schafft sich ab (2010)
- Europa braucht den Euro nicht (Europe doesn't need the euro) (2012)
- Der neue Tugendterror. Über die Grenzen der Meinungsfreiheit in Deutschland. (The new terror of virtue. On the limits of freedom of opinion in Germany) (2014) ISBN: 978-3-421-04617-8
- Wunschdenken. Europa, Währung, Bildung, Einwanderung – warum Politik so häufig scheitert (Wishful thinking. Europe, currency, education, immigration – why politics so often fails) (2016)
- Feindliche Übernahme: Wie der Islam den Fortschritt behindert und die Gesellschaft bedroht (Hostile takeover – how Islam hinders progress and threatens society) (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Thilo Sarrazin para niños
