Kurt Biedenkopf

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Kurt Hans Biedenkopf (Template:IPA; 28 January 1930 – 12 August 2021<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) was a German jurist, academic teacher and politician of the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) party. He was rector of the Ruhr University Bochum.

Biedenkopf made a political career first in North Rhine-Westphalia, where he was chairman of the party. After the re-unification of Germany, he served as the first Minister President of the Free State of Saxony from 1990 until 2002. He was 54th president of the Bundesrat from 2000, overseeing the body's move from Bonn to Berlin. Biedenkopf is regarded as the intellectual leader of the CDU when Helmut Kohl was chancellor.<ref name="Schlamp" />

Biedenkopf worked on advisory boards of institutions including the Bertelsmann Stiftung, Deutsche Nationalstiftung, Dresden Frauenkirche, Independent Commission on Turkey and the Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen. Among his numerous recognitions were international honorific doctorates.

Early life and science

Biedenkopf was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. When his father became technical director of the Buna-Werke,<ref name="Schlamp">Template:Cite news</ref> the family moved to Schkopau, where he attended school.<ref name="Locke" /> Biedenkopf first studied political sciences from 1949 to 1950 at Davidson College in North Carolina and at Georgetown University.<ref name="Locke">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The New York Times 1976">Template:Cite web</ref> He then studied economics and law in Germany at the University of Munich,<ref name="Locke" /> achieving a law doctorate in 1958.<ref name="Kuska" /><ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" /> He obtained a Master in Law in 1962 from Georgetown University, where he studied and researched again from 1958 to 1959 and 1961 to 1962.<ref name="Geschichte der CDU 2021" /> In 1963 Biedenkopf completed his habilitation at Goethe University Frankfurt.<ref name="Deutschlandfunk 2021">Template:Cite web</ref> He became lecturer of the Ruhr University Bochum in 1964.<ref name="Schlamp" /> In 1967, he was appointed rector of the university; he was the youngest head of a university in West Germany at the time.<ref name="Locke" /> He was lecturer and visiting professor also at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Leipzig University.<ref name="Kuska" /><ref name="Albers">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="tagesschau.de 2021">Template:Cite web</ref> In the early 1970s, Biedenkopf moved to the board of Henkel.<ref name="Locke" />

Political career

Career in national politics

Biedenkopf was a member of the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU). He entered his professional political career when he became secretary general of the CDU in 1973, under the leadership of chairman Helmut Kohl. He resigned from that office in 1977 after disagreements with Kohl and went on to become one of his fiercest rivals within the party.<ref>Richard Levine, Milt Freudenheim and James F. Clarity (16 March 1986), Kohl Is Facing A Second Inquiry New York Times.</ref><ref name="Geschichte der CDU 2021" />

From 1977 to 1983 he was deputy chairman of the CDU in Germany.<ref name="Geschichte der CDU 2021">Template:Cite web</ref> During the terms 1976–1980 and 1987–1990 he was a member of the Bundestag.<ref name="Kuska" />

In 1979, it was revealed that Christel Broszey, Biedenkopf's secretary, disappeared and was presumed to have fled to East Germany.<ref name="Spiegel 1979">Template:Cite web</ref> Media reported that Broszey had been a spy.<ref name="ZEIT ONLINE_2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Michael Getler (14 March 1979), Spy Mania Grips Bonn After Defection Washington Post.</ref>

Career in North Rhine-Westphalia

In the 1980, state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, Biedenkopf unsuccessfully ran against the incumbent Minister-President Johannes Rau. He served as chairman of the CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia – the party's largest chapter – until 1987, when he was succeeded by Norbert Blüm. In late 1989, he joined forces with Lothar Späth, Heiner Geißler, Rita Süssmuth and others in an unsuccessful effort to oust Kohl as CDU chairman.<ref>Harry Luck (28 January 2010), Biedenkopf: „König Kurt" und Kohls Rivale Focus.</ref>

Minister-President of Saxony

After the re-unification of Germany in 1990 Biedenkopf was elected as Minister-President in the newly formed state of Saxony.<ref name="Kuska" /> His party also won the subsequent elections in 1994 and 1999 with an absolute majority. He held his office until April 2002.<ref name="Kuska" />

At the CDU's initiative, the state parliament resolved to declare Saxony a "free state" once again, recalling its 19th century history.<ref>Maximilian Popp, Andreas Wassermann and Steffen Winter (25 February 2016), What's Wrong with Saxony? A Search for the Roots of Fear and Racism Der Spiegel.</ref> Early in his tenure, Biedenkopf emerged as a kind of unofficial spokesman for the regions of East Germany.<ref>John Tagliabue (11 March 1991), Young Germans Still Flocking From East to West The New York Times.</ref> He enjoyed great popularity among a majority of the people of Saxony. Known for his autocratic leadership style, he was often referred to as "the Saxon King" or "King Kurt".<ref>Stephen Kinzer (15 September 1994), State Voting In Germany Reveals Shift The New York Times.</ref> During his time in office, he doubled outlays on primary and secondary education and sharply ramped up spending on research and development.<ref>Gail Edmondson (17 November 2003), Commentary: Saxony Wakes From Its Slumber Bloomberg News.</ref> He also led a legal battle against the European Commission on subsidies for Volkswagen investments in Saxony.<ref>John Schmid (31 July 1996), EU Vows to Fight Saxony's VW Subsidies International Herald Tribune.</ref>

Ahead of the German presidential election in 1994, Biedenkopf was widely seen as a likely candidate, but the post went to Roman Herzog.<ref>Stephen Kinzer (27 March 1993), Germany Considers Jew as President The New York Times.</ref>

In 2000, Biedenkopf held the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat of Germany. In this capacity, he oversaw the body's move to Berlin to complete the government's return to the pre-World War II capital from Bonn.<ref>German Upper House Finishes Move to Berlin The New York Times, 28 September 2000.</ref>

In January 2001, Biedenkopf dismissed State Minister of Finance Georg Milbradt because Milbradt had started a debate about Biedenkopf's succession. Milbradt eventually succeeded Biedenkopf in 2002.<ref name="www.kas.de 2019">Template:Cite web</ref>

Death

Gravestone Kurt Biedenkopf in Dresden

Biedenkopf died in Dresden on 12 August 2021 at the age of 91.<ref name="GmbH 2021">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ZEIT ONLINE">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Tagesspiegel 2021">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Sächsische.de 2021">Template:Cite web</ref>

Political positions

File:Biedenkopf Geburtstag - a100129 122935TWK - Portrait.jpg

Biedenkopf in 2010

Before the introduction of the euro, Biedenkopf was the only German state leader to vote against the monetary union in the Bundesrat, the legislative body that represents the German states; he later argued that "Europe wasn't ready for that epochal step."<ref name="Wiegrefe Sauga Reiermann Böll 2012">Template:Cite web</ref> Already in 1997, he had joined the minister-presidents of two other German states, Gerhard Schröder and Edmund Stoiber, in making the case for a five-year delay in Europe's currency union.<ref name="The New York Times 1997">Template:Cite web Template:Subscription required</ref>

Ahead of the Christian Democrats' leadership election in 2018, Biedenkopf publicly endorsed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeed Angela Merkel as the party's chair.<ref name="GmbH 2018">Template:Cite news</ref> He later supported Armin Laschet's candidacy to succeed Kramp-Karrenbauer in the 2021 leadership election.<ref name="Fiedler 2021">Template:Cite web</ref>

Other activities

In 1983, Biedenkopf became a member of the advisory board of the non-profit Bertelsmann Stiftung.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1987, he became chairman of the board (until 1990).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During his term, the Carl Bertelsmann Prize (today Reinhard Mohn Prize) was awarded for the first time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was active on the board of the Template:Ill, active for the unification of Germany after the separation and within the European community, and was the foundation's honorary senator until his death.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Between 2004 and 2006, Biedenkopf and Christine Bergmann served as ombuds, observing the impact of the Schröder government's labour market reforms, with a mandate to advise government and parliament on any recommended revisions to it. In 2005, he was appointed by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to head a commission on the future of codetermination in Germany.<ref>Hugh Williamson, Maike Rademaker and Richard Milne (7 July 2005), VW scandal prompts call for labour relations review Financial Times.</ref> Both Biedenkopf and Schröder later served as mediators in a 2006 conflict over privatisation plans at German railway operator Deutsche Bahn; the plans eventually fell through.<ref>Schröder und Biedenkopf legen Schlichtungsvorschlag bei Bahn vor Rheinische Post, 11 September 2006.</ref>

In addition, Biedenkopf held a number of paid and unpaid positions, including:

• Dresden Frauenkirche, member of the board of trustees<ref>Board of Trustees Dresden Frauenkirche.</ref>
• International Law Institute (ILI), member of the international advisory board<ref>International Advisory Board International Law Institute (ILI).</ref>
• Independent Commission on Turkey, member<ref name="Open Society Foundations 2009">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, member of the board of trustees<ref>Board of Trustees Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.</ref>
• Hertie School of Governance, chairman of the board of trustees (2003–2010)<ref>Kurt Biedenkopf Hertie School of Governance.</ref>
• Lions Club Germany Foundation, member<ref name="DIE WELT 2011">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen, chairman of the supervisory board (1991–2015)<ref>Peter Anderson (9 September 2015), Biedenkopf verlässt Meissen-Aufsichtsrat Sächsische Zeitung.</ref>

Recognition

• 1974: Honorary doctorate, Davidson College, Davidson, US<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Kurt Biedenkopf">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1978: Honorary doctorate, Georgetown University, Washington, US<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" /><ref name="Kurt Biedenkopf" />
• 1991: Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" />
• 1993: Honorary doctorate, New School for Social Research, New York, US<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" /><ref name="Kurt Biedenkopf" />
• 1993: Hans Böckler Prize<ref name="FP Gedenken">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994: Honorary doctorate, Catholic University of Brussels, Belgium<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" /><ref name="Kurt Biedenkopf" />
• 1994: Royal Norwegian Order of Merit<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" />
• 1997: Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony<ref name="Rundschau 2005">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2002: Constitutional Medal of Saxony<ref name="Sachsen">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2003: Brückepreis<ref name="Kuska">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2008: Honorary doctorate, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management<ref name="Kurt Biedenkopf" />
• 2011: Honorary citizen of Gröditz<ref name="Die internationale Redneragentur" />
• 2017: Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia<ref>Ministerpräsident Armin Laschet verleiht den Verdienstorden des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen an Gerhart Baum, Kurt Biedenkopf, Birgit Fischer und Reiner Priggen, State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, press release of 23 August 2017.</ref>
• 2021: Honorary doctorate, University of Leipzig<ref name="Universität Leipzig 2021">Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Politics of Germany

External links

• Kurt Biedenkopf in the CDU parliamentary group in the state parliament of Saxony