Günther Beckstein
Encyclopedia
Günther Beckstein (ˈɡʏntɐ ˈbɛkʃtaɪn) (born November 23, 1943 in Hersbruck
, Germany
) is a Bavaria
n CSU
politician
and was Minister-President
of Bavaria from 9 October 2007 to 27 October 2008 . He is well known for his outspoken views on law and order
.
at the Willstätter Gymnasium
in Nuremberg
in 1962, he studied law
at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He's holding a Ph.D.
from Erlangen-Nürnberg University. In 1975, he wrote his dissertation (The Delinquent of Conscience in Criminal Law and Trial Law) which lead to his Ph.D. Between 1971 and 1978, he worked as a lawyer.
Beckstein has been married to Marga Beckstein, a teacher, since 1973. They have three children: Ruth, Frank and Martin. Beckstein and his wife are residents of Nürnberg-Langwasser
. He is a Protestant and an active church member.
Nürnberg-Fürth
(1973–1978) and then became vice chairman of the CSU district association Nürnberg-Fürth-Schwabach
. In 1991, he acceded its chairmanship
A member of the Bavarian State Parliament, the Landtag
, for the CSU since 1974, he became State Secretary at the Bavarian Ministry of Interior () in 1988. In 1993, he became the Interior Minister of Bavaria, succeeding Edmund Stoiber
. In 2001, he was elected to the post of Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria.
Beckstein won seat in the Bundestag
in the 2005 German federal elections but did not take up this position, preferring to stay in state politics.
After Minister-President Edmund Stoiber had announced on January 18, 2007 to resign from his post in the autumn of 2007, the CSU Landtag
fraction came to the arrangement for Beckstein to succeed Stoiber, after a power struggle with Erwin Huber
, selecting him with a vast majority. On October 9, the Bavarian Landtag elected him as the new Minister-President by a majority of 122 of the 178 votes cast.
His rise to the post of Bavarian prime minister was something of a novelty in the state as he is from Franconia
—the northern half of Bavaria—and a Protestant. Traditionally, though not exclusively, Bavarian prime ministers have been from Altbayern
—the south—and Catholics.
On 1 October 2008, following the Bavarian state elections of 28 September, where his party lost its absolute majority of the seats for the first time in 46 years, Beckstein resigned from his post but remained in office until a new Minister-President was elected on 27 October.
Hersbruck
Hersbruck is a small town in Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, belonging to the district Nürnberger Land. Famous for the late-gothic artwork of the Hersbruck altar, the "Hirtenmuseum" and the beautiful landscape of the "Hersbrucker Schweiz".-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) is a Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n CSU
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and was Minister-President
Minister-President
A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
of Bavaria from 9 October 2007 to 27 October 2008 . He is well known for his outspoken views on law and order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
.
Life
After graduating from High SchoolAbitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
at the Willstätter Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in 1962, he studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He's holding a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Erlangen-Nürnberg University. In 1975, he wrote his dissertation (The Delinquent of Conscience in Criminal Law and Trial Law) which lead to his Ph.D. Between 1971 and 1978, he worked as a lawyer.
Beckstein has been married to Marga Beckstein, a teacher, since 1973. They have three children: Ruth, Frank and Martin. Beckstein and his wife are residents of Nürnberg-Langwasser
Langwasser
Langwasser is a district of Nuremberg in the southeastern area of the city. It was developed as a prototype of the satellite town concept in the 1960s and is primarily a suburban residential area...
. He is a Protestant and an active church member.
Political career
Beckstein started his political career as the district chairman of the Junge UnionJunge Union
The Junge Union Deutschlands or JU is the jointyouth organisation of the two conservative German political parties CDU and CSU...
Nürnberg-Fürth
Fürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
(1973–1978) and then became vice chairman of the CSU district association Nürnberg-Fürth-Schwabach
Schwabach
Schwabach is a German town of about 40,000 inhabitants near Nuremberg, in the center of the region of Franconia in the North of Bavaria. The city is an autonomous administrative district . Schwabach is also the name of a river which runs through the city prior joining the Rednitz.Schwabach is...
. In 1991, he acceded its chairmanship
A member of the Bavarian State Parliament, the Landtag
Landtag of Bavaria
The Landtag of Bavaria is the unicameral legislature of the state of Bavaria in Germany. Between 1946 and 1999 there was an upper house, the Senate of Bavaria. The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum....
, for the CSU since 1974, he became State Secretary at the Bavarian Ministry of Interior () in 1988. In 1993, he became the Interior Minister of Bavaria, succeeding Edmund Stoiber
Edmund Stoiber
Edmund Rüdiger Stoiber is a German politician, former minister-president of the state of Bavaria and former chairman of the Christian Social Union...
. In 2001, he was elected to the post of Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria.
Beckstein won seat in the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
in the 2005 German federal elections but did not take up this position, preferring to stay in state politics.
After Minister-President Edmund Stoiber had announced on January 18, 2007 to resign from his post in the autumn of 2007, the CSU Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
fraction came to the arrangement for Beckstein to succeed Stoiber, after a power struggle with Erwin Huber
Erwin Huber
Erwin Huber is a German conservative politician. He was leader of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria from 2007 to 2009.-Early life:...
, selecting him with a vast majority. On October 9, the Bavarian Landtag elected him as the new Minister-President by a majority of 122 of the 178 votes cast.
His rise to the post of Bavarian prime minister was something of a novelty in the state as he is from Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
—the northern half of Bavaria—and a Protestant. Traditionally, though not exclusively, Bavarian prime ministers have been from Altbayern
Altbayern
Altbayern is a term used to describe the three oldest parts of the Free State of Bavaria, which were earlier known as Kurbayern. It also describes the people who live in the area Altbayern (also written Altbaiern, English meaning: Old Bavaria) is a term used to describe the three oldest parts of...
—the south—and Catholics.
On 1 October 2008, following the Bavarian state elections of 28 September, where his party lost its absolute majority of the seats for the first time in 46 years, Beckstein resigned from his post but remained in office until a new Minister-President was elected on 27 October.
Views
- Beckstein is an outspoken critic of the Church of ScientologyChurch of ScientologyThe Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. - He is a staunch supporter of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and has warned in the past of the danger of right-wing extremismExtremismExtremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
and antisemitism. He has received the Jerusalem Prize of the (Zionistin Organisation of GermanyHistory of ZionismZionism as an organized movement is generally considered to have been fathered by Theodor Herzl in 1897; however the history of Zionism began earlier and related to Judaism and Jewish history...
) in July 2006 for his efforts. - He has warned repeatedly of the dangers arising from Islamist extremists in Germany and has asked for greater powers for government security departments to deal with those. He was criticized for this by members of the SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
and German Muslims. - As the head of the Bavarian government, Beckstein had the final say on whether Hitler'sAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
Mein KampfMein KampfMein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
could be published in Germany, since Bavaria holds the copyrights. Beckstein disallowed any form of publication of the book in Germany, fearing it would fuel right-wing extremism. - Beckstein caused controversy in the run-up to OktoberfestOktoberfestOktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
by declaring that people who drink two MaßMaßThe is a term used in German-speaking countries for a unit of volume, now typically used only for measuring beer sold for immediate on-site consumption. In modern times, a is defined as exactly 1 litre....
of beerBeerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
over several hours are fit to drive.
External links
- Günther Beckstein Sworn in as new Bavarian Premier Deutsche WelleDeutsche WelleDeutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
article on Günther Beckstein - Website with quotes of Günther Beckstein (in German)