Sabine Bergmann-Pohl
Encyclopedia
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl née Schulz (born 20 April 1946 in Eisenach
, Thuringia
) is a German politician
. A member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), she was president of the People's Chamber of the German Democratic Republic
from April to October 1990 and as such the last head of state. After the reunification of Germany, she served in the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl
.
. After leaving school
in 1964, Bergmann-Pohl was initially not admitted to university and entered a two-year internship at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 1966, she began to study medicine
and gradudated in 1972 with a diploma in medicine. Since 1979, she worked as a lung
specialist and in 1980 earned a medical doctorate.
From 1980 to 1985, she was medical director of the polyclinic department for lung diseases, and tuberculosis
in Berlin-Friedrichshain. From 1985 to 1990 she was Medical Director at the District Office for lung diseases and tuberculosis in East Berlin.
Since 1990 Sabine Bergmann-Pohl is the Patron of the General Disabled Persons in Germany (ABID eV) and since 2003 President of the Berlin Red Cross
. Also since 2003 she is a member of the Presidium of the International Federation, and since 2007 she is vice president there.
, one of the bloc parties of the GDR, and in 1987 was elected to the district board at Berlin
.
In the general election of March 1990
, the first free elections of East Germany, she was elected into the People's Chamber, which on 5 April elected her its President. As parliament also abolished the State Council, she also exercised the duties of head of state until the GDR joined the Federal Republic of Germany.
After German reunification
on 3 October 1990, she became a member of the Bundestag
and, as other leading members of the last GDR government, was also appointed to the Federal Minister for Special Affairs in Chancellor Helmut Kohl
's cabinet
. After the 1990 election
, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary
in the Federal Minister for Health on 18 January 1991. Following her party's defeat in the 1998 election
, she departed from the government on 26 October 1998 but remained in the Bundestag until 2002.
Government Offices
Eisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
) is a German politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. A member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), she was president of the People's Chamber of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
from April to October 1990 and as such the last head of state. After the reunification of Germany, she served in the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
.
Early life and education
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl was born in EisenachEisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
. After leaving school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in 1964, Bergmann-Pohl was initially not admitted to university and entered a two-year internship at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 1966, she began to study medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and gradudated in 1972 with a diploma in medicine. Since 1979, she worked as a lung
Human lung
The human lungs are the organs of respiration in humans. Humans have two lungs, with the left being divided into two lobes and the right into three lobes. Together, the lungs contain approximately of airways and 300 to 500 million alveoli, having a total surface area of about in...
specialist and in 1980 earned a medical doctorate.
From 1980 to 1985, she was medical director of the polyclinic department for lung diseases, and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in Berlin-Friedrichshain. From 1985 to 1990 she was Medical Director at the District Office for lung diseases and tuberculosis in East Berlin.
Since 1990 Sabine Bergmann-Pohl is the Patron of the General Disabled Persons in Germany (ABID eV) and since 2003 President of the Berlin Red Cross
German Red Cross
The German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
. Also since 2003 she is a member of the Presidium of the International Federation, and since 2007 she is vice president there.
Political career
In 1981, she joined the CDUChristian Democratic Union (East Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany ) was an East German political party founded in 1945. It was part of the National Front with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany until 1989....
, one of the bloc parties of the GDR, and in 1987 was elected to the district board at Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
.
In the general election of March 1990
East German general election, 1990
Legislative elections were held in the German Democratic Republic on 18 March 1990. It was the first—and as it turned out, only—free parliamentary election in East Germany, and the first truly free election held in that part of Germany since 1933...
, the first free elections of East Germany, she was elected into the People's Chamber, which on 5 April elected her its President. As parliament also abolished the State Council, she also exercised the duties of head of state until the GDR joined the Federal Republic of Germany.
After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
on 3 October 1990, she became a member of 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...
and, as other leading members of the last GDR government, was also appointed to the Federal Minister for Special Affairs in Chancellor Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
's cabinet
Cabinet Kohl III
The third cabinet led by Helmut Kohl was sworn in on March 12, 1987. The cabinet was formed after the 1987 elections. It laid down its function on January 17, 1991 after the formation of the Cabinet Kohl IV, which was formed following the 1990 elections...
. After the 1990 election
German federal election, 1990
The 12th German federal election, 1990 was conducted on December 2, 1990, to elect members to the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany...
, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
in the Federal Minister for Health on 18 January 1991. Following her party's defeat in the 1998 election
German federal election, 1998
A German federal election was conducted on September 27, 1998, to elect members to the 14th Bundestag, the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.- Issues and campaign :...
, she departed from the government on 26 October 1998 but remained in the Bundestag until 2002.
Offices
Parliamentary mandates- Member of the People's Chamber of the GDR (1990)
- President of the People's Chamber (1990)
- Member of the German Bundestag (1990–2002)
Government Offices
- Federal Minister for Special Affairs (1990–1991)
- Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Health (1991–1998)
Writings
- Frequency of a history and clinical findings of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in childhood, their relationship to lung function and determination of reference values for the ventilation and distribution parameters on Pneumotestgerät. Results of a school investigation. Dissertation Academy for Medical Training of East Berlin, 1981, Berlin-Karow, 1976.
- Farewell without tears. Looking back at the year of the Unification. Recorded by Dietrich von Thadden. Ullstein, Berlin - Frankfurt/Main, 1991 ISBN 3-550-07802-1
- Sabine Bergmann-Pohl & Paul B. Wink (ed.): Panel Discussion 1953-1989: Germany on the way to unity and freedom on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the uprising in East Germany on 17 June 2003 at the Academy of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Berlin 2004 ISBN 3-937731-00-8
- Sabine Bergmann-Pohl & Wilhelm Staudacher (ed.): "The cry for freedom." The Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Berlin 2007 ISBN 978-3-939826-46-0