Name Dieter Althaus | Role German Politician | |
 | ||
Party Christian Democratic Union of Germany Similar People Christine Lieberknecht, Bernhard Vogel, Katharina Althaus, Bodo Ramelow | ||
Politik direkt | Tragödie in der Politik - ein kranker Mann
Dieter Althaus (born in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Thuringia, on 29 June 1958) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He served as the 3rd Minister President of Thuringia from 2003 to 2009. In 2003/04 he was the 58th President of the Bundesrat.
Contents
- Politik direkt Tragdie in der Politik ein kranker Mann
- People Politics In Shape for Re election
- Early career
- Political career
- Political views
- Other activities
- The skiiing accident
- Family
- References
People & Politics | In Shape for Re-election?
Early career
Althaus was a teacher for Physics and Mathematics at the Polytechnic Secondary School in Geismar, Thuringia, from 1983 to 1989, where he became deputy headteacher in 1987.
Political career
Since 1985 Althaus has been a member of the CDU, remaining with the party as it transformed itself from a loyal supporter of the GDR's ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) to a loyal supporter of the West German party of the same name with which it merged in 1990 shortly after German reunification. In 2000 he became chairman of the CDU in Thuringia. Since 1990 he has been a member of the Thuringian Landtag.
In 1992 he became a member of Bernhard Vogel's cabinet as State Minister of Cultural Affairs and Education.
On 5 June 2003 Althaus was elected Minister President of Thuringia; he succeeded Bernhard Vogel, who had resigned for reasons of age. As Minister-President he served as President of the Bundesrat in 2003/04.
After the Thuringia elections of 2009, where the CDU went from having an absolute majority to not even having enough seats to form a majority coalition with the FDP, Althaus resigned as minister-president and as chairman of the CDU in Thuringia.
Political views
In 2006 Althaus spoke in favour of a universal basic income.
Other activities
The skiiing accident
Althaus caused a skiing collision in Styria, Austria on 1 January 2009 in which he suffered severe injuries. Althaus was skiing down an expert run, but wandered onto an easy slope, where he was skiing in the wrong direction, whereupon he and a 41-year-old Slovak woman collided. The woman subsequently died from her injuries. Althaus was wearing a skiing helmet, while the woman was not. Althaus was fined €33,300 for negligent homicide.
Family
Althaus is married to Katharina and has two children.