Rita Suessmuth
| Rita Süssmuth | |
|---|---|
 |
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| President of the Bundestag | |
|
In office 25 November 1988 – 26 October 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Philipp Jenninger |
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Thierse |
| Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth | |
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In office 26 September 1985 – 25 November 1988 |
|
| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl |
| Preceded by | Heiner Geißler |
| Succeeded by | Ursula Lehr |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
17 February 1937 Wuppertal, Germany |
| Political party | CDU |
| Alma mater | University of Münster |
Rita Süssmuth (born 17 February 1937) is a German politician and a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Süssmuth graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Münster in 1964. From 1966 until 1982, she was a faculty member in education at University of Dortmund, Ruhr University, and their predecessor institutions.
From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth was Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. She was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002. After the resignation of Philipp Jenninger in 1988 she became the 10th President of the Bundestag. She held the post until 1998, when the SPD became the strongest group in parliament.
From 1986 to 2001, Süssmuth was president of the Frauenunion (the organization of the female members of the CDU) and therefore had a strong influence in her party.
In September 2000, Federal Minister of the Interior Otto Schily appointed Süssmuth as head of a high-profile bipartisan commission to overhaul Germany’s immigration policies. Since 2005, she has been president of the OTA Hochschule, a private university in Berlin.
After leaving politics, Süssmuth has been involved in a number of philanthropic and business activities, including the following:
Süssmuth is also Member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation established in 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare recommendations to European governments and IGOs on fighting xenophobia and anti-semitism.
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