Wolfgang Schäuble | |
---|---|
Minister of Finance | |
Assumed office 28 October 2009 |
|
Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
Preceded by | Peer Steinbrück |
Minister of the Interior | |
In office 22 November 2005 – 27 October 2009 |
|
Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
Preceded by | Otto Schily |
Succeeded by | Thomas de Maizière |
In office 21 April 1989 – 26 November 1991 |
|
Chancellor | Helmut Kohl |
Preceded by | Friedrich Zimmermann |
Succeeded by | Rudolf Seiters |
Chief of the Chancellery; Minister for Special Affairs | |
In office 15 November 1984 – 21 April 1989 |
|
Chancellor | Helmut Kohl |
Preceded by | Waldemar Schreckenberger |
Succeeded by | Rudolf Seiters |
Member of the Bundestag | |
Assumed office 19 November 1972 |
|
Personal details | |
Born |
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany |
18 September 1942
Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
Spouse(s) | Ingeborg Schäuble (1969–present) |
Children | 4 |
Alma mater |
University of Freiburg University of Hamburg |
Religion | Lutheranism |
Website | Official website |
Wolfgang Schäuble ([ˈvɔlfɡaŋ ˈʃɔʏblə] born 18 September 1942) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has served as Germany's Federal Minister of Finance in the second and third Merkel cabinets since 2009.
From 1984 to 1991 he was a member of Helmut Kohl's cabinet, first as Federal Minister for Special Affairs and Chief of the Chancellery and then as Federal Minister of the Interior. Between 1991 and 2000, he was chairman of the CDU/CSU group in the parliament, and from 1998 to 2000 also CDU party chairman. He served again as Federal Minister of the Interior in the First Merkel cabinet from 2005 to 2009.
Schäuble was born in Freiburg im Breisgau, as the son of a tax finance advisor. He is the middle brother of three. After completing his Abitur in 1961, Schäuble studied law and economics at the University of Freiburg and the University of Hamburg, which he completed in 1966 and 1970 by passing the First and Second State Examinations respectively, becoming a fully qualified lawyer.
In 1971 Schäuble obtained his doctorate in law, with a dissertation called "The public accountant's professional legal situation within accountancy firms".
Schäuble entered the tax administration of the state of Baden-Württemberg, eventually becoming a senior administration officer in the Freiburg tax office. Subsequently he became a practising registered lawyer at the district court of Offenburg, from 1978 to 1984.