• In office since 1989

  • Born April 22, 1939 in Oberrohr (Swabia)

  • Married, two children

  • 1957 Joined the Junge Union, Youth organisation of the CDU/CSU

  • 1959 Abitur (university entrance qualification)

  • 1959 - 1963 Studied law and political science in Munich and Würzburg

  • 1960 Joined the Christian Social Union (CSU)

  • 1961 - 1970 Chairman of the Junge Union, Krumbach

  • 1963 First state examination in law

  • 1963 - 1967 Legal training in Krumbach, Schwabmünchen and Augsburg

  • 1966 - 1972 Member of the district council, Krumbach

  • 1967 Doctorate in law, second state examination in law

  • 1967 - 1969 Junior legal official at the district attorney´s office, regional court, Munich

  • 1967 - 1971 Chairman of the Junge Union, Swabia

  • 1969 - 1970 Personal assistant to the Secretary of State Ministry of Finance, Bavaria

  • 1970 - 1972 Personal assistant to the State Minister of Economic Affairs and Transport, Bavaria

  • 1971 - 1975 Chairman of the Junge Union, Bavaria

  • Since 1972 Member of the German Bundestag

  • 1973 - 1978 Member of the CDU Basic Policy Commission

  • 1978 - 1980 Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Economics Committee of the German Bundestag

  • 1980 - 1982 Chairman of the Working Group on Economics and spokesman for economics of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag

  • 1982 - 1989 Chairman of the CSU group and first vice chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, Bonn

  • 1982 - 1989 Vice-Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag

  • 1987 - 1988 Chairman of the CSU regional committee, Swabia

  • Since 1988 Chairman of the CSU

  • Since 1989 Federal Minister of Finance

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