Klaus Wowereit
Encyclopedia
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician
, member of the SPD
(Social Democratic Party), and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections
, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President
of the Bundesrat
(the fourth highest office in Germany) in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections
. He is also sometimes mentioned as a possible SPD candidate for the Chancellorship of Germany (Kanzlerkandidatur) in the next German federal election
.
. Afterwards, he studied law at the Free University Berlin (State Exams
, 1981 and 1984).
district. At the age of 30, he was, therefore, the youngest council
or in the city of Berlin. After eleven years as a District Councillor he stood for the Berlin House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
) which serves as the City's Landtag
or state legislature in 1995. In December 1999, he was elected chairman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Abgeordnetenhaus. Since June 2001 he has served as Governing Mayor () of Berlin. Previously, the SPD had left the grand coalition
with the CDU
and initiated new elections. After this election and following long-time negotiations, Wowereit finally started a coalition with the PDS.
In the elections held on 17 September 2006, Wowereit's SPD finished as the strongest party. A coalition with Die Linke was continued. However the 16th Abgeordnetenhaus re-elected Wowereit as Governing Mayor on 23 November 2006, in the second ballot with only a 75:74 majority. CDU, Free Democrats and the Green Party voted against him. In the elections held on 18 September 2011 he and his party were again the strongest party.
In 2011 he wrote a book as a response to the scandalous book "Germany Abolishes Itself" written by former member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank
- Thilo Sarrazin
.
Wowereit is one of the most famous German politicians who is openly gay
. In coming out
, prior to the 2001 mayoral elections, he coined the now famous German phrase "" ("I'm gay, and that's also a good thing.") In his autobiography, Wowereit states that his decision to come out in public was made because after his nomination as candidate to become the Mayor of Berlin, he felt that the German tabloids
were already "on the right track". With his coming out, Wowereit wanted to beat the tabloids to it and prevent them from writing wild, sensational and made-up stories about his private life. Wowereit said those now famous words during a convention of the Berlin SPD
. After the end of his speech, there was half a second of surprised silence, then spontaneous cheering and loud applause to support him.
His election as mayor made Berlin one of three major European cities with an openly gay mayor, along with Paris
, whose mayor is Bertrand Delanoë
, and Hamburg
, whose mayor was Ole von Beust
at that time, who both also took office in 2001. However, von Beust resigned in 2010, making Wowereit the only gay mayor of a major German city. Previously, the largest city with a gay mayor had been Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
, with mayor Glen Murray. Berlin being the largest and Hamburg being the 2nd largest city in Germany, they are also German states in their own right, having made both Wowereit and von Beust also state premiers.
In September 2007, Wowereit published an autobiographical book titled "", after his famous coming-out phrase (ISBN 3896673343).
Wowereit's husband, Jörn Kubicki, is a neurosurgeon
. They have been in a relationship since 1993.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, member of the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(Social Democratic Party), and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections
Berlin state election, 2001
The Berlin state election, 2001, was conducted on 21 October 2001, to elect members to the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin.-Issues and campaign:The 2001 election was a premature election...
, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President
President of the German Bundesrat
In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat or President of the Federal Council is the chairperson or speaker of the Bundesrat . The presidency of the Bundesrat rotates among the heads of government of each of the states on an annual basis...
of the Bundesrat
Bundesrat of Germany
The German Bundesrat is a legislative body that represents the sixteen Länder of Germany at the federal level...
(the fourth highest office in Germany) in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections
Berlin state election, 2006
The Berlin state election, 2006, was held on September 17, 2006, to elect members to the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin.After the elections the Social Democratic Party under Klaus Wowereit and the Left Party formed a coalition government....
. He is also sometimes mentioned as a possible SPD candidate for the Chancellorship of Germany (Kanzlerkandidatur) in the next German federal election
Next German federal election
The next German federal election will be an election to determine the 598 members of the 18th Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany.If it is a regular election, it will be held on a Sunday or holiday between 1 September and 27 October 2013...
.
Background
Until 1973, Klaus Wowereit attended the Ulrich-von-Hutten-Oberschule in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Afterwards, he studied law at the Free University Berlin (State Exams
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
, 1981 and 1984).
Political career
After 3 years as a civil servant in the Senate office of the Interior, Wowereit stood for election as municipal councillor in the TempelhofTempelhof
Tempelhof is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. It is now deserted and shows as a blank spot on maps of Berlin. Attempts are being made to save the still-existing...
district. At the age of 30, he was, therefore, the youngest council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
or in the city of Berlin. After eleven years as a District Councillor he stood for the Berlin House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin is the state parliament for the German state of Berlin, according to the state's constitution. The parliament is based at the building on Niederkirchnerstraße in Mitte which until 1934 was the seat of the lower house of the Preußischer Landtag...
) which serves as the City's Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
or state legislature in 1995. In December 1999, he was elected chairman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Abgeordnetenhaus. Since June 2001 he has served as Governing Mayor () of Berlin. Previously, the SPD had left the grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
with the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
and initiated new elections. After this election and following long-time negotiations, Wowereit finally started a coalition with the PDS.
In the elections held on 17 September 2006, Wowereit's SPD finished as the strongest party. A coalition with Die Linke was continued. However the 16th Abgeordnetenhaus re-elected Wowereit as Governing Mayor on 23 November 2006, in the second ballot with only a 75:74 majority. CDU, Free Democrats and the Green Party voted against him. In the elections held on 18 September 2011 he and his party were again the strongest party.
In 2011 he wrote a book as a response to the scandalous book "Germany Abolishes Itself" written by former member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank
Deutsche Bundesbank
The Deutsche Bundesbank is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks . Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most influential member of the ESCB. Both the Deutsche Bundesbank and the European Central Bank are...
- Thilo Sarrazin
Thilo Sarrazin
Thilo Sarrazin is a German politician and former member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank...
.
Personal life
Wowereit is youngest to two brothers and two sisters and grew up without a father. One of his brothers supported his studies and later he nursed himself his brother, who became paralyzed after an accident, and his mother, who was suffering from cancer.Wowereit is one of the most famous German politicians who is openly gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. In coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
, prior to the 2001 mayoral elections, he coined the now famous German phrase "" ("I'm gay, and that's also a good thing.") In his autobiography, Wowereit states that his decision to come out in public was made because after his nomination as candidate to become the Mayor of Berlin, he felt that the German tabloids
Tabloid journalism
Tabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...
were already "on the right track". With his coming out, Wowereit wanted to beat the tabloids to it and prevent them from writing wild, sensational and made-up stories about his private life. Wowereit said those now famous words during a convention of the Berlin SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
. After the end of his speech, there was half a second of surprised silence, then spontaneous cheering and loud applause to support him.
His election as mayor made Berlin one of three major European cities with an openly gay mayor, along with Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, whose mayor is Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë is a French politician, and has been the mayor of Paris since 2001. He is member of the Socialist Party . Delanoë was born in Tunis, Tunisia to a French-Tunisian father and a French mother...
, and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, whose mayor was Ole von Beust
Ole von Beust
Carl-Friedrich Arp Ole Freiherr von Beust, generally called Ole von Beust, born April 13, 1955, in Hamburg, Germany, was First Mayor of the city-state of Hamburg from 31 October 2001 to 25 August 2010, serving as President of the Bundesrat from 1 November 2007 on for one year...
at that time, who both also took office in 2001. However, von Beust resigned in 2010, making Wowereit the only gay mayor of a major German city. Previously, the largest city with a gay mayor had been Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with mayor Glen Murray. Berlin being the largest and Hamburg being the 2nd largest city in Germany, they are also German states in their own right, having made both Wowereit and von Beust also state premiers.
In September 2007, Wowereit published an autobiographical book titled "", after his famous coming-out phrase (ISBN 3896673343).
Wowereit's husband, Jörn Kubicki, is a neurosurgeon
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
. They have been in a relationship since 1993.