Stephanie zu Guttenberg
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Freifrau von und zu Guttenberg (born 24 November 1976 in Munich
), née Stephanie Gräfin von Bismarck-Schönhausen, is a German activist against child abuse
, and the President of Innocence in Danger, an NGO advocating Internet censorship
of child pornography
and a co-author of a book about these topics.
She is the wife of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
, the former German Minister of Defence
. A member of the Bismarck family, she is the great-great-granddaughter of Chancellor Otto, Prince of Bismarck
and great-granddaughter of Foreign Secretary Herbert, Prince of Bismarck
. She is also a descendant of Robert Whitehead
, the inventor of the torpedo
, and diplomat Alexander, Count of Hoyos.
She got a degree in business administration and textile engineering (Fashion Business Management) from the private academy Fachakademie für Textil & Schuhe in Nagold
, and has worked during her schooling for several textile companies.
On 12 February 2000, she married Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, whom she had met when attending Love Parade
in Berlin
in 1995. They have two daughters, born in 2001 and 2002.
and lobbying for Internet censorship
of child pornography
.
In September 2010, she published the book Schaut nicht weg! Was wir gegen sexuellen Missbrauch tun müssen, co-written with Anne-Ev Ustorf.
She accompanied her husband when visiting the troops in Afghanistan
in December 2010, which drew some criticism from the opposition.
On 24 January 2011, Stephanie zu Guttenberg became Patron of the Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft in Bavaria.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
), née Stephanie Gräfin von Bismarck-Schönhausen, is a German activist against child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, and the President of Innocence in Danger, an NGO advocating Internet censorship
Internet censorship
Internet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing of, or access to information on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations either at the behest of government or on their own initiative...
of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
and a co-author of a book about these topics.
She is the wife of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is a German politician of the Christian Social Union ....
, the former German Minister of Defence
Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
The Federal Ministry of Defence is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
. A member of the Bismarck family, she is the great-great-granddaughter of Chancellor Otto, Prince of Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
and great-granddaughter of Foreign Secretary Herbert, Prince of Bismarck
Herbert von Bismarck
Herbert, Prince of Bismarck was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890. His political career was closely tied to that of his father, Otto von Bismarck, and he left office a few days after his father's dismissal...
. She is also a descendant of Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead was an English engineer. He developed the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo. His company, located in the Austrian naval centre in Fiume, was the world leader in torpedo development and production up to the First World War.- Early life:He was born the son of a...
, the inventor of the torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
, and diplomat Alexander, Count of Hoyos.
Background
Stephanie zu Guttenberg is the only daughter of Andreas Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen and Charlotte Kinberg, a Swedish interior architect with partial Dutch/German ancestry. She has two older half-siblings on her mother's side. Guttenberg grew up bilingual, and in addition to her native German and Swedish, she speaks English, French and Italian.She got a degree in business administration and textile engineering (Fashion Business Management) from the private academy Fachakademie für Textil & Schuhe in Nagold
Nagold
Nagold is a town in southwestern Germany, bordering the northern Black Forest. It is located in the Landkreis of Calw . Nagold is known for its ruined castle, Hohennagold Castle, and for its road viaduct...
, and has worked during her schooling for several textile companies.
On 12 February 2000, she married Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, whom she had met when attending Love Parade
Love Parade
The Love Parade was a popular electronic dance music festival and parade that originated in 1989 in West Berlin, Germany. It was held in Germany annually between 1989 and 2003 in Berlin, and then from 2006 to 2010 in the Ruhr region...
in Berlin
Berlin
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...
in 1995. They have two daughters, born in 2001 and 2002.
Activism
She has been President of the German section of Innocence in Danger, an organisation combating child abuseChild abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and lobbying for Internet censorship
Internet censorship
Internet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing of, or access to information on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations either at the behest of government or on their own initiative...
of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
.
In September 2010, she published the book Schaut nicht weg! Was wir gegen sexuellen Missbrauch tun müssen, co-written with Anne-Ev Ustorf.
She accompanied her husband when visiting the troops in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in December 2010, which drew some criticism from the opposition.
On 24 January 2011, Stephanie zu Guttenberg became Patron of the Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft in Bavaria.
Awards
- 2010: "Ehrenpreis für Kampf gegen Kindesmissbrauch", Deutscher Kinderpreis, World Vision Deutschland.
Publications
- Stephanie zu Guttenberg, Anne-Ev Ustorf, Schaut nicht weg!, Verlag Kreuz, 2010, ISBN 978-3-7831-3485-8