Berlin, Feb 1 (dpa/GNA) – Rita Süssmuth, women’s rights activist, former parliamentary speaker and prominent member of the government of Helmut Kohl, has died.
The politician from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) passed away at the age of 88, the lower house of the German parliament, or Bundestag, announced on Sunday. A CDU spokeswoman also confirmed Süssmuth’s death.
Süssmuth was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002 and served as its president – the equivalent to speaker – from 1988 to 1998.
Süssmuth was particularly committed to the equal participation of women in politics, work and society.
Current Bundestag President Julia Klöckner said she was “deeply moved” by the news of Süssmuth’s death. “On behalf of the German Bundestag, I bow to an exceptional political figure,” Klöckner said.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz also paid tribute to Süssmuth, describing her as a “great politician,” as well as a role model and pioneer for equality and women’s political influence.
“Rita Süssmuth was committed to Germany throughout her life,” Merz said in a statement.
Süssmuth entered politics as an outsider. When the then-chancellor Kohl appointed her in 1985 as the successor to Heiner Geissler as minister for youth, family and health, she was largely unknown to the public.
She had only joined the CDU four years earlier and had hardly appeared publicly until then. However, she quickly gained great respect in her ministerial role. In surveys, she achieved high popularity ratings and was soon called “Lovely Rita.”
Career beginnings in lecture hall
Süssmuth was born on February 17, 1937, in Wuppertal as the daughter of a teacher.
She studied Romance languages and history at university. She then pursued postgraduate studies in educational sciences, sociology and psychology.
Süssmuth embarked on an academic career, becoming a professor of educational sciences first in Bochum and later at the University of Dortmund.
Won Göttingen constituency directly three times
After her appointment as minister, Süssmuth ran for the Bundestag for the first time in 1987.
She immediately won the direct mandate in the Göttingen constituency, which she defended in 1990 and 1994.
In 1998, she only secured a mandate through the CDU party list in the state of Lower Saxony.
Too modern for many in CDU with family image
With her modern views on family and women, Süssmuth was far ahead of many in the German conservative bloc.
She clashed with others, including Kohl. Her desire not to focus family policy solely on married couples was viewed with suspicion by more hardline conservatives.
Her advocacy for the reform of the abortion paragraph 218 brought her vehement criticism from her own ranks.
This was also true for her stance on AIDS, which was spreading at the time. “Fight the disease, not the patients,” was her maxim.
In 1988, the CDU politician succeeded Philipp Jenninger as president of the Bundestag. She was only the second female president of the Bundestag.
Under her leadership, the Bundestag became the parliament of the newly reunified Germany, and completed the move from Bonn to Berlin.
Süssmuth remained committed to activism even after leaving the Bundestag and active politics in 2002.
She resolutely advocated for a women’s quota in the CDU, which was dominated by older men.
Süssmuth also considered the proportion of women in the Bundestag – 32.4% in the 21st legislative period – to be far too low and therefore fought for parity.
GNA