Rita Süssmuth (née Kickuth; ; 17 February 1937 – 1 February 2026) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as the tenth president of the Bundestag.
From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth served as Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health (from 1986 youth, family, women and health) and from 1988 to 1998 as President of the German Bundestag. Her tenure of close to 10 years was the third longest for any Bundestag President. Only Eugen Gerstenmaier and Norbert Lammert held the position longer.
In addition to her political work, Süssmuth was President of the European Movement Germany (1994–1998) and member of the Advisory Board and Board of Trustees of the Bertelsmann Foundation (1997–2007).
Early life and education Süssmuth was born on 17 February 1937 in Wuppertal and spent her childhood in Wadersloh. After graduating from high school (Emsland Gymnasium) in Rheine in 1956, she completed a degree in Romance studies and history in Münster, Tübingen and Paris, which she finished on 20 July 1961 with the first state examination (Staatsexamen) for teaching. This was followed by postgraduate studies in educational science, sociology and psychology.
In 1964, she then received her Ph.D. at the University of Münster. Her dissertation was titled "Studies on the Anthropology of the Child in contemporary French literature" ("Studien zur Anthropologie des Kindes in der französischen Literatur der Gegenwart").
From 1966 until 1982, she was a faculty member in education at TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University, and their predecessor institutions.
Career
Early career From 1963 to 1966, Süssmuth worked as a scientific assistant at the universities of Stuttgart and Osnabrück and from 1966 as a lecturer at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ruhr. From 1969 to 1982, she had a teaching assignment at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum for International Comparative Education.
In 1971, Süssmuth was appointed professor of Educational Science at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ruhr. In 1973, she accepted the call of the TU Dortmund University. In 1971, she also began working on the scientific advisory board of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs.
From 1982 to 1985, Süssmuth was the director of the Institut Frau und Gesellschaft in Hanover. During her time as an active politician, she gave block seminars at the University of Göttingen.
Political career From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth was Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Confronted with the AIDS crisis during her tenure, she advocated for increased medical education and preventative measures. She propagated the use of condoms for the prevention of infections against resistance within her own party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and the Catholic Church. In 1987, she supported the foundation of the National AIDS Foundation and increased federal funding for AIDS research.
In late 1989, she joined forces with Lothar Späth, Heiner Geißler, Kurt Biedenkopf and others in an unsuccessful effort to oust Kohl as CDU chairman.Harry Luck (28 January 2010), Biedenkopf: "König Kurt" und Kohls Rivale Focus.
Süssmuth was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002. In the federal elections in 1987, 1990 and 1994 she was elected for the constituency of Göttingen. For the 1998 election, she was elected via the CDU state list in Lower Saxony.
After the resignation of Philipp Jenninger in 1988 Süssmuth became the 10th President of the Bundestag. She held the post until 1998, when the SPD became the strongest group in parliament.
Her tenure saw the German reunification.
In December 1989, Süssmuth advocated a joint declaration by both German states on the recognition of the Polish western border.
From 1986 to 2001, Süssmuth served as president of the Frauen Union (the organization of the female members of the CDU) and therefore had a strong influence in her party.
Political positions Süssmuth was a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which advocates for democratic reformation of the United Nations.
Ahead of the Christian Democrats' leadership election in 2021, Süssmuth publicly endorsed Armin Laschet to succeed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as the party's chair.NRW-Minister in Umfrage vorne: Süssmuth will Laschet als CDU-Chef Rheinische Post, 8 January 2020.
Life after politics
In September 2000, Federal Minister of the Interior Otto Schily appointed Süssmuth as head of a high-profile bipartisan commission to overhaul Germany's immigration policies.Germany's Need for Immigrants New York Times, 30 July 2001. The commission's task was to develop an overall concept for new immigration legislature. The results of the committee were presented in July 2001, in the form of a 323-paged report titled "Crafting Immigration – Promoting Integration" ("Zuwanderung gestalten – Integration fördern").
In 2002, Süssmuth became a member of the Limbach Kommission, which acts as a mediator in questions of Nazi looted art.
After leaving politics, Süssmuth was also involved in a number of philanthropic and business activities, including the following: UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, Co-Chair (since 2010)Eminent world personalities call for an HIV Prevention Revolution UNAIDS, press release of 1 December 2010. Technische Universität Berlin, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees (since 2010) European Policy Centre (EPC), Member of the Strategic Council Strategic Council European Policy Centre (EPC). Global Commission on International Migration, Member (2003–2005)Global Commission on International Migration International Organization for Migration. Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Migration Policy Institute (MPI). Heinz Galinski Foundation, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Heinz Galinski Foundation. Deutsche Initiative für den Nahen Osten (DINO), Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Deutsche Initiative für den Nahen Osten (DINO). Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie, Chairwoman of the Advisory BoardAdvisory Board Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie. Genshagener Kreis, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Genshagener Kreis.
Til Schweiger Foundation, Member of the Advisory BoardAbout Us Til Schweiger Foundation. Total E-Quality initiative, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Total E-Quality. United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN), Member of the PresidiumPresidium United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN). Bertelsmann Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees (1997–2015) EnBW, Member of the Advisory Board (2004–2009)2009 Annual Report EnBW.
TDU-Hochschulkonsortium, PresidentTürkisch-Deutsche Universität (TDU) DAAD
Süssmuth was also Member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation established in 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare recommendations to European governments and IGOs on fighting xenophobia and antisemitism.
In 2018 Süssmuth was awarded the Mercator Visiting Professorship for Political Management at the Universität Essen-Duisburg's NRW School of Governance.
Personal life and death Süssmuth was married to university professor from 1964 until his death in 2020. They had one daughter, Claudia.
Rita Süssmuth died on 1 February 2026, at the age of 88. She is survived by her daughter Claudia and five grandchildren.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier ordered a state funeral.
Awards and recognitions 1988 – Selected as 1987 by German Association of Female Citizens 1988 – Bambi Award 1989 – 1990 – Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1997 – Avicenna-Gold-Medaille der UNESCO 1997 – 2004 – Kompassnadel des Schwulen Netzwerks NRW (für ihren Einsatz für die AIDS-Prävention bes. im Schwulen Bereich) 2006 – Magnus Hirschfeld Medal for Sexual Reform 2007 – with Mustafa Cerić 2007 – 2007 – , Honor of the Verband Deutscher Vermessungsingenieure 2007 – (2007) for her great commitment to the fight against AIDS 2008 – der European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) 2010 – Ehrensiegel der Gemeinde Wadersloh 2011 – Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia 2012 – Adam-Mickiewicz-Preis for services to German-French-Polish cooperation () 2013 – 2014 – 2015 – Reinhard Mohn Prize 2015 – 2016 – Ehrenmitgliedschaft der Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe 2016 – Order of Merit of Brandenburg 2016 – Dorothea-Schlözer-Medaille der University of Göttingen 2018 – 2019 – Ehrensenatorin der Technische Universität Berlin 2019 – Honorary member of the 2023 – Honorary citizen of Neuss
Honorary doctorates 1988 – University of Hildesheim 1990 – Ruhr-Universität Bochum 1994 – Veliko Tarnovo University, Bulgaria 1996 – Sorbonne Nouvelle University, France 1998 – Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US 1998 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beersheba, Israel 2002 – Universität Augsburg 2018 – University of Rzeszów, Poland
Bibliography
Third Gerd Bucerius Lecture, 5 May 2003.
2007 Bildung als globale Herausforderung. Zwei Statements – ein Gespräch with Hermann Glaser, in: Robertson-von Trotha, Caroline Y. (ed.): Kultur und Gerechtigkeit (= Kulturwissenschaft interdisziplinär/Interdisciplinary Studies on Culture and Society, Vol. 2), Baden-Baden 2007,
Notes
References
Sources Michael F. Feldkamp (ed.), Der Bundestagspräsident. Amt – Funktion – Person. 16. Wahlperiode, München 2007, Irene Gerlach: "Rita Süssmuth," in: Kanzler und Minister 1949 – 1998. Biographisches Handbuch der Mitglieder der deutschen Bundesregierungen, edited by Udo Kempf and Hans Georg Merz. Wiesbaden 2001. Steffen Kaudelka: "Rita Süssmuth," in: Biographisches Handbuch der Mitglieder des Deutschen Bundestages 1949 – 2002, edited by Rudolf Vierhaus and Ludolf Herbst. München 2002.
Further reading Obituaries
External links
Official biography at Bundestag.de (from 2002)