2009 in Germany
Encyclopedia
Federal level
- PresidentPresident of GermanyThe President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
– Horst KöhlerHorst KöhlerHorst Köhler is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was President of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties, the CDU and the CSU, and the liberal FDP, Köhler was elected to his first five-year term by the Federal Assembly on... - Chancellor – Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
State level
- Minister-President of Baden-WürttembergBaden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
– Günther OettingerGünther OettingerGünther Hermann Oettinger is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union . He became European Commissioner for Energy in the European Commission on 10 February 2010 and is affiliated with the European People's Party... - Minister-President of Bavaria – Horst SeehoferHorst SeehoferHorst Lorenz Seehofer is a German politician . He was Federal Minister for Health and Social Security from 1992 to 1998 and served as Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in the cabinet of Angela Merkel from 2005 to 2008...
- Governing mayor of Berlin – Klaus WowereitKlaus WowereitKlaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , 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 in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
- First mayor of Bremen – Jens BöhrnsenJens BöhrnsenJens Böhrnsen is a German politician of the SPD. Since 2005, he has served as the President of the Senate and Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, that is, the head of government of the city-state of Bremen...
- Minister-President of Brandenburg – Matthias PlatzeckMatthias PlatzeckMatthias Platzeck is a German politician. He has been Minister-President of Brandenburg since 2002 and party chairman of the SPD from November 2005 to April 2006.-Private life:...
- First mayor of Hamburg – Ole von BeustOle von BeustCarl-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...
- Minister-President of HesseHesseHesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
– Roland KochRoland KochRoland Koch is a German jurist and former conservative politician. He was Minister-President of Hesse from April 7, 1999, immediately becoming President of the Bundesrat, completing the term begun by his predecessor as Minister President, Hans Eichel, until his resignation on August 31, 2010... - Minister-President of Lower SaxonyLower SaxonyLower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
– Christian WulffChristian WulffChristian Wilhelm Walter Wulff is the President of Germany and a politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was elected President on 2010 and publicly swore the oath of office on . A lawyer by profession, he served as Premier of the state of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010.-Early life and... - Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – Erwin SelleringErwin SelleringErwin Sellering, born on 18 October 1949 in Sprockhövel near Bochum and currently residing in Greifswald, is Minister-president of the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2008....
- Minister-President of North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
– Jürgen RüttgersJürgen RüttgersJürgen Rüttgers is a German politician and former Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, widely known for his views on immigration and the much-discussed phrase "Kinder statt Inder" which was a media interpretation of "Statt Inder an die Computer müssen unsere Kinder an die Computer"... - Minister-President of Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
– Kurt BeckKurt BeckKurt Beck is a German politician , serving as the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate since 1994 and as President of the Bundesrat in 2000/01. On May 14, 2006, he succeeded Matthias Platzeck as Chairman of the German Social Democratic Party... - Minister-President of the SaarlandSaarlandSaarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
– Peter MüllerPeter Müller (German politician)Peter Aloysius Müller is a German politician belonging to the Christian Democratic Union . From 1999 to 2011, he has held the position of Premier of the state of Saarland, serving as President of the Upper House of Germany's federal parliament, the Bundesrat from 1 November 2008 to 1 November... - Minister-President of SaxonySaxonyThe Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
– Stanislaw TillichStanislaw TillichStanislaw Tillich is a German CDU politician. He is the Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony... - Minister-President of Saxony-AnhaltSaxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
– Wolfgang BöhmerWolfgang BöhmerProf. Dr. Wolfgang Böhmer is a German politician and former Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt from 16 May 2002 to 19 April 2011. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2002/03.... - Minister-President of Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
– Peter Harry CarstensenPeter Harry CarstensenPeter Harry Carstensen is a German politician, in the Christian Democratic Union party.Since 2005 he has been Minister President of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, serving as President of the Bundesrat in 2005/06.... - Minister-President of ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
– Dieter AlthausDieter AlthausDieter Althaus is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union .Althaus was teaching Physics and Mathematics at the Polytechnic Secondary School in Geismar, Thuringia, from 1983 to 1989, where he became deputy headteacher in 1987.Since 1985 Althaus has been a member of the CDU, remaining...
Events
- 15 January - Germany presses MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
to end the Russian gas crisis. - March - The Volkswagen Polo Mk5Volkswagen Polo Mk5The Volkswagen Polo Mk5 is the fifth generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini-class car, launched by Volkswagen in March 2009.The Mark 5 Polo, internally designated Typ 6R, is based on Volkswagen's PQ25 platform, shared with the 2008 SEAT Ibiza and the Audi A1...
is launched at the Geneva Motor Show and was voted European Car of the YearEuropean Car of the YearThe European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...
eight months later. - 11 March - A 17 year old former student goes on a rampageWinnenden school shootingThe Winnenden school shooting occurred on the morning of 11 March 2009 at a secondary school in Winnenden, Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany, followed by a shootout at a car dealership in nearby Wendlingen. The shooting spree resulted in 16 deaths, including the suicide of the perpetrator,...
at his former school in WinnendenWinnendenWinnenden is a small town in the Rems-Murr district of the Stuttgart Region in Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany. It lies in a wine-growing area approx. northeast of Stuttgart and has a population of less than 28,000...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, killing at least fifteen people, before turning the gun on himself. - 23 May - German presidential election, 2009German presidential election, 2009An indirect presidential election was held in Germany on 23 May 2009. The President of Germany was elected by the Federal Assembly, which is made up of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of members nominated by the state Landtags....
- 15-23 August - 2009 World Championships in Athletics2009 World Championships in AthleticsThe 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
takes place in Berlin. Usain BoltUsain BoltThe Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
breaks the world records for 200 metres200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
and 100 metres100 metresThe 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
. - 30 August - Saarland state election, 2009Saarland state election, 2009State elections were held in Saarland on 30 August 2009, the same date as the Saxony and Thuringia state elections. The election decided control of the Landtag of Saarland .-Results:...
, Saxony state election, 2009Saxony state election, 2009State elections took place in Saxony on 30 August 2009, the same day as the Saarland and Thuringia state elections. The election results decided control of the Landtag of Saxony...
and Thuringia state election, 2009Thuringia state election, 2009Thuringia held state elections on 30 August 2009, the same day as the Saarland and Saxony state elections. The election established the composition of the Landtag of Thuringia...
take place
sex day
- September - OpelOpelAdam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
launches new AstraOpel AstraThe Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
at Frankfurt Motor Show. - 27 September - German federal election, 2009 takes place. Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
wins reelection as chancellor. - 27 September - Schleswig-Holstein state election, 2009Schleswig-Holstein state election, 2009State elections were held in Schleswig-Holstein on 27 September 2009, the same day as the German federal elections and the Brandenburg state elections...
and Brandenburg state election, 2009Brandenburg state election, 2009State elections were held in Brandenburg on 27 September 2009, the same day as the German federal elections and the Schleswig-Holstein state elections...
take place. - 28 October - German bishop Margot KäßmannMargot KäßmannMargot Käßmann is a Lutheran theologian and was Landesbischöfin of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover in Germany. On 28 October 2009, she was elected to lead the Evangelical Church in Germany, a federation of Protestant church bodies in Germany...
becomes first elected woman as leader of Evangelical Church in GermanyEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
. - 30 October - Christine LieberknechtChristine LieberknechtChristine Lieberknecht is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union . She currently serves as minister-president of the state of Thuringia since 2009, and as chairwoman of the CDU state party in Thuringia....
(CDUChristian 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...
) becomes Minister-President of state ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. - 27 November - Wolfgang SchneiderhanWolfgang Schneiderhan (General)Wolfgang Schneiderhan is a German general who served as Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, from 2002 to 2009.-Military career:...
, the Chief of StaffChief of StaffThe title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the German BundeswehrBundeswehrThe Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, and Franz Josef JungFranz Josef JungFranz Josef Jung is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union . He became Federal Minister of Defence in the Grand coalition cabinet of Angela Merkel on 22 November 2005...
resign over allegations that they withheld information in the aftermath of the KunduzKunduzKunduz also known as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. It is linked by highways with Mazari Sharif to the west, Kabul to the south and Tajikistan's border to the north...
airstrike. - 30 November - Ursula von der LeyenUrsula von der LeyenUrsula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German politician of the conservative Christian Democratic Union.Since 30 November 2009, she has served as the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in the Second Cabinet Merkel. In the First Cabinet Merkel , she served as Federal Minister of Family...
becomes Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Germany)Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Germany)The Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs is a top-level federal agency of the Federal Republic of Germany headed by the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
and Kristina KöhlerKristina KöhlerKristina Schröder is a German politician. She is currently serving as the Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth . She has served as a Member of Parliament since 2002....
becomes new Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Deaths
- 5 January - Adolf MerckleAdolf MerckleAdolf Merckle was a businessman, and one of the richest people in Germany.Merckle was born in Dresden, Germany into a wealthy family. Most of his wealth came from inheritance. He developed his Bohemian grandfather's chemical wholesale company into Germany's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler,...
, industrialist (born 19341934 in Germany-National level:Head of State*Paul von Hindenburg to 2 August, then Adolf Hitler Chancellor* Adolf Hitler -Events:...
) - 2 March - Ernst BendaErnst BendaErnst Benda was a German legal scholar, politician and judge. He served as the 4th president of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany from 1971 to 1983. Benda briefly served as Minister of the Interior of Germany .Ernst Benda was born in Berlin, the son of an Engineer. After school he served...
, politician (born 19251925 in GermanyEvents in the year 1925 in Germany.-National level:President*Friedrich Ebert to 28 February, then from 12 May Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor...
) - 28 March - Helmut NollerHelmut NollerHelmut Noller was a German sprint canoer who competed in the early 1950s. He finished fourth in the K-2 1000 m event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.-References:**...
, OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
sprint canoerCanoe racingThis article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
(born 19191919 in Germany-National level:President* Vacant to 11 February, then Friedrich Ebert Chancellor*Friedrich Ebert to 11 February, then Philipp Scheidemann to 20 June, then Gustav Bauer -Deaths:* 15 January — Rosa Luxemburg, German politician...
) - 23 May - Barbara RudnikBarbara RudnikBarbara Rudnik was a German actress.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
, actress (born 1958) - 17 June - Ralf DahrendorfRalf DahrendorfRalf Gustav Dahrendorf, Baron Dahrendorf, KBE, FBA was a German-British sociologist, philosopher, political scientist and liberal politician....
, sociologist and politician (born 19291929 in Germany-National level:President*Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor*Hermann Müller -Births:* 12 June — Anne Frank, German-born Jewish diarist...
) - 19 June - Joerg Hube, actor (born 19431943 in Germany-National level:Head of State*Adolf Hitler Chancellor* Adolf Hitler -Events:* 13 January — Helmut Schenk is the first person to use an ejection seat from an aircraft....
) - 30 June - Pina BauschPina BauschPhilippina "Pina" Bausch was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director...
, choreographer and dancer (born 19401940 in Germany-National level:Head of State*Adolf Hitler Chancellor* Adolf Hitler -Events:* 4 January — WWII: : Luftwaffe General Hermann Göring assumes control of most war industries in Germany....
) - 30 July - Peter ZadekPeter ZadekPeter Zadek was a German theatre and film director, play translator and screenwriter and is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. He was the head of the Schauspielhaus Bochum, Bochum , the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg and the Berliner Ensemble from 1992 to 1996...
, theatre and film director (born 19261926 in Germany-National level:President*Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor* Hans Luther to 12 May, then from 17 May Wilhelm Marx -Events:* 1 January - the city of Cologne is badly hit by flooding in the River Rhine....
) - 31 July - Ilona Christen, journalist (born 1951)
- 18 August - Hildegard BehrensHildegard BehrensHildegard Behrens was a German soprano with a wide repertory including Wagner, Weber, Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Alban Berg roles.-Biography:...
, opera singer (born 19371937 in Germany-National level:Head of State*Adolf Hitler Chancellor* Adolf Hitler -Events:* 10 March — The Encyclical Mit brennender Sorge of Pope Pius XI is published in Nazi Germany....
) - 19 September - Eduard ZimmermannEduard ZimmermannEduard Zimmermann was a German journalist, television presenter and security expert.- Life :...
, journalist (born 19291929 in Germany-National level:President*Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor*Hermann Müller -Births:* 12 June — Anne Frank, German-born Jewish diarist...
) - 3 October - Reinhard MohnReinhard MohnReinhard Mohn was a German businessman who turned Bertelsmann, a "provincial, war-shattered German publisher", into the sixth largest media conglomerate in the world.-Early life:...
, businessman (born 19211921 in GermanyEvents in the year 1921 in Germany.-National level:President*Friedrich Ebert Chancellor*Constantin Fehrenbach to 4 May, then from 10 May Joseph Wirth -Overview:...
) - 4 October - Guenther Rall, fighter pilot (born 19181918 in Germany-Head of State:* Kaiser - Wilhelm II, abdicated 9 November* Republican - vacant-Head of Government:* Chancellor - Georg von Hertling to 30 September, then from 3 October Prince Maximilian of Baden to 9 November...
) - 6 October - Werner MaihoferWerner MaihoferWerner Maihofer was a German jurist and legal philosopher. He served as Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior from 1974–1978 until he resigned after a scandal involving an illegal wiretapping of Klaus Traube.-Biography:...
, jurist and legal philosopher (born 19181918 in Germany-Head of State:* Kaiser - Wilhelm II, abdicated 9 November* Republican - vacant-Head of Government:* Chancellor - Georg von Hertling to 30 September, then from 3 October Prince Maximilian of Baden to 9 November...
) - 9 October - Horst SzymaniakHorst SzymaniakHorst Szymaniak was a former German football player.- Career :Clubs he played for include: SpVgg Erkenschwick, Wuppertaler SV, Karlsruher SC, Calcio Catania, F.C. Internazionale Milano, A.S...
, footballer (born 19341934 in Germany-National level:Head of State*Paul von Hindenburg to 2 August, then Adolf Hitler Chancellor* Adolf Hitler -Events:...
) - 19 October - Dietrich von BothmerDietrich von BothmerDietrich Felix von Bothmer was a German-born American art historian, who spent six decades as a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he developed into the world's leading specialist in the field of ancient Greek vases.-Early life and education:...
, art historian (born 19181918 in Germany-Head of State:* Kaiser - Wilhelm II, abdicated 9 November* Republican - vacant-Head of Government:* Chancellor - Georg von Hertling to 30 September, then from 3 October Prince Maximilian of Baden to 9 November...
) - 10 November - Robert EnkeRobert EnkeRobert Enke was a German football goalkeeper.Enke played at leading clubs in several European countries, namely Barcelona, Benfica and Fenerbahçe, but made the majority of his appearances for Bundesliga side Hannover 96 in his homeland.He won eight full international caps for the German national...
, footballer (born 1977) - 27 November - Erich BöhmeErich BöhmeErich Böhme was a German journalist and television host. He served as editor-in-chief of Der Spiegel from 1973 to 1989. In 1990 he took over as host of Talk im Turm, a weekly talk show on Sat.1....
, journalist (born 1930) - 5 December - Otto Graf LambsdorffOtto Graf LambsdorffOtto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff, was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party.- Biography :...
, German politician of the Free Democratic Party (born 19261926 in Germany-National level:President*Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor* Hans Luther to 12 May, then from 17 May Wilhelm Marx -Events:* 1 January - the city of Cologne is badly hit by flooding in the River Rhine....
)