Annette Schavan
Encyclopedia
is a German
politician (CDU
). She has been the Federal Minister of Education and Research since November 22, 2005.
From 1995-2005, she served as the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of the German state of Baden-Württemberg
. During this time, she oversaw school education in Baden-Württemberg, and started a controversy when she disallowed a Muslim teacher to wear a head scarf in school, since that was seen as a religious symbol, while allowing Catholic nuns to wear their traditional habit. This was done on the accepted pretext that the cassocks of nuns and monks have an official function, while a Moslem headscarf demonstrates the unwillingness to integrate with and accept the society of a country that one has chosen to live in for material reasons in preference to one's own.
Schavan was under discussion to become the Christian Democrats' candidate for Germany's presidency
in 2004, but Horst Köhler
was nominated and elected. In 2005 she tried to succeed Erwin Teufel
as Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, but she was defeated by her rival Günther Oettinger
(also CDU) in the internal elections of the CDU.
As a public figure, her seclusive private life remains an enigma and has been subject to speculation. In 2006 she received the Else Mayer Award
.
Germany
Germany , 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...
politician (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...
). She has been the Federal Minister of Education and Research since November 22, 2005.
From 1995-2005, she served as the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of the German state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-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...
. During this time, she oversaw school education in Baden-Württemberg, and started a controversy when she disallowed a Muslim teacher to wear a head scarf in school, since that was seen as a religious symbol, while allowing Catholic nuns to wear their traditional habit. This was done on the accepted pretext that the cassocks of nuns and monks have an official function, while a Moslem headscarf demonstrates the unwillingness to integrate with and accept the society of a country that one has chosen to live in for material reasons in preference to one's own.
Schavan was under discussion to become the Christian Democrats' candidate for Germany's presidency
President of Germany
The 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...
in 2004, but Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler
Horst 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...
was nominated and elected. In 2005 she tried to succeed Erwin Teufel
Erwin Teufel
Erwin Teufel is a German politician of the CDU. Teufel was the leader of the CDU parliamentary faction in the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg from 1978 to 1991. He was minister-president of Baden-Württemberg and chairman of the CDU state party group from 1991 to 2005, serving as President...
as Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, but she was defeated by her rival Günther Oettinger
Günther Oettinger
Günther 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...
(also CDU) in the internal elections of the CDU.
As a public figure, her seclusive private life remains an enigma and has been subject to speculation. In 2006 she received the Else Mayer Award
Else Mayer
Else Mayer was a German nun and women's liberation activist during the period of the First-wave feminism. She was one of the pioneers of the German Women's Liberation Movement....
.