Winfried Kretschmann
Encyclopedia
Winfried Kretschmann is a German
politician of the Green Party of Germany
. He has been Minister-President
of the state
of Baden-Württemberg
since 12 May 2011.
Kretschmann has been a member of the state parliament, the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg
, since 1980, in the constituency of Nürtingen
. In 2006 he was the frontrunner in the Baden-Württemberg state election
for his party, as he was in the state election on March 27, 2011
. He was also the chairman of his party's parliamentary group.
Following the state election of 2011
, Kretschmann was elected on 12 May 2011 by the combined Green-SPD
majority in the Landtag to succeed Stefan Mappus
as Minister-President
of Baden-Württemberg, becoming the first ever Green Minister-President of any German state.
in Baden-Württemberg. His parents were expellees from the catholic Ermland (East Prussia
) after World War II
. He grew up on the rural Swabian Alb
(southern Baden-Württemberg). Kretschmann attended a Catholic
boarding school in Sigmaringen
and passed his Abitur
in Riedlingen
. Following his military service
, he studied to be a teacher of biology
and chemistry
(later ethics
) at the University of Hohenheim
in Stuttgart
, graduating in 1977. From 1973 to 1975 he was active in the Communist League of West Germany
. He later denounced this orientation towards the revolutionary positions of the German student movement
as a "political misapprehension"; today he is more ecologically oriented and counted among the members of the more conservative wing of the Greens.
After three years as a school teacher at Sigmaringen, he went into politics. Kretschmann is one of the founding members of the Baden-Württemberg section of the German Green Party (at Sindelfingen
on September 30, 1979).
In 1980, he was for the first time elected into the Landtag, the state parliament, and a first stint of his chairmanship of his party's parliamentary group followed from 1983 to 1985. In 1985 he left Stuttgart to work in Hessen at the ministry of environment, then run by party colleague Joschka Fischer
for two years.
In 1988, he returned to Baden-Württemberg, being re-elected into the Landtag in 1988. He lost his seat in 1992, but returned – after four years back as a teacher – in 1996 and held his seat in 2001 and 2006. In 2002, he was again elected chairman of his party's parliamentary group.
Kretschmann is a Catholic
and belongs to the more Realpolitik
-oriented, centrist wing of the Green Party. He is married, has three children and lives in Laiz, a part of Sigmaringen.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
politician of the Green Party of Germany
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
. He has been Minister-President
Minister-President
A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
of the state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
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...
since 12 May 2011.
Kretschmann has been a member of the state parliament, the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg
Landtag of Baden-Württemberg
The Landtag of Baden-Württemberg is the state diet of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. It convenes in Stuttgart and currently consists of 139 members of four Parties...
, since 1980, in the constituency of Nürtingen
Nürtingen
Nürtingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Neckar.-History:The following events occurred, by year:*1046 : First mention of Niuritingin in the document of Speyer...
. In 2006 he was the frontrunner in the Baden-Württemberg state election
Baden-Württemberg state election, 2006
The Baden-Württemberg state election, 2006, was conducted on March 26, 2006, to elect members to the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg.-Results:-Post-election:...
for his party, as he was in the state election on March 27, 2011
Baden-Württemberg state election, 2011
The Baden-Württemberg state election 2011, was held on March 27, 2011, to elect members to Baden-Württemberg's State diet, the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. It was the 14th state election since the foundation of Baden-Württemberg in 1952...
. He was also the chairman of his party's parliamentary group.
Following the state election of 2011
Baden-Württemberg state election, 2011
The Baden-Württemberg state election 2011, was held on March 27, 2011, to elect members to Baden-Württemberg's State diet, the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. It was the 14th state election since the foundation of Baden-Württemberg in 1952...
, Kretschmann was elected on 12 May 2011 by the combined Green-SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
majority in the Landtag to succeed Stefan Mappus
Stefan Mappus
Stefan Mappus is a former German politician from the Christian Democratic Union . He was Minister-President of the state of Baden-Württemberg since 2010 and chairman of the CDU Baden-Württemberg since 2009....
as Minister-President
Minister-President
A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
of Baden-Württemberg, becoming the first ever Green Minister-President of any German state.
Biography
Kretschmann was born at SpaichingenSpaichingen
Spaichingen is a town in the district of Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 11 kilometers northwest of Tuttlingen, and 13 km southeast of Rottweil. It is 660 meters above sea level.Population: 12,400 -History:...
in Baden-Württemberg. His parents were expellees from the catholic Ermland (East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
) after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He grew up on the rural Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
(southern Baden-Württemberg). Kretschmann attended a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
boarding school in Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
and passed his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Riedlingen
Riedlingen
Riedlingen is a town in the district of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, in the south-west of Germany. It is one of the destinations of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. There are ca. 10,000 inhabitants.- Geography :...
. Following his military service
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, he studied to be a teacher of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
(later ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
) at the University of Hohenheim
University of Hohenheim
The University of Hohenheim is a university in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1818 it is Stuttgart's oldest university and one of Germany's leading universities both in agricultural sciences and economics.-History:...
in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, graduating in 1977. From 1973 to 1975 he was active in the Communist League of West Germany
Communist League of West Germany
The Communist League of West Germany was a Maoist organization in West Germany which existed from 1973 until 1985. The KBW contested the general elections in 1976 and 1980 in West Germany and was rated as the strongest of the German Maoist parties from 1974 until 1981...
. He later denounced this orientation towards the revolutionary positions of the German student movement
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
as a "political misapprehension"; today he is more ecologically oriented and counted among the members of the more conservative wing of the Greens.
After three years as a school teacher at Sigmaringen, he went into politics. Kretschmann is one of the founding members of the Baden-Württemberg section of the German Green Party (at Sindelfingen
Sindelfingen
Sindelfingen is a German town near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe that is the site of a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.-History:* 1155 First documented mention of Sindelfingen...
on September 30, 1979).
In 1980, he was for the first time elected into the Landtag, the state parliament, and a first stint of his chairmanship of his party's parliamentary group followed from 1983 to 1985. In 1985 he left Stuttgart to work in Hessen at the ministry of environment, then run by party colleague Joschka Fischer
Joschka Fischer
Joseph Martin "Joschka" Fischer is a German politician of the Alliance '90/The Greens. He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany in the cabinet of Gerhard Schröder from 1998 to 2005...
for two years.
In 1988, he returned to Baden-Württemberg, being re-elected into the Landtag in 1988. He lost his seat in 1992, but returned – after four years back as a teacher – in 1996 and held his seat in 2001 and 2006. In 2002, he was again elected chairman of his party's parliamentary group.
Kretschmann is a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and belongs to the more Realpolitik
Realpolitik
Realpolitik refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily on power and on practical and material factors and considerations, rather than ideological notions or moralistic or ethical premises...
-oriented, centrist wing of the Green Party. He is married, has three children and lives in Laiz, a part of Sigmaringen.