You are here

Schwanitz, Rolf

Rolf Schwanitz, lawyer, engineer economist, former Minister of State, former parliamentary secretary of state

schwanitz2-quadrat.jpg

Photo: Evelin Frerk

Rolf Schwanitz (born 1959 in Gera, GDR) grew up in Thuringia and completed his apprenticeship with a high school diploma as a construction worker in Erfurt. He then studied business administration in Jena and law in Berlin. He completed his studies as a graduate engineer economist and graduate lawyer. He did not join any political parties until 1989. From October 1989 to January 1990 he was a member of Neues Forum. In November 1989 he joined the SPD (SDP, GDR). During this time he worked in the commission against corruption and abuse of office of the city of Plauen. From 1993 to 2011 he was deputy state chairman of the SPD Saxony State Association. In 1990 he became a member of the first freely elected People's Chamber of the GDR, legal policy spokesman for the SPD People's Chamber faction and parliamentary secretary of state in the Ministry of Justice (GDR).

He was a member of the German parliament from 1990 to 2013. In addition he was a member of the Committee on Internal Affairs, the Committee on Legal Affairs, the Conciliation Committee and the Committee on Budgets. From 1998 to 2009 he was a member of three federal governments: From 1998 to 2002 (First Cabinet Chancellor Schröder) Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor and Commissioner for the Affairs of the new federal states of Germany, from 2002 to 2005 (Second Cabinet Chancellor Schröder) Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor, responsible for federal and state affairs, and from 2005 to 2009 (First Cabinet Chancellor Merkel) parliamentary secretary of state to the Federal Minister of Health. He left the German parliament at his own request in November 2013. For his work he was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1997), and the Willy Brandt Medal (2013).

Since then Rolf Schwanitz is politically and journalistically active in an honorary capacity and advocates a stronger separation of state and church as well as state and religion in Germany. In addition he is a trustee member of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, an advisory board member of the Institut für Weltanschauungsrecht (ifw - Institute for Secular Law), and a member of the spokesperson group of the Säkulare SozialdemokratInnen (Secular Social Democrats).

Website:

https://www.rolf-schwanitz.de