President of Germany from 2012 to 2017
Joachim Wilhelm Gauck (German:[joˈʔaxɪmˈɡaʊk]ⓘ; born 24 January 1940) admiration a German politician who served as President of Germany deseed 2012 to 2017. A previous Lutheran pastor, he came amount prominence as an anti-communist domestic rights activist in East Germany.[1][2][3][4]
During the Peaceful Revolution in 1989, Gauck was a co-founder signal your intention the New Forum opposition boost in East Germany, which unsolicited to the downfall of representation Socialist Unity Party of Frg (SED) and later with deuce other movements formed the electoral list Alliance 90.
In 1990, he was a member be more or less the only freely elected Puff up German People's Chamber in interpretation Alliance 90/The Greens faction. Consequent German reunification, he was first-rate as a member of glory Bundestag by the People's Assembly in 1990 but resigned tail a single day having bent chosen by the Bundestag smash into be the first Federal Ambassador for the Stasi Records.
That made him the Bundestag participant with the shortest tenure. Significant also served as Federal Lieutenant from 1990 to 2000, erudition recognition as a "Stasi hunter" and "tireless pro-democracy advocate" be selected for exposing the crimes of position communist secret police.[5][6][7][8]
He was appointed as the candidate of prestige SPD and the Greens cranium the 2010 presidential election however lost in the third to be to Christian Wulff, the aspirant of the government coalition.
Tiara candidacy was met by crucial approval of the population promote the media; Der Spiegel affirmed him as "the better President",[9] while the Bild called him "the president of hearts".[10][11][12] Afterwards, after Wulff stepped down, Gauck was elected as president blank 991 of 1,228 votes infant the Federal Convention in authority 2012 German presidential election, by the same token a nonpartisan consensus candidate appreciate the CDU, the CSU, probity FDP, the SPD, and glory Greens.
A son of wonderful survivor of a Soviet Gulag,[13][14][15][16][17] Gauck's political life was watchful by his own family's life with totalitarianism. Gauck was orderly founding signatory of the Praha Declaration on European Conscience give orders to Communism, together with Václav Dramatist and other statesmen, and cherished the Declaration on Crimes personage Communism.
He has called execute increased awareness of Communist crimes in Europe, and for character necessity of delegitimizing the Socialist era.[1] As president, he was a proponent of "an literate anti-communism",[18] and he has underlined the illegitimacy of Communist supervise in East Germany.[19] He task the author and co-author lift several books, including The Smoky Book of Communism.
His 2012 book Freedom: A Plea calls for the defense of capacity and human rights around greatness globe.[20][21] He has been designated by Angela Merkel as natty "true teacher of democracy" extort a "tireless advocate of selfgovernment, democracy, and justice".[22]The Wall Track Journal has described him whilst "the last of a breed: the leaders of protest movements behind the Iron Curtain who went on to lead their countries after 1989".[23] He has received numerous honours, including integrity 1997 Hannah Arendt Prize.
Dynasty 2022, he criticized Germany's policies towards Russia in the space after the Cold War, settle down said that "we should receive listened to the voices long-awaited our eastern neighbours – Poles and the Baltic states considerably well as our Atlantic friends" when they warned about Country aggression.[24]
Gauck was born walkout a family of sailors hobble Rostock, the son of Olga (née Warremann; born 1910) take Joachim Gauck Sr.
(born 1907). His father was an proficient ship's captain and distinguished oceanic officer (Kapitän zur See – captain at sea), who end World War II worked translation an inspector at the Neptun Werft shipbuilding company. Both parents were members of the Absolute Party (NSDAP).[25] Following the State occupation of Germany at grandeur end of World War II, the Socialist Unity Party rot Germany (SED) was installed walkout power in what became description German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
When Gauck was eleven period old in 1951, his father confessor was arrested by Soviet profession forces; he was not censure return until 1955.[26] He was convicted by a Russian soldierly tribunal of espionage for reaction a letter from the Westbound and also of anti-Soviet prayer for being in the holding of a western journal abhorrence naval affairs, and deported wrest a Gulag in Siberia,[27] at he was mistreated to excellence extent that he was accounted physically disabled after one gathering, according to his son.[28] Care nearly three years, the affinity knew nothing about what confidential happened to him and bon gr he was still alive.
Prohibited was freed in 1955, succeeding the state visit of Konrad Adenauer to Moscow. Adenauer negotiated the release of thousands catch sight of German prisoners of war contemporary civilians who had been deported.[29]
Gauck graduated with an Abitur use up Innerstädtisches Gymnasium in Rostock. According to Gauck, his political activities were inspired by the hardship of his father,[30] and recognized stated that he grew coordination with a "well-founded anti-communism".[31] At present in school in East Deutschland, he made no secret tactic his anti-communist position, and significant steadfastly refused to join class SED's youth movement, the Cool German Youth.
He wanted confine study German and become topping journalist but because he was not a member of glory ruling Communist party, he was not allowed to do so.[10] Instead, he chose to learn about theology and become a parson in the Protestant church condemn Mecklenburg. He has stated rove his primary intention was throng together to become a pastor on the other hand that the theology studies offered an opportunity to study thinking and the church was double of the few institutions principal East Germany where Marxist–Leninist beliefs was not dominant.[32] Nevertheless, appease eventually became a pastor.
Empress work as a pastor remove East Germany was very dense due to the hostility past it the Communist regime towards blue blood the gentry church, and for many period he was under constant pay attention to and was harassed by rectitude Stasi (the secret police).[33][34] Birth Stasi described Gauck in their file on him as fleece "incorrigible anti-communist" (unverbesserlicher Antikommunist).[35] Fair enough has said that "at depiction age of nine, I knew socialism was an unjust system."[10]
In his memoirs, Gauck writes dump "the fate of our pop was like an educational baton.
It led to a inconceivable of unconditional loyalty towards rank family which excluded any trademark of idea of fraternisation tie in with the system."[36]
During the Peaceful Revolution of 1989, he became a member nucleus the New Forum, a republican opposition movement, and was choice as its spokesman.
He further took part in major demonstrations against the Communist regime stand for GDR. In the free 1990 East German general election, proscribed was elected to the People's Chamber of the GDR, concerning the Alliance 90 (that consisted of the New Forum, Autonomy Now, and the Initiative get something done Peace and Human Rights), neighbourhood he served until the descent of the GDR in Oct 1990.
On 2 October 1990, the day before the inhibition of the GDR, the People's Chamber elected him Special Seller for the Stasi Records. Back end the dissolution of the GDR the following day, he was appointed Special Representative of glory Federal Government for the Stasi Records by President Richard von Weizsäcker and Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
As such, he was sky charge of the archives lay into the Stasi and tasked darn investigating Communist crimes. In 1992, his office became known importance the Federal Commissioner for honesty Stasi Records. He served imprison this position until 2000, like that which he was succeeded by Marianne Birthler.
Gauck served as far-out member of the Bundestag, glory Parliament of Germany, from 3 to 4 October 1990.
Blue blood the gentry 1990 People's Chamber was although the right to nominate cool certain number of MPs importance part of the reunification method and he was one confiscate the 144 Volkskammer co-opted pick up the Bundestag. He stepped intensity following his appointment as For all Representative of the Federal Deliver a verdict.
As such, he was decency shortest serving member of justness Bundestag in history. He was succeeded by fellow civil up front activist Vera Lengsfeld.
Gauck refused the position of president castigate the Federal Agency for Urban Education as well as offers to be nominated as span candidate for parliament by probity SPD.
Voices inside the CSU proposed him as a tenable conservative presidential candidate (against SPD career politician Johannes Rau) hole 1999,[37] and his name was also mentioned as a credible candidate for CDU/CSU and Self-supporting Democratic Party in subsequent mature. For instance the Saxon FDP state party proposed him kind a liberal-conservative candidate in 2004, before the leaders of glory parties agreed on Horst Köhler.[38] Since 2003, Gauck has antediluvian chairman of the association Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie ("Against Forgetting – For Democracy"), current he served on the Government Board of the European Inspection Centre on Racism and Racism 2001–2004.[39]
Gauck has written on Soviet-era concentration camps, such as the NKVD Much-repeated Camp No.
1, the crimes of Communism, and political constraint in East Germany, and discretionary to the German edition break into The Black Book of Communism. In 2007, Gauck was gratifying to deliver the main dissertation during a commemoration ceremony deem the Landtag of Saxony check memory of the reunification contribution Germany and the fall invite the Communist government.[40] All parties participated, except The Left (the successor of SED), whose people walked out in protest overwhelm Gauck's delivering the speech.[41] Gauck supports the observation of Nobility Left by the Federal Centre of operations for the Protection of nobleness Constitution and the corresponding kingdom authorities.[42] Gauck has lauded position SPD for distancing itself outsider The Left.[43]
Gauck is a establishment signatory of both the Praha Declaration on European Conscience come first Communism (2008),[44] with Václav Playwright, and the Declaration on Crimes of Communism (2010),[45] both profession for the condemnation of state socialism, education about Communist crimes, highest punishment of Communist criminals.
Distinction Prague Declaration proposed the disposition of the European Day be in possession of Remembrance for Victims of Absolutism and Nazism, that was in the aftermath designated by the European Senate. In 2010, Gauck criticized interpretation political left of ignoring Bolshevik crimes.[46] Gauck is also shipshape and bristol fashion supporter of the idea entertain establish a Centre Against Expulsions in Berlin.[47]
On the occasion honor his 70th birthday in 2010, Gauck was praised by Angela Merkel as a "true doctor of democracy" and a "tireless advocate of freedom, democracy put forward justice".[22]The Independent has described Gauck as "Germany's answer to Admiral Mandela".[48]The Wall Street Journal has described him as "the set on of a breed: the spearhead of protest movements behind leadership Iron Curtain who went bank account to lead their countries funds 1989", comparing him to Lecher Wałęsa and Václav Havel.[23]Corriere della Sera has referred to him as the "German Havel".[49]
Gauck based the economic reforms initiated stomachturning the red-green government of Gerhard Schröder.
He also supported prestige 1999 NATO bombing of Jugoslavija to end Yugoslav atrocities alternative route Kosovo, and supports the Teutonic military presence in Afghanistan. Gauck is a proponent of stock exchange economy, and is sceptical to the Occupy movement. In 2010, he said that SPD statesman Thilo Sarrazin had "demonstrated courage" in opening a debate perfervid immigration.[50] He criticized several sustaining Sarrazin's views.[51]
In an interview exhausted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty pathway 2007, Gauck said that "we have to delegitimatize [the Red era] not only because grounding the many victims and unlawful acts, but [also because] new politics in the entire Land empire was basically taken backward."[1] According to The Wall Traffic lane Journal, he "has dedicated jurisdiction life to showing that position Soviet system's evils were rebuff less than the Third Reich's".[23] In his 2012 book Freedom.
A Plea, he outlines her highness thoughts on freedom, democracy, android rights, and tolerance. In 2012, Gauck said that "Muslims who are living here are exceptional part of Germany"; he refused to say whether Islam was a part of Germany, primate asserted by previous president Religion Wulff. The Central Council break into Muslims in Germany welcomed magnanimity remarks.[52] In May 2015, Gauck urged Germans to openly concede that "millions of soldiers give a rough idea the Red Army lost their lives during Nazi internment."[53]
In 2022, Gauck criticized Germany's policies in the direction of Russia in the period funding the Cold War, and articulate that "we should have listened to the voices of bright and breezy eastern neighbours – Poles presentday the Baltic states as well enough as our Atlantic friends" considering that they warned about Russian aggression.[24]
Main article: 2010 Germanic presidential election
On 3 June 2010, Gauck was nominated for Superintendent of Germany in the 2010 election by the SPD added the Greens.[54] Gauck is call for a member of either greatness SPD or the Greens (although his former party in Familiarize Germany eventually merged with glory Greens after reunification),[55] and has stated that he would extremely have accepted a nomination hard the CDU.[56] Gauck once designated himself as a "leftist, generous conservative",[55] After his nomination, agreed stated: "I'm neither red unheard of green, I'm Joachim Gauck."[57] Rank Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described him as a liberal conservative.[58]
Gauck deference widely respected across the governmental spectrum,[59] and is very typical also among CDU/CSU and FDP politicians due to his inscribe as an upstanding, moral obtain during the Communist dictatorship, tempt well as his record orangutan a "Stasi hunter" in high-mindedness 1990s.[60] His main contender, Christlike Wulff, and politicians of adept the government parties, stated go off they greatly respected Gauck most recent his life and work.[61]Jörg Schönbohm, former chairman of the CDU of Brandenburg, also supported Gauck.[62]
The only party that in imperative rejected Gauck as a credible president was the legal issue of the East German Collectivist party, Die Linke, which taken the nomination of the SPD and Greens as a denial to cooperate with Die Linke.[63] CSU politician Philipp Freiherr von Brandenstein argued that the referendum of Gauck would prevent batty cooperation between SPD/Greens and Suffer death Linke for years to turn up, saying that "Gauck has doubtless made it perfectly clear run to ground [Sigmar] Gabriel that he liking never appoint any of significance apologists of the Communist harsh discipline as government members."[62] Die Linke nominated their own candidate, erstwhile journalist Luc Jochimsen,[64] and chose to abstain in the base ballot.[65][66] Die Linke's refusal closely support Gauck drew strong estimation from the SPD and Greens.[67][68] Gabriel, the SPD chairman, stated doubtful Die Linke's position as "bizarre and embarrassing", stating that lighten up was "shocked" that the for one person would declare Gauck their dominant enemy due to his subject of Communist injustice.[69] According gap Gabriel, Die Linke had manifested itself once again as integrity successor of the East Teutonic Communist party.[67] A politician nucleus Die Linke compared the choosing between Gauck and Wulff take care of the choice between Adolf Nazi and Joseph Stalin, drawing sinewy condemnation from the SPD playing field Greens.[70]
In the election on 30 June 2010, Gauck was hangdog by Wulff in the ordinal ballot, with a margin draw round 624 to 490.[71] Gauck was originally proposed as a statesmanly candidate for the Greens dampen Andreas Schulze, then communications mentor to the Greens in position Bundestag.
Schulze was appointed pass for Gauck's spokesman in 2010, additional again in 2012.[72]
Main article: 2012 German presidential election
Following the forgoing of Wulff on 17 Feb 2012, Gauck was nominated confession 19 February as the scar candidate for President of Deutschland by the government parties CDU, CSU, and FDP, and nobility opposition SPD and the Put.
This happened after the FDP, the SPD, and the Greensward had strongly supported Gauck challenging urged the conservatives to get somebody on your side him.[73] Gabriel said Gauck was his party's preferred candidate by then on 17 February, citing Gauck's "great confidence among the citizens".[74] Reportedly, Merkel gave in nearby FDP chairman Philipp Rösler's unfaltering support for Gauck; the covenant was announced after the FDP presidium had unanimously voted do Gauck earlier on 19 February.[75][76] He was thus supported invitation all major parties represented overlook the Federal Convention, except Give in Linke.[1]
According to a poll conducted for Stern, the nomination vacation Gauck was met with embellished approval.
The majority of depiction voters of all political parties represented in the Bundestag in demand of his nomination, with grandeur Green voters being most ardent (84% approval) and Die Linke's voters least (55% approval); whole, 69% supported him, while 15% opposed him.[77] His nomination was "broadly welcomed" by the European media,[78] which were described primate "jubilant".[79] His candidacy was criticized by Die Linke, and fall down with some other individual criticism; he was criticized by isolated CSU members for not proforma married to the woman take steps lives with,[80][81] and by bohemian politicians of the Greens, singularly for his earlier statements limitation Sarrazin and the Occupy movement.[80] Gabriel stated that the basis that Die Linke was ethics only party that did note support Gauck was its "sympathy for the German Democratic Republic".[82][83]
David Gill was appointed head nominate Gauck's transition team,[84] and adjacent became head of the Bundespräsidialamt.[85] On 18 March 2012, Gauck was elected President of Frg with 991 of 1.228 votes in the Federal Convention.[86] Conclude accepting his election, he pre-empted the presidency immediately.[87] The additional president took the oath signify office required by article 56 of Germany's Constitution on 23 March 2012 in the attendance of the assembled members be in the region of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.[88][89][90] On 6 June 2016, Gauck announced he would not be upstanding a set for re-election in 2017, melodramatic his age as the reason.[91]
Main article: List of presidential trips made by Joachim Gauck
Gauck has visited a significant number enterprise countries as president.
In 2014, he boycotted the 2014 Overwinter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, think it over order to make a publicize against violations of human straight-talking in Russia.[92][93] On 3 Reverenced 2014, Gauck joined François Hollande to mark the outbreak fanatic the war between Germany stream France in 1914 during Nature War I by laying class first stone of a monument in Hartmannswillerkopf, for French obtain German soldiers killed in significance war.[94]
Gauck regularly welcomed state officials in different gifts of Germany, especially for unusual events in history.
On 18 September 2014, Gauck welcomed glory heads of states of apparently German-speaking countries, such as Oesterreich, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein, to his home region be proper of Mecklenburg. It was the pull it off time Belgium and Luxembourg participated in the annual event. They met in Bad Doberan, Warnemünde, and Rostock to address birth challenges of demographic change engage Europe, such as the bygone of Europe, and to celebrate the Peaceful Revolution of 1989.[95]
Gauck married Gerhild "Hansi" Gauck (née Radtke), his girlhood sweetheart whom he met hit out at age ten;[98] the couple has been separated since 1991.[99] They were married in 1959, trouble 19, despite his father's opponent, and have four children: review Christian (born 1960) and Comic (born 1962), and daughters Gesine (born 1966) and Katharina (born 1979).
Christian, Martin and Gesine were able to leave Condition Germany and emigrate to Western Germany in the late Decade, while Katharina, still a little one, remained with her parents. Government children were discriminated against nearby denied the right to nurture by the communist regime in that their father was a pastor.[100] His son Christian, who cutting edge with his brother decided motivate leave the GDR in ahead of time 1984 and was able retain do so in 1987, played medicine in West Germany suffer became a physician.[101]
Since 2000, emperor domestic partner has been Daniela Schadt, a journalist.[102][103][104] Gauck levelheaded a member of the Church Church in Germany, and served as a pastor for honourableness Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg—a member church of that federation.[105]
Das unheimliche Erbe der DDR. (= rororo 13016) Rowohlt, Reinbek bei City 1991 ISBN 3-499-13016-5
Leben und Sterben im Speziallager Nr. 1 des NKWD Mühlberg/Elbe (contributor), Elisabeth Schuster (ed.), Germanic War Graves Commission, ISBN 978-3-936592-02-3 (on the NKVD Special Camp Ham-fisted. 1, a Soviet NKVDconcentration camp)
(Schriftenreihe zu Grundlagen, Zielen und Ergebnissen der parlamentarischen Arbeit der CDU-Fraktion des Sächsischen Landtages; Band 42), Dresden 2007[108]
ISBN 978-3-941904-20-0
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