Barbara Stamm

Barbara Stamm (née Stocker; 29 October 1944 – 5 October 2022) was a German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria. She joined the CSU in 1969, was a member of the town council of Würzburg from 1972, and a member of the Landtag of Bavaria from 1976. She was vice-chair of the CSU from 1993 to 2017, and President of the Landtag from 2008 to 2018, the first woman in the position. She was regarded as the most popular Bavarian politician and as her party's "social conscience".

Life and career

Barbara Stocker was born in Bad Mergentheim on 29 October 1944 to a deaf mother. She grew up with foster parents until age eight, when her mother came to take her home. She had an alcoholic stepfather, who hit her. At times she recovered in a Kinderheim.

In the 1960s, she trained to be a kindergarten teacher (Erzieherin), made possible by a loan from her religion teacher. She worked as Erzieherin and in the care of young people (Jugendarbeit) of the Diocese of Würzburg. She met her future husband at the time, who encouraged her to turn to politics.

Political career

Stamm joined the Christian Social Union (CSU) in 1969. She was a member of the town council of Würzburg from 1972 to 1987. She was a member of the Bavarian parliament from 1976 to 2018. She served as deputy chairwoman of the CSU from 1993 until 2017. She was from 1990 Bavaria's commissioner in Romania.

From 1994 until 2001, Stamm was Bavarian State Minister for Health in the government of Minister-President Edmund Stoiber. From 1994 to 2001 she also was Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria. From 2008 to 2018 she served as President of the Landtag of Bavaria. She was a candidate again in 2018, but due to her party's low result was not elected again.