Rita Süssmuth

Rita Süssmuth (née Kickuth; German: [ˈʁiːta ˈzyːsmuːt] ; 17 February 1937 – 1 February 2026) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as the tenth president of the Bundestag.

From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth served as Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health (from 1986 youth, family, women and health) and from 1988 to 1998 as President of the German Bundestag. Her tenure of close to 10 years was the third longest for any Bundestag President. Only Eugen Gerstenmaier and Norbert Lammert held the position longer.

In addition to her political work, Süssmuth was President of the European Movement Germany (1994–1998) and member of the Advisory Board and Board of Trustees of the Bertelsmann Foundation (1997–2007).

Early life and education

Süssmuth was born on 17 February 1937 in Wuppertal and spent her childhood in Wadersloh. After graduating from high school (Emsland Gymnasium) in Rheine in 1956, she completed a degree in Romance studies and history in Münster, Tübingen and Paris, which she finished on 20 July 1961 with the first state examination (Staatsexamen) for teaching. This was followed by postgraduate studies in educational science, sociology and psychology.

In 1964, she then received her Ph.D. at the University of Münster. Her dissertation was titled "Studies on the Anthropology of the Child in contemporary French literature" ("Studien zur Anthropologie des Kindes in der französischen Literatur der Gegenwart").

From 1966 until 1982, she was a faculty member in education at TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University, and their predecessor institutions.

Career

Early career

From 1963 to 1966, Süssmuth worked as a scientific assistant at the universities of Stuttgart and Osnabrück and from 1966 as a lecturer at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ruhr. From 1969 to 1982, she had a teaching assignment at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum for International Comparative Education.

In 1971, Süssmuth was appointed professor of Educational Science at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ruhr. In 1973, she accepted the call of the TU Dortmund University. In 1971, she also began working on the scientific advisory board of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs.

From 1982 to 1985, Süssmuth was the director of the Institut Frau und Gesellschaft in Hanover. During her time as an active politician, she gave block seminars at the University of Göttingen.

Political career

From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth was Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Confronted with the AIDS crisis during her tenure, she advocated for increased medical education and preventative measures. She propagated the use of condoms for the prevention of infections against resistance within her own party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and the Catholic Church. In 1987, she supported the foundation of the National AIDS Foundation and increased federal funding for AIDS research.

In late 1989, she joined forces with Lothar Späth, Heiner Geißler, Kurt Biedenkopf and others in an unsuccessful effort to oust Kohl as CDU chairman.

Süssmuth was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002. In the federal elections in 1987, 1990 and 1994 she was elected for the constituency of Göttingen. For the 1998 election, she was elected via the CDU state list in Lower Saxony.

After the resignation of Philipp Jenninger in 1988 Süssmuth became the 10th President of the Bundestag. She held the post until 1998, when the SPD became the strongest group in parliament.

Her tenure saw the German reunification.

In December 1989, Süssmuth advocated a joint declaration by both German states on the recognition of the Polish western border.

From 1986 to 2001, Süssmuth served as president of the Frauen Union (the organization of the female members of the CDU) and therefore had a strong influence in her party.

Political positions

Süssmuth was a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which advocates for democratic reformation of the United Nations.

Ahead of the Christian Democrats' leadership election in 2021, Süssmuth publicly endorsed Armin Laschet to succeed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as the party's chair.

Life after politics

In September 2000, Federal Minister of the Interior Otto Schily appointed Süssmuth as head of a high-profile bipartisan commission to overhaul Germany's immigration policies. The commission's task was to develop an overall concept for new immigration legislature. The results of the committee were presented in July 2001, in the form of a 323-paged report titled "Crafting Immigration – Promoting Integration" ("Zuwanderung gestalten – Integration fördern").

In 2002, Süssmuth became a member of the Limbach Kommission, which acts as a mediator in questions of Nazi looted art.

After leaving politics, Süssmuth was also involved in a number of philanthropic and business activities, including the following:

• UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, Co-Chair (since 2010)
• Technische Universität Berlin, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees (since 2010)
• European Policy Centre (EPC), Member of the Strategic Council
• Global Commission on International Migration, Member (2003–2005)
• Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Member of the Board of Trustees
• Heinz Galinski Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees
• Deutsche Initiative für den Nahen Osten (DINO), Member of the Board of Trustees
• Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board
• Genshagener Kreis, Member of the Board of Trustees
• Til Schweiger Foundation, Member of the Advisory Board
• Total E-Quality initiative, Member of the Board of Trustees
• United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN), Member of the Presidium
• Bertelsmann Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees (1997–2015)
• EnBW, Member of the Advisory Board (2004–2009)
• TDU-Hochschulkonsortium, President

Süssmuth was also Member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation established in 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe and prepare recommendations to European governments and IGOs on fighting xenophobia and antisemitism.

In 2018 Süssmuth was awarded the Mercator Visiting Professorship for Political Management at the Universität Essen-Duisburg's NRW School of Governance.

Personal life and death

Süssmuth was married to university professor Hans Süssmuth from 1964 until his death in 2020. They had one daughter, Claudia.

Rita Süssmuth died on 1 February 2026, at the age of 88. She is survived by her daughter Claudia and five grandchildren.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier ordered a state funeral.