What position did Günther Beckstein take from Oct 2003 to Oct 2007?
Günther Beckstein Günther Beckstein ( ) ( born 23 November 1943 in Hersbruck ) is a German CSU politician from Bavaria and was the 17th Minister President of Bavaria from 9 October 2007 to 27 October 2008 . He is well known for his outspoken views on law and order . Biography . After graduating from High School at the Willstätter-Gymnasium in Nuremberg in 1962 , he studied law at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich . He holds a Ph.D . from Erlangen-Nürnberg University . In 1975 , he wrote his dissertation ( The Delinquent of Conscience in Criminal Law and Trial Law ) which led to his Ph.D . Between 1971 and 1978 , he worked as a lawyer . Beckstein has been married to Marga Beckstein , a teacher , since 1973 . They have three children : Ruth , Frank and Martin . Beckstein and his wife are residents of Nürnberg-Langwasser . He is a Protestant and an active church member , who was a member of the synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany from 1993 to 2015 . Political career . Beckstein started his political career as the district chairman of the Junge Union Nürnberg-Fürth ( 1973–1978 ) and then became vice chairman of the CSU district association Nürnberg-Fürth-Schwabach . In 1991 , he acceded its chairmanship . Beckstein became a member of the Bavarian State Parliament , the Landtag , for the CSU in 1974 . In 1987 he ran for Oberbürgermeister ( Lord Mayor ) of his home town Nürnberg , but lost to his opponent Peter Schönlein ( SPD ) . In 1988 , Beckstein became State Secretary at the Bavarian Ministry of Interior ( ) . In 1993 , he became the Interior Minister of Bavaria , succeeding Edmund Stoiber . In 2001 , he was elected to the post of Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria . Beckstein won seat in the Bundestag in the 2005 German federal elections but did not take up this position , preferring to stay in state politics . After Minister-President Edmund Stoiber had announced on 18 January 2007 to resign from his post in the autumn of 2007 , the CSU Landtag fraction came to the arrangement for Beckstein to succeed Stoiber , after a power struggle with Erwin Huber , selecting him with a vast majority . On October 9 , the Bavarian Landtag elected him as the new Minister-President by a majority of 122 of the 178 votes cast . His rise to the post of Bavarian prime minister was something of a novelty in the state as he is from Franconia—the northern half of Bavaria—and a Protestant . Traditionally , though not exclusively , Bavarian prime ministers have been from Altbayern—the south—and Catholics . On 1 October 2008 , following the Bavarian state elections of 28 September , where his party lost its absolute majority of the seats for the first time in 46 years , Beckstein resigned from his post but remained in office until a new Minister-President was elected on 27 October . Beckstein was a CSU delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017 . Views . - Beckstein is an outspoken critic of the Church of Scientology . - He is a staunch supporter of Israel and has warned in the past of the danger of right-wing extremism and antisemitism . He has received the Jerusalem Prize of the ( Zionistin Organisation of Germany ) in July 2006 for his efforts . - He has warned repeatedly of the dangers arising from Islamist extremists in Germany and has asked for greater powers for government security departments to deal with those . He was criticized for this by members of the SPD and German Muslims . - As the head of the Bavarian government , Beckstein had the final say on whether Hitlers Mein Kampf could be published in Germany , since Bavaria holds the copyrights . Beckstein disallowed any form of publication of the book in Germany , fearing it would fuel right-wing extremism . - Beckstein caused controversy in the run-up to Oktoberfest by declaring that people who drink two Maß of beer over several hours are fit to drive . Other activities . - Deutsche Bank , Member of the Regional Advisory Board for Bavaria ( since 2011 ) - University of Erlangen-Nuremberg ( FAU ) , Member of the Board of Trustees External links . - Günther Beckstein Sworn in as new Bavarian Premier Deutsche Welle article on Günther Beckstein - Website with quotes of Günther Beckstein ( in German ) - Official Bavarian government website - Günther Beckstein biography ( in German ) - Günther Becksteins curriculum vitae at the official website of the Bavarian Landtag ( in German )