Thomas de Maizière

Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière (born 21 January 1954 in Bonn) was the Minister for Special Affairs in the German government and Head of the Federal Chancellery. On 3 March 2011, because of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's resignation, de Maizière became Federal Minister for Defence.

His father was Ulrich de Maizière, who was Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. The senior officer in all German Armed Forces. In the UK, he would be Chief of the Defence Staff and in the US, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Karl's cousin Lothar de Maizière was the only democratically elected Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic.

He later taught at the University of Leipzig.

References

Category:1954 births
Category:Living people
Category:German academics
Category:Interior ministers of Germany
Category:Members of the German Bundestag
Category:People from Bonn
Category:Politicians from North Rhine-Westphalia
Category:Politicians of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Category:Defence ministers of Germany
Category:Special Affairs ministers of Germany
Category:Heads of the German Chancellery