Prof. Dr. Annette Schavan

Federal minister

Personal data:

Born in Jüchen, district of Neuss, on 10 June 1955, Annette Schavan grew up in Neuss, where she took her Abitur in 1974. Between 1974 and 1980 she studied Educational Sciences, Philosophy and Catholic Theology in Bonn and Düsseldorf. She earned her doctoral degree (Dr. phil.) in 1980 with a thesis on conscience formation. In 2009 she was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Catholic Theology at Freie Universität Berlin and an honorary PhD from the Department of Philosophy of Cairo University and was elected member of class I (philosophy and cultural history) of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. She was given an honorary doctorate by Tongji University in Shanghai in 2010 and by Meiji University in Japan and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2011. 

Professional career:

1980 to 1984

Desk officer at the Cusanuswerk, which awards grants to highly talented Catholic students

1984 to 1987

Head of department for out-of-school education at the Generalvikariat of the Catholic Diocese of Aachen

1987/88

Federal manager of the CDU's women's organization Frauen-Union

1988 to 1991

Assistant director of the Cusanuswerk

1991 to 1995

Director of the Cusanuswerk

Political career:

1975 to 1984

Engaged in local politics in Neuss

1982 to 1984

Municipal councillor

1995 to 2005

Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of Land Baden-Württemberg

since 1998

Vice-chair of the CDU

2001 to 2005

Member of the Land Parliament of Baden-Württemberg

since October 2005

Member of the German Bundestag

since November 2005

Federal Minister of Education and Research