Thomas de Maizière (CDU) heads the Federal Ministry of Defence. Before entering national politics he held various ministerial posts in Saxony. Thomas de Maizière was born in 1954 in Bonn and holds a doctorate in law.

CV

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Born on 21 January 1954 in Bonn; married, three children

1972
Abitur (higher education entrance qualification); military service

1972 - 1979
Studied Law und History in Münster and Freiburg , first state examination (Referendarexamen)

1982
Second state examination (Assessorexamen)

1983
Employee of Governing Mayors of Berlin, Richard von Weizsäcker and Eberhard Diepgen

1986
Qualified as Doctor of Law (Dr. jur.) at Wilhelms University in Münster

1985 - 1989
Leader of the Basic Issues Division (Grundsatzreferat) of the Senate Chancellery of the federal state (Land) of Berlin; Press Spokesman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Berlin Parliament

1990
Assisted in setting up the office of the Minister-President of the last government of the GDR;
member of the negotiating delegation for the German Unification Treaty

1990 - 1994
State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture of the federal state (Land)
of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

1993
Chairman of the Joint Conference of Heads of Government (Amtschefkonferenz)
of the Conference of Ministers of Cultural Affairs

1994 - 1998
Head of the State Chancellery of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

1999
Adviser and, from October 1999 on, Leader of the State Chancellery of Saxony

2001 - 2002
Minister of State for Finance in Saxony

2002 - 2004
Minister of State for Justice in Saxony

since 2004
Minister of State for the Interior in Saxony

2004
Member of the State Assembly of Saxony

2005 - 2009
Head of the Federal Chancellery

2009 - 2011
Federal Minister of the Interior

since March 2011
Federal Minister of Defence

Photos small and large: REGIERUNGonline/Chaperon

Bonn office
Fontainengraben 150
53123 Bonn
Phone: +49 (0) 228 120-0
Fax: +49 (0) 228 120-5357

Berlin office
Stauffenbergstraße 18
10785 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 18 24-000
Fax: +49 (0) 30 18 24-5357

Website of the Federal Ministry of Defence