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Harald Ringstorff (25 September 1939 – 19 November 2020) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Minister President of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.[1] He headed a coalition government of the SPD and PDS (since 2007 the Left Party, Die Linke) from 1998 until 2006, and subsequently headed a coalition between the SPD and CDU. With a term of almost ten years, he is the longest-serving former incumbent to date (as of 2024). He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2006/07.
Harald Ringstorff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |
| In office 3 November 1998 – 6 October 2008 | |
| Deputy | Helmut Holter |
| Preceded by | Berndt Seite |
| Succeeded by | Erwin Sellering |
| President of Bundesrat | |
| In office 1 November 2006 – 31 October 2007 | |
| President | Horst Köhler |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Peter Harry Carstensen |
| Succeeded by | Ole von Beust |
| Minister of Justice of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |
| In office 3 November 1998 – 19 September 2000 | |
| Minister-President | Harald Ringstorff |
| Preceded by | Rolf Eggert |
| Succeeded by | Erwin Sellering |
| Deputy Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |
| In office 8 December 1994 – 6 May 1996 | |
| Minister-President | Bernd Seite |
| Preceded by | Klaus Gollert |
| Succeeded by | Hinrich Kuessner |
| Minister of Economics and Affairs of European Union of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |
| In office 8 December 1994 – 6 May 1996 | |
| Minister-President | Bernd Seite |
| Preceded by | Herbert Helmrich (Affairs of European Union) Conrad-Michael Lehment (Economics) |
| Succeeded by | Rolf Eggert (Affairs of European Union) Jürgen Seidel (Economics) |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party in the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |
| In office 6 May 1996 – 3 November 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Gottfried Timm |
| Succeeded by | Volker Schlotmann |
| In office 26 October 1990 – 15 November 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Gottfried Timm |
| Member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for Parchim II (Rostock III; 1990–1994) (Social Democratic List; 1994–1998; 2006–2011) | |
| In office 26 October 1990 – 4 October 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Schwarz |
| Member of the Volkskammer for Rostock | |
| In office 5 April 1990 – 2 October 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 25, 1939 Wittenburg, Nazi Germany |
| Died | 19 November 2020 (aged 81) Schwerin, Germany |
| Political party | SPD |
After his Abitur and military service, Ringstorff studied Chemistry at the University of Rostock. He received his Ph.D. in 1969. Afterwards he worked as a chemist for the Rostock dockyards. From 1987 to 1990, he was director of the branch office of the VEB Kali-Chemie ("people's enterprise for potash chemistry").[2]
In 1989 Ringstorff was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party in the GDR and a member of the freely elected Volkskammer of 1990. From 1990 to 2003 he was chairman of the SPD in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.[2]
Since 1990 Ringstorff has been a member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern where he served as parliamentary leader of the SPD from 1990–1994 and 1996-1998. In between he was Minister for Economic and European Affairs and vice-minister-president in a coalition government with the CDU under minister-president Berndt Seite (CDU).[2]
In 1998, the SPD agreed to form a coalition with the PDS (now Left Party), a move controversial within the party. Ringstorff was elected minister-president. His coalition government was re-elected in 2002. After the elections of 2006, he decided to switch to a coalition with the CDU, which would have a more comfortable majority in parliament.
On 6 August 2008, Ringstorff let it be known that he wished to resign as minister-president because of his age. On 6 October, he was succeeded in the office by Erwin Sellering.[1][3]
He died from Parkinson's disease on 19 November 2020.
References
edit- ^ a b Buergin, Rainer (6 August 2008). "German State of Mecklenburg Premier Ringstorff Quits, Cites Age". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Helmut Müller-Enbergs. "Ringstorff, Harald * 25.9.1939 Ministerpräsident des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur: Biographische Datenbanken. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ "Der adrette Jurist: Ein Jurist aus dem Westen soll Landesvater im Nordosten werden. Erwin Sellering hat derzeit die besten Chancen, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Nachfolger von Ministerpräsident Harald Ringstorff zu werden. Sellering gilt als als gelassener Vermittler". Handelsblatt (online). 22 August 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
External links
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Media related to Harald Ringstorff at Wikimedia Commons
