Günter Rexrodt(1941-2004)
His father worked for the liberal party (DDP and LDPD) in the Weimar Republic and in the GDR. After graduating from high school, Rexrodt went to Berlin (West), where he initially did an internship at the Berliner Bank in 1961-1962. At the same time, he began studying economics at the Free University of Berlin in 1961, which he completed with a diploma in 1967. In 1970 he received his doctorate. rer. pole. During his studies, Rexrodt also completed an industrial internship at Standard Elektrik Lorenz AG in Berlin from 1963 to 1964. In 1968, Rexrodt joined a Berlin banking company as an employee. A year later he moved to the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), where he worked until 1982.
From 1972 he was a member of the IHK management, and from 1974 he headed the IHK Industry department. After these activities in the private sector, Rexrodt turned to politics, serving as head of the industry department at the Berlin Senator for Economic Affairs and Transport from 1979 to 1982. In 1980 he joined the FDP. From 1982 to 1985 he was Senate Director in Berlin under Richard von Weizsäcker's government. From 1983 to 1987 he also served as deputy state chairman of the local FDP. In the period from 1985 to 1989, Rexrodt was involved in the Berlin state government as Senator for Finance. In this position, he survived the involvement of his Christian Democratic coalition partner in a Berlin construction scandal unscathed.
As a result of the significant loss of votes in the Berlin CDU-FDP Senate under Eberhard Diepgen in the state elections at the beginning of 1989, Rexrodt resigned from the Senate again. This was followed by further work in business: from 1989 to 1991, Rexrodt served on the board of CitiBank in Frankfurt/Main. He then served as CEO of CitiBank from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, Rexrodt was appointed to the Treuhandanstalt Berlin, where he served on the board until 1993. Here he advocated for rigorous privatization in the new federal states, which brought him public criticism. At the same time, however, Rexrodt continued his party political commitment: in 1990 he joined the federal executive board of the FDP and from 1994 to the beginning of 1996 he was state chairman of the Berlin FDP.
The FDP politician has also been represented in the Bundestag since 1994. After the resignation of Federal Economics Minister Jürgen W. Möllemann at the beginning of 1993, who stumbled over the "letterhead affair", Rexrodt was appointed his successor. He was Federal Minister of Economics under Helmut Kohl's penultimate and final government from 1993 to 1998. In this position, Rexrodt tried to privatize and de-bureaucratize the German economy in the face of the partial collapse of the economy in the new federal states and the challenge of globalization. For example, he implemented liberalizations in the areas of shop closing times, the electricity and telecommunications markets.
In 1996, Rexrodt contracted malaria on a trip to South Africa, which at times became life-threatening and kept him away from political business for two months. After the red-green government change in September 1998, Rexrodt was appointed budget spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group. In 1999 he joined the Federal Presidium of the FDP. In February 2000, Rexrodt was re-elected as state chairman of the Berlin FDP. In this position he managed to return the party to the Berlin House of Representatives in the new elections in October 2001. At the beginning of 2002, Rexrodt gave up his seat in the Berlin state parliament because he had now been appointed federal treasurer of the FDP.
In February 2002 he was also confirmed as state chairman of the Berlin FDP. In the run-up to the federal election, Rexrodt was significantly involved in the FDP election campaign under the leadership of Guido Westerwelle, in whose competence team he was responsible for economics and finance. In the dispute over Jürgen Möllemann's controversial leaflet campaign, Rexrodt took a clear position against the illegal acceptance of donations. In addition to his activities as a budget expert for the FDP, Rexrodt was also represented on the board of WMP Eurocom AG. He has also been chairman of the supervisory board of Agiv AG since 2001.
From 1972 he was a member of the IHK management, and from 1974 he headed the IHK Industry department. After these activities in the private sector, Rexrodt turned to politics, serving as head of the industry department at the Berlin Senator for Economic Affairs and Transport from 1979 to 1982. In 1980 he joined the FDP. From 1982 to 1985 he was Senate Director in Berlin under Richard von Weizsäcker's government. From 1983 to 1987 he also served as deputy state chairman of the local FDP. In the period from 1985 to 1989, Rexrodt was involved in the Berlin state government as Senator for Finance. In this position, he survived the involvement of his Christian Democratic coalition partner in a Berlin construction scandal unscathed.
As a result of the significant loss of votes in the Berlin CDU-FDP Senate under Eberhard Diepgen in the state elections at the beginning of 1989, Rexrodt resigned from the Senate again. This was followed by further work in business: from 1989 to 1991, Rexrodt served on the board of CitiBank in Frankfurt/Main. He then served as CEO of CitiBank from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, Rexrodt was appointed to the Treuhandanstalt Berlin, where he served on the board until 1993. Here he advocated for rigorous privatization in the new federal states, which brought him public criticism. At the same time, however, Rexrodt continued his party political commitment: in 1990 he joined the federal executive board of the FDP and from 1994 to the beginning of 1996 he was state chairman of the Berlin FDP.
The FDP politician has also been represented in the Bundestag since 1994. After the resignation of Federal Economics Minister Jürgen W. Möllemann at the beginning of 1993, who stumbled over the "letterhead affair", Rexrodt was appointed his successor. He was Federal Minister of Economics under Helmut Kohl's penultimate and final government from 1993 to 1998. In this position, Rexrodt tried to privatize and de-bureaucratize the German economy in the face of the partial collapse of the economy in the new federal states and the challenge of globalization. For example, he implemented liberalizations in the areas of shop closing times, the electricity and telecommunications markets.
In 1996, Rexrodt contracted malaria on a trip to South Africa, which at times became life-threatening and kept him away from political business for two months. After the red-green government change in September 1998, Rexrodt was appointed budget spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group. In 1999 he joined the Federal Presidium of the FDP. In February 2000, Rexrodt was re-elected as state chairman of the Berlin FDP. In this position he managed to return the party to the Berlin House of Representatives in the new elections in October 2001. At the beginning of 2002, Rexrodt gave up his seat in the Berlin state parliament because he had now been appointed federal treasurer of the FDP.
In February 2002 he was also confirmed as state chairman of the Berlin FDP. In the run-up to the federal election, Rexrodt was significantly involved in the FDP election campaign under the leadership of Guido Westerwelle, in whose competence team he was responsible for economics and finance. In the dispute over Jürgen Möllemann's controversial leaflet campaign, Rexrodt took a clear position against the illegal acceptance of donations. In addition to his activities as a budget expert for the FDP, Rexrodt was also represented on the board of WMP Eurocom AG. He has also been chairman of the supervisory board of Agiv AG since 2001.
