Thomas de Maizière

Thomas de Maizière
Bundesminister a. D.
De Maizière in 2017
Minister of the Interior
In office
17 December 2013  14 March 2018
ChancellorAngela Merkel
Preceded byHans-Peter Friedrich
Succeeded byHorst Seehofer
In office
28 October 2009  3 March 2011
ChancellorAngela Merkel
Preceded byWolfgang Schäuble
Succeeded byHans-Peter Friedrich
Minister of Defence
In office
3 March 2011  17 December 2013
ChancellorAngela Merkel
Preceded byKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Succeeded byUrsula von der Leyen
Head of the Chancellery
Minister for Special Affairs
In office
22 November 2005  27 October 2009
ChancellorAngela Merkel
Preceded byFrank-Walter Steinmeier (as Secretary of State)
Succeeded byRonald Pofalla
Member of the Bundestag
for Meißen
In office
27 October 2009  26 October 2021
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byBarbara Lenk
State political posts
Member of the Landtag of Saxony
for Bautzen 1
In office
19 October 2004  21 November 2005
Preceded byAndreas Hahn
Succeeded byKarl Mannsfeld
State Minister for the Interior of Saxony
In office
11 November 2004  22 November 2005
Minister-PresidentGeorg Milbradt
Preceded byHorst Rasch
Succeeded byAlbrecht Buttolo
State Minister of Justice of Saxony
In office
2 May 2002  11 November 2004
Minister-PresidentGeorg Milbradt
Preceded byManfred Kolbe
Succeeded byGeert Mackenroth
State Minister of Finances of Saxony
In office
31 January 2001  2 May 2002
Minister-PresidentKurt Biedenkopf
Preceded byGeorg Milbradt
Succeeded byHorst Metz
State Minister and Chief of the State Chancellery of Saxony
In office
27 October 1999  31 January 2001
Minister-PresidentKurt Biedenkopf
Preceded byGünter Meyer
Succeeded byGeorg Brüggen
State Secretary and Chief of the State Chancellery of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
In office
8 December 1994  2 November 1998
Minister-PresidentBerndt Seite
Preceded byGabriele Wurzel
Succeeded byOtto Ebnet
Personal details
Born
Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière

(1954-01-21) 21 January 1954
Bonn, West Germany
Political partyChristian Democratic Union
SpouseMartina de Maizière
Children3
Parent
RelativesLothar de Maizière (cousin)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance West Germany
Branch/service Bundeswehr
Years of service1972–1974
RankOberleutnant
UnitArmy (Heer) / Panzerbrigade 34

Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière (German pronunciation: [ mɛˈzi̯ɛːɐ̯]; born 21 January 1954) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Federal Minister of the Interior from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2018, as well as Federal Minister of Defence from 2011 to 2013. He previously served as Head of the Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Affairs in the First Merkel cabinet from 2005 to 2009. Since 2009, he has been a member of the Bundestag for Meißen.

Along with Ursula von der Leyen and Wolfgang Schäuble, De Maizière was one of only three ministers to have continuously served in Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinets from 2005 until 2018. Together with von der Leyen, he was widely looked on as a possible future successor to Merkel. Before his appointment to the federal cabinet, he served as a minister in the state government of Saxony, including as chief of staff to the Minister-President, State Minister of Finance and State Minister of Justice.