Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany)

Coordinates: 50°42′12″N 7°08′21″E / 50.70342°N 7.13917°E / 50.70342; 7.13917
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Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
Agency overview
Formed20 October 1955 as Bundesministerium für Atomfragen
JurisdictionGovernment of Germany
HeadquartersHeinemannstraße 2
53175 Bonn
50°42′12″N 7°08′21″E / 50.70342°N 7.13917°E / 50.70342; 7.13917
Employees1000
Annual budget€20.799 billion (2021)[1]
Minister responsible
Agency executives
  • Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary
  • Thomas Sattelberger, Parliamentary State Secretary
  • Kornelia Haugg, Permanent State Secretary
  • Judith Pirscher, Permanent State Secretary
Websitewww.bmbf.de

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (German: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsminɪsˌteːʁiʊm fyːɐ̯ ˈbɪldʊŋ ʊnt ˈfɔʁʃʊŋ] ), abbreviated BMBF, is a cabinet-level ministry of Germany. It is headquartered in Bonn, with an office in Berlin. The Ministry provides funding for research projects and institutions (aiming for "research excellence"[2]) and sets general educational policy. It also provides student loans in Germany. However, a large part of educational policy in Germany is decided at the state level, strongly limiting the influence of the ministry in educational matters.

History[edit]

The Federal Ministry for Atomic Issues was established in 1955, concentrating on research in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.[3] The ministry was renamed in 1962 to Federal Ministry of Scientific Research, with a broader scope; it was renamed again, to Federal Ministry of Education and Science, in 1969.[4]

A separate ministry, the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, was established in 1972. The two Ministries merged in 1994 to form the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology; this title was shortened to Federal Ministry for Education and Research in 1998.

Organization[edit]

Ministry of Education and Research headquarters building, Bonn

The BMBF currently has eight directorates-general (as at November 2020). These are in addition to the central directorate-general that is responsible for administrative tasks:[5]

  • Directorate-General 1: Policy Issues and Strategies
  • Directorate-General 2: European and International Cooperation in Education and Research
  • Directorate-General 3: General Education and Vocational Training; Lifelong Learning
  • Directorate-General 4: Higher Education and Research System
  • Directorate-General 5: Research for Technological Sovereignty and Innovation
  • Directorate-General 6: Life Sciences
  • Directorate-General 7: Provision for the Future - Basic Research and Research for Sustainable Development

Each directorate-general consists of one or two subdivisions and 10 to 15 units. The greater part of the subdivisions is located in Bonn, the smaller part in Berlin. The BMBF has around 1000 employees. The head of the BMBF is formed by two parliamentary secretaries and two permanent state secretaries in addition to the minister.

Federal Ministers[edit]

Political Party:   CDU   SPD   FDP

Name
(Born-Died)
Portrait Party Term of Office Chancellor
(Cabinet)
Federal Minister for Atomic Affairs (1955–1957)
Federal Minister for Nuclear Energy and Water Management (1957–1961)
Federal Minister for Nuclear Energy (1961–1962)
Federal Minister for Scientific Research (1962–1969)
Federal Minister for Education and Science (1969–1994)
1 Franz Josef Strauß
(1915–1988)
CSU 20 October 1955 16 October 1956 Adenauer
(II)
2 Siegfried Balke
(1902–1984)
CDU 16 October 1956 14 December 1962 Adenauer
(IIIIIIV)
3 Hans Lenz
(1907–1968)
FDP 14 December 1962 26 October 1965 Adenauer
(IV)
Erhard
(I)
4 Gerhard Stoltenberg
(1928–2001)
CDU 26 October 1965 22 October 1969 Erhard
(II)
Kiesinger
(I)
5 Hans Leussink
(1912–2008)
None 22 October 1969 15 March 1972 Brandt
(I)
6 Klaus von Dohnanyi
(born 1928)
SPD 15 March 1972 17 May 1974 Brandt
(III)
7 Helmut Rohde
(1925–2016)
SPD 17 May 1974 16 February 1978 Schmidt
(III)
8 Jürgen Schmude
(born 1936)
SPD 16 February 1978 28 January 1981 Schmidt
(IIIII)
9 Björn Engholm
(born 1939)
SPD 28 January 1981 4 October 1982 Schmidt
(III)
10 Dorothee Wilms
(born 1929)
CDU 4 October 1982 12 March 1987 Kohl
(III)
11 Jürgen Möllemann
(1945–2003)
FDP 12 March 1987 18 January 1991 Kohl
(III)
12 Rainer Ortleb
(born 1944)
FDP 18 January 1991 4 February 1994 Kohl
(IV)
13 Karl-Hans Laermann
(born 1929)
FDP 4 February 1994 17 November 1994 Kohl
(IV)
Federal Minister for Education, Science, Research and Technology
1 Horst Ehmke
(1927–2017)
SPD 15 December 1972 17 May 1974 Brandt
(II)
2 Hans Matthöfer
(1925–2009)
SPD 17 May 1974 16 February 1978 Schmidt
(III)
3 Volker Hauff
(born 1940)
SPD 16 February 1978 5 November 1980 Schmidt
(II)
4 Andreas von Bülow
(born 1937)
SPD 5 November 1980 4 October 1982 Schmidt
(III)
5 Heinz Riesenhuber
(born 1935)
CDU 4 October 1982 21 January 1993 Kohl
(IIIIIIIV)
6 Matthias Wissmann
(born 1949)
CDU 21 January 1993 13 May 1993 Kohl
(IV)
7 Paul Krüger [de]
(born 1950)
CDU 13 May 1993 17 November 1994 Kohl
(IV)
Federal Minister for Education, Science, Research and Technology (1994–1998)
Federal Minister for Education and Research (1998–present)
14/8 Jürgen Rüttgers
(born 1951)
CDU 17 November 1994 26 October 1998 Kohl
(V)
15/9 Edelgard Bulmahn
(born 1951)
SPD 26 October 1998 22 November 2005 Schröder
(III)
16/10 Annette Schavan
(born 1955)
CDU 22 November 2005 14 February 2013 Merkel
(III)
17/11 Johanna Wanka
(born 1951)
CDU 14 February 2013 14 March 2018 Merkel
(IIIII)
18/12 Anja Karliczek
(born 1971)
CDU 14 March 2018 8 December 2021 Merkel
(IV)
19/13 Bettina Stark-Watzinger
(born 1968)
FDP 8 December 2021 Incumbent Scholz
(I)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bundeshaushalt". www.bundeshaushalt.de. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Research excellence is a must in a country whose prosperity is built on the innovative strength of its industry. The aim of the High-Tech Strategy is to make Germany a leader in providing scientific and technical solutions to the challenges in the fields of climate/energy, health/nutrition, mobility, security, and communication." Ministry: Objectives and Tasks Archived 2018-09-04 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Atomminister" (in German). Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Die Dienstsitze in Bonn und Berlin" (in German). Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Organizational Chart of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research" (pdf). BMBF. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-11-26.

External links[edit]