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{{short description|German politician, lawyer and journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{infobox officeholder
{{infobox officeholder
| name = Alexander Gauland
| name = Alexander Gauland
| honorific-suffix = [[MdB]]
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of the German Bundestag|MdB]]
| image = Gauland2014_(cropped).jpg
| image = 2019-04-11 Pressekonferenz der AfD by Olaf Kosinsky-8116 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Gauland in 2019
| office1 = [[Leader of the Opposition (Germany)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| chancellor1 = [[Angela Merkel]]
⚫
| alongside1 = [[Alice Weidel]]
⚫
| term_start1 = 24 October 2017
⚫
| term_end1 = 26 October 2021
| predecessor1 = [[Sahra Wagenknecht]] <br /> [[Dietmar Bartsch]]
| successor1 = [[Ralph Brinkhaus]]
| office = Leader of the [[Alternative for Germany]]
| office = Leader of the [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 1blankname =
| 1namedata =
| alongside = [[Jörg Meuthen]]
| alongside = [[Jörg Meuthen]]
| term_start = 2 December 2017
| term_start = 2 December 2017
| term_end =
| term_end = 30 November 2019
| predecessor = [[Frauke Petry]]
| predecessor = [[Frauke Petry]]
| successor =
| successor = [[Tino Chrupalla]]
| office1 = Leader of the [[Alternative for Germany]] in the [[Bundestag]]
| office2 = Leader of the [[Alternative for Germany]] in the [[Bundestag]]
| 1blankname2 = {{nowrap|Chief Whip}}
⚫
| alongside1 = [[Alice Weidel]]
| 1namedata2 = [[Bernd Baumann]]
⚫
| term_start1 = 28 September 2017
| deputy3 = [[Tino Chrupalla]]<br />[[Peter Felser]]<br />[[Leif-Erik Holm]]<br />[[Sebastian Münzenmaier]]<br />[[Beatrix von Storch]]
⚫
| term_end1 =
| alongside2 = Alice Weidel
⚫
| predecessor1 = Office established
| term_start2 = 26 September 2017
| successor1 =
| term_end2 = 30 September 2021
| predecessor2 =
⚫
| predecessor3 = ''Position established''
| successor3 = Tino Chrupalla

| office5 = [[Politics of Hesse|State Secretary and Chief of the Hessian State Chancellery]]
|1blankname5 = {{nowrap|[[List of ministers-president of Hesse|Minister-President]]}}
|1namedata5 = [[Walter Wallmann]]
| term_start5 = 24 April 1987
| term_end5 = 5 April 1991
| predecessor5 = Paul Leo Giani
| successor5 = Hans Joachim Suchan
⚫
| office6 = [[Member of the German Bundestag|Member]] of the [[Bundestag]] <br /> for [[Brandenburg]]
| term_start6 = [[2017 German federal election|24 October 2017]]
| term_end6 =
| predecessor6 = ''Multi-member district''
| constituency6 = [[Electoral system of Germany|AfD List]]

{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Brandenburg state politics <br /> (2014 – 2017)
|titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office7 = Leader of the [[Alternative for Germany]] in [[Brandenburg]]
| term_start7 = February 2014
| term_end7 = 8 April 2017
| predecessor7 = Roland Scheel (2013)
| successor7 = [[Andreas Kalbitz]]
| office8 = Leader of [[Alternative for Germany]] in the [[Landtag of Brandenburg]]
| deputy8 = Birgit Bessin<br />Thomas Jung
| term_start8 = 21 September 2014
⚫
| term_end8 = 25 October 2017
| predecessor8 = ''Position established''
| successor8 = Andreas Kalbitz
| office9 = Member of the [[Landtag of Brandenburg]]|
| term_start9 = [[2014 Brandenburg state election|8 October 2014]]
| term_end9 = 25 October 2017
| predecessor9 = ''Multi-member district''
| successor9 = Jan-Ulrich Weiß
| constituency9 = [[Electoral system of Germany|AfD List]]{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| birth_name = Alexander Eberhardt Gauland
| birth_name = Alexander Eberhardt Gauland
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1941|2|20|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1941|2|20|df=y}}}}
| birth_place = [[Chemnitz]], [[Saxony]], [[German Reich]]
| birth_place = [[Chemnitz]], [[Nazi Germany|German Reich]]
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_place =
| party = [[Alternative for Germany]] {{small|(2013-)}}
| party = [[Alternative for Germany]] (2013–present)
| otherparty = [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] {{small|(1973-2013)}}
| otherparty = [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (1973–2013)
| partner = Carola Hein
| partner = Carola Hein
| children = 2
| children = 2
| education =
| alma_mater = [[University of Marburg]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Marburg]]
| website = |
⚫
| office3 = [[Bundestag|Member of the Bundestag]] <br> for [[Brandenburg]]
⚫
| term_start3 = 24 October 2017
}}
}}
'''Alexander Eberhardt Gauland''' (born 20 February 1941) is a German politician, journalist and lawyer who has served as Leader of the German political party [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) in the [[Bundestag]] since September 2017 and Deputy Leader of Alternative for Germany since July 2015. He has been a Member of the [[Bundestag]] (MdB) since September 2017. Gauland was the party's co-founder and is its federal spokesman and the party leader for the state of [[Brandenburg]].<ref name=AFDB>{{cite web|url=http://www.afd-brandenburg.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AG-BewerbungsprofilLandtag.pdf|title=Bewerbungsprofil für Kandidaten für die Landtagswahl 2014 in Brandenburg Alexander Gauland|publisher=|accessdate=29 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305113258/http://www.afd-brandenburg.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AG-BewerbungsprofilLandtag.pdf|archive-date=5 March 2016|dead-url=yes|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
'''Eberhardt Alexander Gauland''' (born 20 February 1941) is a German politician, journalist and lawyer who has served as leader of the [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] political party [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) in the [[Bundestag]] since September 2017 and co-leader of the party from December 2017 to November 2019. He has been a [[Member of the Bundestag]] (MdB) since September 2017. Gauland was the party's co-founder and was its federal spokesman from 2017 to 2019 and the party leader for the state of [[Brandenburg]] from 2013 to 2017.<ref name=AFDB>{{cite web|url=http://www.afd-brandenburg.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AG-BewerbungsprofilLandtag.pdf|title=Bewerbungsprofil für Kandidaten für die Landtagswahl 2014 in Brandenburg Alexander Gauland|access-date=29 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305113258/http://www.afd-brandenburg.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AG-BewerbungsprofilLandtag.pdf|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==


Gauland was born in 1941 in [[Chemnitz]], a city that became part of [[East Germany]] in 1949 and was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt. After graduating from high school in 1959, he emigrated to West Germany. He studied political science and law at [[Marburg]], where he also received his doctorate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hna.de/politik/wir-benennen-aengste-3865961.html|title=Interview: Alexander Gauland über Themen und Ziele der AfD|date=16 September 2014|publisher=|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>
Gauland was born in 1941 in [[Chemnitz]], a city that became part of [[East Germany]] in 1949 and was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt. After graduating from high school in 1959, he fled as a refugee to [[West Germany]]. He studied political science and law at [[University of Marburg|Marburg]], where he also received his doctorate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hna.de/politik/wir-benennen-aengste-3865961.html|title=Interview: Alexander Gauland über Themen und Ziele der AfD|date=16 September 2014|access-date=29 May 2017}}</ref>


In 1972 Gauland entered the Federal Press Office and worked as the Director of the Office of the [[Mayor]] of [[Frankfurt|Frankfurt am Main]] for 10 years.<ref name=AFDB />
In 1972, Gauland entered the Federal Press Office and worked as the Director of the Office of the [[Mayor]] of [[Frankfurt|Frankfurt am Main]] for 10 years.<ref name=AFDB />


Afterwards he became the head of a department of the [[Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety]] in [[Bonn]] and Member of the Hessian Prime Minister´s cabinet.<ref name=AFDB />
Afterwards, he became the head of a department of the [[Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety]] in [[Bonn]] and Member of the Hessian Prime Minister's cabinet.<ref name=AFDB />


From 1991–2006 he worked as an editor of the local newspaper [[Märkische Allgemeine]] in [[Potsdam]].<ref name=AFDB />
From 1991 to 2006, he worked as an editor of the local newspaper ''[[Märkische Allgemeine]]'' in [[Potsdam]].<ref name=AFDB />


===Founding the AfD===
===Founding the AfD===


On the morning of 25 March 2010 German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] publicly promised there would be no direct financial aid to Greece, but reversed that statement hours later by agreeing with the leaders of the [[Eurozone|Euro countries]] to send the [[Greek government-debt crisis#First rescue package (May 2010)|first of many]] "rescue packages" to Greece. Gerd Robanus, Assessor in the Federal Executive of the CDU-Business Association cited this as the reason for founding the "[[Alternative for Germany|Election Alternative 2013]]" together with Alexander Gauland, Konrad Adam and Bernd Lucke.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article109606449/Enttaeuschte-CDU-Politiker-gruenden-Wahlalternative.html|title=Euro-Politik: Enttäuschte CDU-Politiker gründen Wahlalternative – WELT|website=DIE WELT|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>
On the morning of 25 March 2010, German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] publicly promised there would be no direct financial aid to Greece, but reversed that statement hours later by agreeing with the leaders of the [[Eurozone|Euro countries]] to send the [[Greek government-debt crisis#First rescue package (May 2010)|first of many]] "rescue packages" to Greece. Gerd Robanus, Assessor in the Federal Executive of the CDU-Business Association cited this as the reason for founding the [[Alternative for Germany]] together with Alexander Gauland, [[Konrad Adam]] and [[Bernd Lucke]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article109606449/Enttaeuschte-CDU-Politiker-gruenden-Wahlalternative.html|title=Euro-Politik: Enttäuschte CDU-Politiker gründen Wahlalternative – WELT|website=DIE WELT|date=4 October 2012|access-date=29 May 2017|last1=Lachmann|first1=Günther}}</ref>


In February 2014 Gauland received about 80 percent of the vote during an Extraordinary National Congress in Diedersdorf, becoming chairman of the Brandenburg County Association of the right-wing Alternative for Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maz-online.de/Brandenburg/Gauland-neuer-Chef-der-Brandenburger-AfD|title=Einzug in den Potsdamer Landtag ist oberstes Ziel – Gauland neuer Chef der Brandenburger AfD – MAZ – Märkische Allgemeine|first=Märkische Allgemeine, Potsdam, Brandenburg,|last=Germany|website=Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>
In February 2014, Gauland received about 80 percent of the vote during an Extraordinary National Congress in Diedersdorf, becoming chairman of the Brandenburg County Association of Alternative for Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maz-online.de/Brandenburg/Gauland-neuer-Chef-der-Brandenburger-AfD|title=Einzug in den Potsdamer Landtag ist oberstes Ziel – Gauland neuer Chef der Brandenburger AfD – MAZ – Märkische Allgemeine|first=Märkische Allgemeine, Potsdam, Brandenburg|last=Germany|website=Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung|access-date=29 May 2017|archive-date=27 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827215842/http://www.maz-online.de/Brandenburg/Gauland-neuer-Chef-der-Brandenburger-AfD|url-status=dead}}</ref>


===Landtag of Brandenburg===
===Landtag of Brandenburg===


The AfD got 12.2 percent of the vote in the [[Brandenburg state election, 2014]], enabling it to enter the assembly of that state for the first time. On Tuesday, 10 July 2014 Gauland opened the inaugural session of the Landtag of Brandenburg:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article133054150/Gauland-gibt-den-Staatsmann-geht-die-AfD-da-mit.html|title=Brandenburgs AfD-Chef Gauland eröffnet Landtag – WELT|website=DIE WELT|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>
The AfD got 12.2 percent of the vote in the [[2014 Brandenburg state election]], enabling it to enter the assembly of that state for the first time. On Tuesday, 10 July 2014 Gauland opened the inaugural session of the Landtag of Brandenburg:<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article133054150/Gauland-gibt-den-Staatsmann-geht-die-AfD-da-mit.html|title=Brandenburgs AfD-Chef Gauland eröffnet Landtag – WELT|website=DIE WELT|date=8 October 2014|access-date=29 May 2017|last1=Hollstein|first1=Miriam}}</ref>


As part of this speech, after quoting [[Edmund Burke]], Gauland wished the other members of parliament "all the strength and the courage, to tackle the tasks now ahead of them, in the interest of the voters and in the interest of the common good".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afd-brandenburg.de/eroeffnungsrede-von-dr-alexander-gauland/|title=Eröffnungsrede von Dr. Alexander Gauland – Alternative für Deutschland|website=www.afd-brandenburg.de|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>
As part of this speech, after quoting [[Edmund Burke]], Gauland wished the other members of parliament "all the strength and the courage, to tackle the tasks now ahead of them, in the interest of the voters and in the interest of the common good".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afd-brandenburg.de/eroeffnungsrede-von-dr-alexander-gauland/|title=Eröffnungsrede von Dr. Alexander Gauland – Alternative für Deutschland|website=www.afd-brandenburg.de|access-date=29 May 2017}}</ref>


==Political affiliation and ideals==
==Political affiliation and ideals==


Before becoming an AfD founding member Gauland was member of the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]]. In 2012 Gauland became involved in the Berliner Kreis ("Berlin circle"), a loose association of federal and state politicians within the CDU, which has been trying for years to make the CDU conservative again, because they consider that under Angela Merkel's leadership it has moved away from these ideals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeit.de/2014/48/alexander-gauland-afd-landtag-potsdam|title=Alexander Gauland: Verbannt aus dem Salon|first=Anne|last=Hähnig|date=20 November 2014|publisher=|accessdate=29 May 2017|via=Die Zeit}}</ref>
Before becoming an AfD founding member Gauland was a member of the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]]. In 2012 Gauland became involved in the {{lang|de|{{ill|Berliner Kreis|de|Berliner Kreis in der Union}}}} ("Berlin circle"), a loose association of federal and state politicians within the CDU, which has been trying for years to make the CDU conservative again, because they consider that under Angela Merkel's leadership it has moved away from these ideals.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zeit.de/2014/48/alexander-gauland-afd-landtag-potsdam|title=Alexander Gauland: Verbannt aus dem Salon|first=Anne|last=Hähnig|date=20 November 2014|access-date=29 May 2017|newspaper=Die Zeit}}</ref>


He is a supporter of a line that is both [[Conservatism|conservative]] on the societal level and [[Economic liberalism|liberal on the economic level]]. He opposed the idea of an aid plan for [[Greece]], which was then plunged into an [[Greek economic crisis|economic crisis]]. He called for the closure of Germany's and the European Union's borders, targeting Muslims in particular.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2017/09/25/allemagne-les-quatre-visages-de-l-afd_1598905|title=Allemagne : Les quatre visages de l'AfD}}</ref>
⚫
Alexander Gauland said he can not detect any right-wing extremists or radicals at the [[PEGIDA]]-Demonstrations. Gauland said: "I do not see right-wing extremists. I see citizens who demonstrate out of concern about developments in Germany, who are afraid. But I haven't seen any right-wing extremists, and we are not the allies of the right-wing extremists, but we are the allies of the people who have these concerns."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/pegida-125.html?r=&lid=381706&pm_In=8|title=AfD sieht keine Neonazis bei "Pegida"|first=|last=tagesschau.de|website=tagesschau.de|accessdate=29 May 2017}}</ref>


⚫
Alexander Gauland said he can not detect any right-wing extremists or radicals at the [[PEGIDA]]-Demonstrations. Gauland said: "I do not see right-wing extremists. I see citizens who demonstrate out of concern about developments in Germany, who are afraid. But I haven't seen any right-wing extremists, and we are not the allies of the right-wing extremists, but we are the allies of the people who have these concerns."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/pegida-125.html?r=&lid=381706&pm_In=8|title=AfD sieht keine Neonazis bei "Pegida"|last=tagesschau.de|website=tagesschau.de|access-date=29 May 2017}}</ref>
=== Controversies ===
⚫
In May 2016, Gauland reportedly made comments about [[Bayern Munich]] and [[Germany national football team|German national team]] footballer [[Jérôme Boateng]] in a conversation with [[Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung]] (FAS, Sunday edition of ''Frankfurter Allgemeine'' newspaper). FAS cited Gauland, "people like him [Boateng] as a footballer, but they don't want to have a Boateng as a neighbour". A controversy arose about this sentence. Gauland defended himself, saying he was fooled by the newspaper and it had been a background discussion, which was classified as confidential and thus not intended for publication. The newspaper refuted this. Gauland added that the effect of the statement – which in his words was meant descriptive – was distorted by the headline of the newspaper, "Gauland insults Boateng" ("Gauland beleidigt Boateng"). The newspaper had no audio recording of the statement, but independently written memos of two journalists. While Boateng himself said he was "saddened" by the statement of Gauland, the German federal government said it was "a vile and sad sentence" ("ein niederträchtiger und ein trauriger Satz").<ref>[http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-05/gauland-rundschreiben-afd Gauland rechtfertigt sich für Boateng-Äußerungen], Die Zeit, in German</ref> But also the FAS was criticised for making "mistakes".<ref>[https://www.welt.de/debatte/kommentare/article155952495/Bei-Gauland-hat-die-FAS-Fehler-gemacht.html Bei Gauland hat die "FAS" Fehler gemacht], Die Welt</ref>


⚫
In May 2016, Gauland reportedly made comments about [[Bayern Munich]] and black [[Germany national football team|German international]] footballer [[Jérôme Boateng]] in a conversation with {{lang|de|[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung]]}}. The paper cited Gauland, "people like [Boateng] as a footballer, but they don't want to have a Boateng as a neighbour". A controversy arose about this sentence. Gauland defended himself, saying he was fooled by the newspaper and it had been a background discussion, which was classified as confidential and thus not intended for publication. The newspaper refuted this. Gauland added that the effect of the statement – which in his words was meant descriptive – was distorted by the headline of the newspaper, "Gauland insults Boateng" ({{lang|de|Gauland beleidigt Boateng}}). The newspaper had no audio recording of the statement, but independently written memos of two journalists. While Boateng himself stated that he was "saddened" by the statement of Gauland, the German federal government said it was "a vile and sad sentence" ({{lang|de|ein niederträchtiger und ein trauriger Satz}}).<ref>[http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-05/gauland-rundschreiben-afd Gauland rechtfertigt sich für Boateng-Äußerungen], Die Zeit, in German</ref> But also the FAS was criticised for making "mistakes".<ref>[https://www.welt.de/debatte/kommentare/article155952495/Bei-Gauland-hat-die-FAS-Fehler-gemacht.html Bei Gauland hat die "FAS" Fehler gemacht], Die Welt</ref>
⚫
In September 2017, a video emerged of Gauland in which he said that Germany should "be proud of" its soldiers in both world wars and people should no longer "reproach" Germans for [[World War II|World War Two]]. He was quoted as saying: "If the French are rightly proud of their emperor and the Britons of [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Nelson]] and [[Winston Churchill|Churchill]], we have the right to be proud of the achievements of the German soldiers in two [[world war]]s". He continued, "If I look around Europe, no other people has dealt as clearly with their past wrongs as the Germans."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/14/afd-co-founder-alexander-gauland-says-germany-needs-to-reclaim-its-history|title=AfD co-founder says Germans should be proud of its second world war soldiers|last=Berlin|first=Reuters in|date=2017-09-14|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-10-12}}</ref> In response, Germany's [[Heiko Maas|justice minister]] tweeted that the statements showed that Gauland's AfD was on the [[Extreme Right|extreme right]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41279300|title=Storm over 'pride in WW2 soldiers' remarks in Germany|last=|first=|date=16 September 2017|website=BBC News|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> Gauland's comment was defended by numerous right-leaning supporters both publicly and on social media. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/1085886/german-elections-polls-results-analysis-afd-cdu-merkel-horst-seehofer-alternative-fuer-deutschland-right-wing-populism-german-populists/|title=Populist Problem: German voters put a far-right party into parliament for the first time since the Second World War|work=qz.com|editor=Jill Petzinger|publisher=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|date=24 September 2017|access-date=9 January 2018}}</ref>

⚫
In September 2017, a video emerged of Gauland in which he said that Germany should "be proud of" its soldiers in both world wars and people should no longer "reproach" Germans for the [[Second World War]]. He was quoted as saying: "If the French are rightly proud of their emperor and the Britons of [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Nelson]] and [[Winston Churchill|Churchill]], we have the right to be proud of the achievements of the German soldiers in two [[world war]]s". He continued, "If I look around Europe, no other people has dealt as clearly with their past wrongs as the Germans."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/14/afd-co-founder-alexander-gauland-says-germany-needs-to-reclaim-its-history|title=AfD co-founder says Germans should be proud of its second world war soldiers|agency=Reuters|date=14 September 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> In response, Germany's [[Heiko Maas|justice minister]] tweeted that the statements showed that Gauland's AfD was on the [[Extreme Right|extreme right]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41279300|title=Storm over 'pride in WW2 soldiers' remarks in Germany|date=16 September 2017|website=BBC News|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> Gauland's comment was defended by numerous right-leaning supporters both publicly and on social media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/1085886/german-elections-polls-results-analysis-afd-cdu-merkel-horst-seehofer-alternative-fuer-deutschland-right-wing-populism-german-populists/|title=Populist Problem: German voters put a far-right party into parliament for the first time since the Second World War|work=qz.com|editor=Jill Petzinger|publisher=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|date=24 September 2017|access-date=9 January 2018}}</ref>


==Position in the AfD==
==Position in the AfD==


Gauland is one of the party founders. From 2013 to 2017, he was party leader in the state [[Brandenburg]] and entered the [[Landtag of Brandenburg]] in the [[2014 Brandenburg state election|2014 election]].
He is the AfD's state chairman of Brandenburg and was one of two leading figures in the [[Bundestagswahl 2017]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/afds-unlikely-duo-alexander-gauland-and-alice-weidel/a-38563247|title=AfD's unlikely duo: Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel|work=dw.com|editor=Kate Brady|publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=24 September 2017|access-date=9 January 2018}}</ref>

He resigned as party leader in Brandenburg, when he led the AfD in the [[2017 German federal election]] next to [[Alice Weidel]], with whom he's now leading the [[AfD group in the Bundestag]]. In December 2017, he was elected co-leader of the party next to [[Jörg Meuthen]]. In November 2019, he resigned as party leader.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Gauland's life companion Carola Hein is editor of a local newspaper, the [[Märkische Allgemeine]], which he had previously edited.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taz.de/Journalistin-im-Wahlkampf/!146212/|title=Journalistin im Wahlkampf: CDU im Büro, AfD zuhaus|first=Jens|last=Twiehaus|publisher=|accessdate=29 May 2017|via=taz.de}}</ref>
Gauland's life companion Carola Hein is editor of a local newspaper, the {{lang|de|[[Märkische Allgemeine]]}}, which he had previously edited.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.taz.de/Journalistin-im-Wahlkampf/!146212/|title=Journalistin im Wahlkampf: CDU im Büro, AfD zuhaus|first=Jens|last=Twiehaus|newspaper=Die Tageszeitung: taz|date=19 September 2014|access-date=30 July 2023|via=taz.de}}</ref>


As a 26-year-old man, Gauland suffered from [[Depression (mood)|depression]]. He also suffered a [[heart attack]] in 2007, and has been taking medication to lower his [[blood pressure]] ever since.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Gauland-spricht-ueber-Depressionen-article20067092.html|title=Sechs Wochen in Bonner Klinik: Gauland spricht über Depressionen|date=5 October 2017|accessdate=10 January 2018|via=n-tv.de}}</ref>
As a 26-year-old man, Gauland suffered from [[Depression (mood)|depression]]. He also suffered a [[heart attack]] in 2007, and has been taking medication to lower his [[blood pressure]] ever since.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Gauland-spricht-ueber-Depressionen-article20067092.html|title=Sechs Wochen in Bonner Klinik: Gauland spricht über Depressionen|date=5 October 2017|access-date=10 January 2018|via=n-tv.de}}</ref>


Gauland is a member of the [[Evangelical Church in Germany|Evangelical Lutheran Church]].<ref>''Gauland, Alexander'' in: [[Norbert Beleke]] (Hrsg.): ''[[Wer ist wer?]] Das deutsche Who’s Who''. 42. Ausgabe 2003/2004, Schmidt-Römhild, Lübeck 2003, {{ISBN|3-7950-2036-0}}, S. 411.</ref> His daughter from a prior marriage is a Protestant pastor and publicly distanced herself from her father's statements on [[European migrant crisis|refugees]] in 2016.<ref>See: [http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-02/alexander-gauland-afd-fluechtlingskrise-fluechtlingspolitik-grenzen ''„Wir können uns nicht von Kinderaugen erpressen lassen“'']. [[Zeit Online]], 24. February 2016.</ref>
Gauland is a member of the [[Protestant Church in Germany|Evangelical Church in Germany]].<ref>''Gauland, Alexander'' in Norbert Beleke (ed.): ''Wer ist wer? Das deutsche Who's Who''. 42. Ausgabe 2003/2004, Schmidt-Römhild, Lübeck 2003, {{ISBN|3-7950-2036-0}}, p. 411.</ref> His daughter is a Protestant pastor and publicly distanced herself from her father's statements on [[European migrant crisis|refugees]] in 2016.<ref>See: [http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-02/alexander-gauland-afd-fluechtlingskrise-fluechtlingspolitik-grenzen ''"Wir können uns nicht von Kinderaugen erpressen lassen"'']. [[Zeit Online]], 24. February 2016.</ref>


== Selected publications ==
== Selected publications ==


===Journal articles===
===Journal articles===
* {{cite journal |last=Gauland |first=Alexander |title=Die Völkerrechtliche Souveränität im Fall der Aufnahme von Staaten in die UNO. |journal=Die Öffentliche Verwaltung |volume= |issue= |year=1973 |pages= |doi= }}
* {{cite journal |last=Gauland |first=Alexander |title=Die Völkerrechtliche Souveränität im Fall der Aufnahme von Staaten in die UNO. |journal=Die Öffentliche Verwaltung |year=1973 }}


===Books===
===Books===
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Alexander Gauland}}
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.koeblergerhard.de/juristen/vips/viwgSeite14.html Alexander Gauland] on "Who is who in German Law"
*[http://www.koeblergerhard.de/juristen/vips/viwgSeite14.html Alexander Gauland] on "Who is who in German Law"
*[http://www.stadtbibliothek-chemnitz.de/autorenlexikon/pmwiki.php?n=Autor.AlexanderGauland Alexander Gauland] in the Chemnitzian encyclopedia of authors of [[Chemnitz Public Library]]
*[http://www.stadtbibliothek-chemnitz.de/autorenlexikon/pmwiki.php?n=Autor.AlexanderGauland Alexander Gauland] in the Chemnitzian encyclopedia of authors of Chemnitz Public Library
*[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/gauland-alexander/6473500.html Artikel von Alexander Gauland] at the ''[[Der Tagesspiegel|Tagesspiegel]]''
*[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/gauland-alexander/6473500.html Artikel von Alexander Gauland] at the ''[[Der Tagesspiegel|Tagesspiegel]]''
*{{IMDb name|id=nm2821419}}
*{{IMDb name|id=nm2821419}}

{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Current members of the Bundestag}}
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}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:People from Chemnitz]]
[[Category:People from Chemnitz]]
[[Category:German Lutherans]]
[[Category:German Lutherans]]
[[Category:German anti-communists]]
[[Category:Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians]]
[[Category:Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians]]
[[Category:Alternative for Germany politicians]]
[[Category:Male critics of feminism]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Members of the Landtag of Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Members of the Landtag of Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Germany]]
[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Germany]]
[[Category:21st-century German politicians]]
[[Category:Political party founders]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 2017–2021]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 2021–2025]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for the Alternative for Germany]]
[[Category:Critics of multiculturalism]]

Revision as of 16:06, 14 March 2024

Alexander Gauland
MdB
Gauland in 2019
Leader of the Alternative for Germany
In office
2 December 2017 – 30 November 2019
Serving with Jörg Meuthen
Preceded byFrauke Petry
Succeeded byTino Chrupalla
Leader of the Opposition
In office
24 October 2017 – 26 October 2021
Serving with Alice Weidel
ChancellorAngela Merkel
Preceded bySahra Wagenknecht
Dietmar Bartsch
Succeeded byRalph Brinkhaus
Leader of the Alternative for Germany in the Bundestag
In office
26 September 2017 – 30 September 2021
Serving with Alice Weidel
Chief WhipBernd Baumann
DeputyTino Chrupalla
Peter Felser
Leif-Erik Holm
Sebastian Münzenmaier
Beatrix von Storch
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byTino Chrupalla
State Secretary and Chief of the Hessian State Chancellery
In office
24 April 1987 – 5 April 1991
Minister-PresidentWalter Wallmann
Preceded byPaul Leo Giani
Succeeded byHans Joachim Suchan
Member of the Bundestag
for Brandenburg
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 October 2017
Preceded byMulti-member district
ConstituencyAfD List
Brandenburg state politics
(2014 – 2017)
Leader of the Alternative for Germany in Brandenburg
In office
February 2014 – 8 April 2017
Preceded byRoland Scheel (2013)
Succeeded byAndreas Kalbitz
Leader of Alternative for Germany in the Landtag of Brandenburg
In office
21 September 2014 – 25 October 2017
DeputyBirgit Bessin
Thomas Jung
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAndreas Kalbitz
Member of the Landtag of Brandenburg
In office
8 October 2014 – 25 October 2017
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byJan-Ulrich Weiß
ConstituencyAfD List
Personal details
Born
Alexander Eberhardt Gauland

(1941-02-20) 20 February 1941 (age 83)
Chemnitz, German Reich
Political partyAlternative for Germany (2013–present)
Other political
affiliations		Christian Democratic Union (1973–2013)
Domestic partnerCarola Hein
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Marburg

Eberhardt Alexander Gauland (born 20 February 1941) is a German politician, journalist and lawyer who has served as leader of the right-wing political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the Bundestag since September 2017 and co-leader of the party from December 2017 to November 2019. He has been a Member of the Bundestag (MdB) since September 2017. Gauland was the party's co-founder and was its federal spokesman from 2017 to 2019 and the party leader for the state of Brandenburg from 2013 to 2017.[1]

Biography

Gauland was born in 1941 in Chemnitz, a city that became part of East Germany in 1949 and was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt. After graduating from high school in 1959, he fled as a refugee to West Germany. He studied political science and law at Marburg, where he also received his doctorate.[2]

In 1972, Gauland entered the Federal Press Office and worked as the Director of the Office of the Mayor of Frankfurt am Main for 10 years.[1]

Afterwards, he became the head of a department of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety in Bonn and Member of the Hessian Prime Minister's cabinet.[1]

From 1991 to 2006, he worked as an editor of the local newspaper Märkische Allgemeine in Potsdam.[1]

Founding the AfD

On the morning of 25 March 2010, German Chancellor Angela Merkel publicly promised there would be no direct financial aid to Greece, but reversed that statement hours later by agreeing with the leaders of the Euro countries to send the first of many "rescue packages" to Greece. Gerd Robanus, Assessor in the Federal Executive of the CDU-Business Association cited this as the reason for founding the Alternative for Germany together with Alexander Gauland, Konrad Adam and Bernd Lucke.[3]

In February 2014, Gauland received about 80 percent of the vote during an Extraordinary National Congress in Diedersdorf, becoming chairman of the Brandenburg County Association of Alternative for Germany.[4]

Landtag of Brandenburg

The AfD got 12.2 percent of the vote in the 2014 Brandenburg state election, enabling it to enter the assembly of that state for the first time. On Tuesday, 10 July 2014 Gauland opened the inaugural session of the Landtag of Brandenburg:[5]

As part of this speech, after quoting Edmund Burke, Gauland wished the other members of parliament "all the strength and the courage, to tackle the tasks now ahead of them, in the interest of the voters and in the interest of the common good".[6]

Political affiliation and ideals

Before becoming an AfD founding member Gauland was a member of the CDU. In 2012 Gauland became involved in the Berliner Kreis [de] ("Berlin circle"), a loose association of federal and state politicians within the CDU, which has been trying for years to make the CDU conservative again, because they consider that under Angela Merkel's leadership it has moved away from these ideals.[7]

He is a supporter of a line that is both conservative on the societal level and liberal on the economic level. He opposed the idea of an aid plan for Greece, which was then plunged into an economic crisis. He called for the closure of Germany's and the European Union's borders, targeting Muslims in particular.[8]

Alexander Gauland said he can not detect any right-wing extremists or radicals at the PEGIDA-Demonstrations. Gauland said: "I do not see right-wing extremists. I see citizens who demonstrate out of concern about developments in Germany, who are afraid. But I haven't seen any right-wing extremists, and we are not the allies of the right-wing extremists, but we are the allies of the people who have these concerns."[9]

In May 2016, Gauland reportedly made comments about Bayern Munich and black German international footballer Jérôme Boateng in a conversation with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. The paper cited Gauland, "people like [Boateng] as a footballer, but they don't want to have a Boateng as a neighbour". A controversy arose about this sentence. Gauland defended himself, saying he was fooled by the newspaper and it had been a background discussion, which was classified as confidential and thus not intended for publication. The newspaper refuted this. Gauland added that the effect of the statement – which in his words was meant descriptive – was distorted by the headline of the newspaper, "Gauland insults Boateng" (Gauland beleidigt Boateng). The newspaper had no audio recording of the statement, but independently written memos of two journalists. While Boateng himself stated that he was "saddened" by the statement of Gauland, the German federal government said it was "a vile and sad sentence" (ein niederträchtiger und ein trauriger Satz).[10] But also the FAS was criticised for making "mistakes".[11]

In September 2017, a video emerged of Gauland in which he said that Germany should "be proud of" its soldiers in both world wars and people should no longer "reproach" Germans for the Second World War. He was quoted as saying: "If the French are rightly proud of their emperor and the Britons of Nelson and Churchill, we have the right to be proud of the achievements of the German soldiers in two world wars". He continued, "If I look around Europe, no other people has dealt as clearly with their past wrongs as the Germans."[12] In response, Germany's justice minister tweeted that the statements showed that Gauland's AfD was on the extreme right.[13] Gauland's comment was defended by numerous right-leaning supporters both publicly and on social media.[14]

Position in the AfD

Gauland is one of the party founders. From 2013 to 2017, he was party leader in the state Brandenburg and entered the Landtag of Brandenburg in the 2014 election.

He resigned as party leader in Brandenburg, when he led the AfD in the 2017 German federal election next to Alice Weidel, with whom he's now leading the AfD group in the Bundestag. In December 2017, he was elected co-leader of the party next to Jörg Meuthen. In November 2019, he resigned as party leader.

Personal life

Gauland's life companion Carola Hein is editor of a local newspaper, the Märkische Allgemeine, which he had previously edited.[15]

As a 26-year-old man, Gauland suffered from depression. He also suffered a heart attack in 2007, and has been taking medication to lower his blood pressure ever since.[16]

Gauland is a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany.[17] His daughter is a Protestant pastor and publicly distanced herself from her father's statements on refugees in 2016.[18]

Selected publications

Journal articles

  • Gauland, Alexander (1973). "Die Völkerrechtliche Souveränität im Fall der Aufnahme von Staaten in die UNO". Die Öffentliche Verwaltung.

Books

  • Das Legitimitätsprinzip in der Staatenpraxis seit dem Wiener Kongress (= Schriften zum Völkerrecht, Band 20.). Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1971, ISBN 3-428-02569-5. (Diss., University of Marburg, 1970)
  • Gemeine und Lords. Porträt einer politischen Klasse (= Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch, 1650). Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt 1989, ISBN 3-518-38150-4.
  • Was ist Konservativismus? Streitschrift gegen die falschen deutschen Traditionen. Westliche Werte aus konservativer Sicht. Eichborn Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1991, ISBN 3-8218-0454-8.
  • Helmut Kohl. Ein Prinzip. Rowohlt Verlag, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-87134-206-8.
  • Das Haus Windsor. Orbis Verlag, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-572-01124-8. (Licensed by Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1996)
  • Anleitung zum Konservativsein. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart u. a. 2002, ISBN 3-421-05649-8.
  • Kleine deutsche Geschichte. Von der Stauferzeit bis zum Mauerfall. Rowohlt Verlag, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-87134-582-1.
  • Die Deutschen und ihre Geschichte. wjs verlag, Berlin 2009, ISBN 3-937989-56-0.
  • Fürst Eulenburg – ein preußischer Edelmann. Die konservative Alternative zur imperialen Weltpolitik Wilhelm II. Strauss Edition, Potsdam 2010, ISBN 978-3-86886-018-4.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Bewerbungsprofil für Kandidaten für die Landtagswahl 2014 in Brandenburg Alexander Gauland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Interview: Alexander Gauland über Themen und Ziele der AfD". 16 September 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  3. ^ Lachmann, Günther (4 October 2012). "Euro-Politik: Enttäuschte CDU-Politiker gründen Wahlalternative – WELT". DIE WELT. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  4. ^ Germany, Märkische Allgemeine, Potsdam, Brandenburg. "Einzug in den Potsdamer Landtag ist oberstes Ziel – Gauland neuer Chef der Brandenburger AfD – MAZ – Märkische Allgemeine". Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Hollstein, Miriam (8 October 2014). "Brandenburgs AfD-Chef Gauland eröffnet Landtag – WELT". DIE WELT. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Eröffnungsrede von Dr. Alexander Gauland – Alternative für Deutschland". www.afd-brandenburg.de. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  7. ^ Hähnig, Anne (20 November 2014). "Alexander Gauland: Verbannt aus dem Salon". Die Zeit. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Allemagne : Les quatre visages de l'AfD".
  9. ^ tagesschau.de. "AfD sieht keine Neonazis bei "Pegida"". tagesschau.de. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  10. ^ Gauland rechtfertigt sich für Boateng-Äußerungen, Die Zeit, in German
  11. ^ Bei Gauland hat die "FAS" Fehler gemacht, Die Welt
  12. ^ "AfD co-founder says Germans should be proud of its second world war soldiers". The Guardian. Reuters. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Storm over 'pride in WW2 soldiers' remarks in Germany". BBC News. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ^ Jill Petzinger, ed. (24 September 2017). "Populist Problem: German voters put a far-right party into parliament for the first time since the Second World War". qz.com. Quartz. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  15. ^ Twiehaus, Jens (19 September 2014). "Journalistin im Wahlkampf: CDU im Büro, AfD zuhaus". Die Tageszeitung: taz. Retrieved 30 July 2023 – via taz.de.
  16. ^ "Sechs Wochen in Bonner Klinik: Gauland spricht über Depressionen". 5 October 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018 – via n-tv.de.
  17. ^ Gauland, Alexander in Norbert Beleke (ed.): Wer ist wer? Das deutsche Who's Who. 42. Ausgabe 2003/2004, Schmidt-Römhild, Lübeck 2003, ISBN 3-7950-2036-0, p. 411.
  18. ^ See: "Wir können uns nicht von Kinderaugen erpressen lassen". Zeit Online, 24. February 2016.
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