President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier has ordered a state funeral for the late former President of the German Bundestag, Rita Süssmuth, announcing the decision on Monday through the Bundespräsidialamt. The proceedings will be chaired by the Bundestag.
Süssmuth, a CDU politician, died Sunday at the age of 88. She served as Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health from 1985 to 1988 and was President of the Bundestag from 1988 until 1998.
In his first remarks, Steinmeier described Süssmuth as a “great woman and a passionate fighter for democracy”. He praised her as a visionary, pioneer, and role model, especially for women, noting that her courage, perseverance, humor, and conviction helped step by step enact greater equality in Germany.
