- Gesine Schwan
Infobox President
name = Gesine Schwan
imagesize = 200px
order = President of theViadrina European University
term_start =1 October 1999
term_end =30 September 2008
predecessor = Hans Weiler
successor =Gunter Pleuger
birth_date = birth date and age|1943|5|22
birth_place =Berlin
death_date =
death_place =
alma_mater =Free University of Berlin University of Freiburg
spouse = Alexander Schwan (died1989 )Peter Eigen (since 2004)
profession =Political scientist
party = SPD
religion =Roman Catholic Gesine Schwan (born 22 May 1943) is a German
political science professor and member of theSocial Democratic Party of Germany . This party has nominated her twice as a candidate for the federal presidential elections. On23 May 2004 , she was defeated by the Christian Democrat and current presidentHorst Köhler . On 23 May 2009, both will compete again for this position.cite web
last = Abramsohn
first = Jennifer
title = Presidency Dispute Deepens Rift in Merkel's Coalition
publisher =Deutsche Welle
date = 2008-05-27
url = http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/mainfindings.pdf
accessdate = 2008-08-01|format=PDF]Personal life
Born in Berlin on 22 May 1943, Schwan was baptized in catholic faith [cite web| last = Polzar | first = Wolfgang | title = German Evangelical elected President | publisher = Spero News | date = 2004-05-25 | url = http://www.speroforum.com/site/print.asp?idarticle=586 | accessdate = 2008-06-22] as the daughter of "Oberschulrat" (Senior School Inspector) Hans R. Schneider. During the "
Third Reich " dictatorship her parents were members of the passive resistance,cite web
title = Gesine Schwan: Biografie
publisher = Who's Who. The People-Lexicon.
url = http://www.whoswho.de/templ/te_bio.php?PID=2086&RID=1
accessdate = 2008-07-21de icon] offering protection to Jewish girl by hiding her. AfterWWII , the family engaged actively in the reconciliation of the .In 1969, Schwan married her first husband, professor Alexander Schwan, with whom she has two children and who died in 1989. In 2004, Gesine Schwan celebrated her second wedding with longtime companion
Peter Eigen in Berlin. He is known as a formerWorld Bank manager as well as founder and current Chair of the Advisory Council ofTransparency International .Academic life
Education
In 1962, Schwan graduated ("
Abitur ") from the bilingualFranzösisches Gymnasium , a private French secondary school inBerlin . In the same year, she enteredacademia by starting her studies in history, philosophy,romance languages , and political science. As a student she was registered first atFree University of Berlin (FU Berlin) and later atUniversity of Freiburg .cite web
last = Schwan
first = Gesine
title = Curriculum Vitae
publisher = Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
url=http://www.euv-frankfurt-o.de/de/struktur/unileitung/praesidentin/curriculum_vitae/CV_ENG_Prof__Dr__Gesine_Schwan_12_05.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-06-22]Early career
After research stays in
Warsaw andKrakow , she obtained her Ph.D. in 1970 from FU Berlin for adissertation on the Polish philosopherLeszek Kolakowski .cite book
last = Schwan
first = Gesine
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Leszek Kolakowski. A Political Philosophy of Liberty according to Marx.
publisher =
year = 1971
location = Stuttgart/Berlin/Köln
pages =
id =
isbn = ] After her promotion she became assistant professor at the same university. Here she continued her works on thecritique of Marxcite book
last = Schwan
first = Gesine
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Social Critique of Karl Marx. Philosophical and Economical Bases.
publisher =
year = 1974
location = Stuttgart/Berlin/Köln/Mainz
pages =
id =
isbn = ] for which she received the "habilitation " qualification in 1975.Professorship
Schwan was appointed full professor at the Department of Political Science at FU Berlin in 1977. At the time, her research fields encompassed "political theory, philosophy, psychology, and culture" as well as "theories of democracy and socialism". In 1980/81, she had a research stay at the Wilson Center for Scholars in the USA; another research stay in 1984 at the
Robinson College atCambridge University in the United Kingdom; in 1998 she was appointed visiting professor at theNew School for Social Research in New York. From 1993–1995, she wasdean of the Political Science Faculty at FU Berlin.In 1999, Gesine Schwan competed for the post of president of FU Berlin but was beaten by
Peter Gaehtgens . In the same year, she was elected into her current position as the president ofViadrina European University in Frankfurt (Oder). [cite web | title = Press Review
work = Iraq-based Poles to up and leave
publisher =Polskie Radio
date = 2008-06-09
url = http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/news/artykul84384.html
accessdate = 2008-06-22]Political life
Schwan belongs to the German tradition of social democratic opposition to Karl Marx theories. In September 1974, she became one of the founding members of the "
Seeheimer Kreis ", a conservativethink tank within the SPD.cite web
coauthors = Johannes Kahrs und Sandra Viehbeck
title = In der Mitte der Partei: Gründung, Geschichte und Wirken des Seeheimer Kreises
publisher = Die Seeheimer e.V., Berlin
year = 2005
url = http://www.seeheimer-kreis.de/wir_ueber_uns/seeheim_chronik/elements/elem_004/download
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-07-21de icon] She became a member of the SPD "Grundwertekommission" (Commission for Fundamental Values) in 1977. In 1984, she was removed from this position after adverting the party's "Ostpolitik " for being too cozy with communist regimes and not engaging withdissident s. [cite web
last = Vickrey
first = David
title = Fascinating Woman: Gesine Schwan
work = German-American opinion: Politics and culture
publisher = Dialog International
date = 2008-05-28
url = http://www.dialoginternational.com/dialog_international/2008/05/fascinating-wom.html
accessdate = 2008-06-22] Rather she sought for support and dialog with those Eastern Europeans who would dare to criticize their governments. [cite web | title = Germany's President Köhler Wants a Second Term
publisher = Spiegel Online
date = 2008-05-22
url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,554875,00.html
accessdate = 2008-06-22] Schwan was reinstated in the "Grundwertekommission" in 1996. Since 2002, she presides the "German-Polish Forum" together withJanusz Reiter . In January 2005, the German government underGerhard Schröder installed her as the "Co-ordinator of the Federal Government for Civil Social Cooperation near to the Republic of Poland". She retained this position when the government changed to become headed by Christ DemocratAngela Merkel .Presidential elections
On
23 May 2004 , Gesine Schwan was the SPD candidate for the German presidential elections. She received 589 votes in the "Bundesversammlung" (Federal Assembly) but was defeated by Horst Köhler who won 604 votes from the 1205 delegates.cite web
title = Rulers: May 2004
publisher = B. Schemmel
url = http://rulers.org/2004-05.html
accessdate = 2008-08-01] On 26 May 2008, SPD chairmanKurt Beck announced Schwan's renewed nomination for the upcoming presidential elections in 2009.cite web
coauthors = Spiegel Staff
title = Presidency Row Deepens Rift in Merkel's Coalition
work = Letter from Berlin
publisher = Spiegel Online
date = 2008-05-26
url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,555456,00.html
accessdate = 2008-08-01] Once again she will compete with Horst Köhler, who announced his repeated candidacy on 22 May 2008.cite web
title = Koehler announces second presidential bid
publisher = IRNA
date = 2008-05-22
url = http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-16/0805223822200615.htm
accessdate = 2008-08-01]List of works
*"Die Gesellschaftskritik von Karl Marx. Philosophische und politökonomische Voraussetzungen", 1974
*"Sozialismus in der Demokratie? Theorie einer konsequent sozialdemokratischen Politik", 1982
*"Politik und Schuld. Die zerstörerische Macht des Schweigens", 1997. ISBN 3-596-13404-8
*"Antikommunismus und Antiamerikanismus in Deutschland. Kontinuität und Wandel nach 1945", 1999Awards and honors
* 1993 Federal cross of merits ("
Bundesverdienstkreuz ")
* 1999 Urania-Medal Award for "Particular Activities in the Scientific National Education"
* 2002 1st Class Cross of Merits Award of the Medal of Merits of the Federal Republic of Germany ("Bundesverdienstkreuz erster Klasse")
* 2004Marion Dönhoff Award for "International Agreement and Conciliation"
* 2006Honorary doctor of theEuropean University Institute , Florencecite web
coauthors = Stefano Bartolini et al.
title = Thirty Years: A European Journey
work = EUI review
publisher =European University Institute , Badia Fiesolana
date = 2006-11
url = http://www.eui.eu/PUB/EUIReviewPDF/EUIRev_Autumn2006.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-06-25]References
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