Karl-Theodor Zu Guttenberg

Karl-Theodor Zu Guttenberg

Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (born on 5 December 1971) is a German politician of the Christian Social Union (CSU). In 2011 Guttenberg joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as a Distinguished Statesman. He also advises European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes on the promotion of internet freedom regarding questions of foreign affairs.

A Member of Parliament from 2002 until March 2011, Guttenberg briefly held the post of Secretary General of his party before he was appointed as Federal Minister for Economics and Technology in the first Merkel cabinet on 10 February 2009. After taking office as a cabinet minister, he quickly became one of Germany's most popular politicians. From 28 October 2009, Guttenberg served as the Minister of Defence of Germany in the second Merkel cabinet; the discovery and public criticism of plagiarism in his subsequently revoked doctoral thesis led to his resignation as Minister of Defence on 1 March 2011 and from the Bundestag on 3 March, when he was succeeded as Minister of Defence by Thomas de Maizière.

He is the grandson of two well-known politicians. One is Karl Theodor Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg, a West German CSU politician. His grandfather and a great-great-uncle, Karl Ludwig Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg, took part in the resistance to the Nazi regime; the latter was executed after the 20 July plot. Another grandfather is Jakob von und zu Eltz, a Croatian politician of the 1990s. He is married to Stephanie zu Guttenberg, an activist against child abuse and a member of the Bismarck family. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is a descendant of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein.

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