Peter Harry Carstensen | |
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Peter Harry Carstensen in 2010
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Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein | |
In office 27 April 2005 – 12 June 2012 |
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Preceded by | Heide Simonis |
Succeeded by | Torsten Albig |
Chairman of CDU Schleswig-Holstein | |
In office 2 June 2002 – 18 September 2010 |
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Succeeded by | Christian von Boetticher |
Personal details | |
Born |
Elisabeth-Sophien-Koog, Germany |
12 March 1947
Nationality | Germany |
Political party | Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |
Alma mater | University of Kiel |
Profession | Teacher |
Religion | Protestant |
Peter Harry Carstensen (born 12 March 1947) is a German politician, in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
From 2005 to 2012 he was Minister President of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, serving as President of the Bundesrat in 2005/06.
Carstensen was born in Elisabeth-Sophien-Koog/Nordstrand, on the North Sea coast of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. He passed his Abitur in 1966 and worked in agriculture before beginning a course of study in agronomy in 1968, finishing in 1973 as a qualified engineer. During his studies Carstensen became a member of the Landsmannschaft Troglodytia im Coburger Convent and did not leave the organisation until 1998. In 1976 he passed the Second State Examination (Zweites Staatsexamen) to become a teacher, following which he was employed as a teacher of agriculture at the Bredstedt Agricultural School and also as an economics adviser in the Agricultural Ministry of Schleswig-Holstein until 1983.
Peter Harry Carstensen is widowed and has two daughters. His younger daughter is the ceramicist Anja-Christina Carstensen. In August 2004 the Bild newspaper hunted for a new wife with Carstensen’s agreement - a decision that he later regretted.
On his 60th birthday, Carstensen publicly announced his new relationship with Sandra Thomsen, a lawyer born in 1971. Two and a half years later — on 31 December 2009 — the two were married in the Friesenstube of the Island Hotel Arfsten in Wrixum.
Carstensen has been a member of the CDU since 1971. From 1986 to 1992 he was leader of the local CDU in the Nordfriesland district, becoming leader on 2 June 2002.
From 1983 Carstensen was a member of the Bundestag. From 1994 to 2002 he was chairman of the committee for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry (after the renaming of the corresponding ministry in 2001 the committee became responsible for Consumer Protection, Nutrition and Agriculture). In his last parliamentary term he was a full member of the committee. From October 2002 Carstensen was chairman of the CDU/CSU working party for Consumer Protection, Nutrition and Agriculture in the Bundestag. Peter Harry Carstensen was the representative of Nordfriesland – Dithmarschen Nord, receiving 44.3% of all votes cast in the 2005 election. Carstensen left the Bundestag on 20 April 2005.