Dieter Althaus
A Thuringian CDU leader whose tenure as state premier was abruptly defined by a tragic skiing accident and its profound political aftermath.
Born 1958 (age 68)·German politician·Birthday: June 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dieter Althaus rose through the ranks of the Christian Democratic Union in eastern Germany, becoming the Minister President of Thuringia in 2003. His political style was seen as pragmatic, focusing on economic development in a state still grappling with the legacy of German reunification. During his time in office, he also held the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat, Germany's upper legislative house. However, his career took a devastating turn during a 2009 New Year's ski holiday in Austria. Althaus collided with a Slovakian woman on the slopes, an accident that resulted in her death. He sustained serious head injuries himself. The incident triggered a complex legal and moral reckoning. While an Austrian court later fined him for negligence, the political fallout in Germany was immense. The tragedy overshadowed his administration and contributed to his party's loss in the 2009 state election, ending his time as premier and altering the trajectory of his public life.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dieter was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dieter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dieter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Minister President of the German state of Thuringia from 2003 to 2009.
- Acted as President of the Bundesrat, the federal council of Germany, from 2003 to 2004.
- Led the Thuringian CDU to victory in the 2004 state election, securing a second term.
Did You Know?
He holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Jena.
Before entering politics full-time, he worked as a research assistant and teacher.
The 2009 skiing accident left him with lasting effects, including impaired vision.
“Our goal must be to make Thuringia a modern and economically strong state.”
