Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian deputy premier, found dead in Berlin hotel
The 55-year-old head of the Free Voters missed a party event in Berlin after feeling unwell and was later found in his hotel room. The cause of death is not yet known.
BERLIN, Nov 5 – Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy premier of the German state of Bavaria and one of the country’s best-known regional politicians, was found dead in a Berlin hotel on Wednesday, police said. He was 55.
The cause of death was not immediately clear. Police said in a statement that Aiwanger was “found dead in his hotel room” in the Mitte district in the center of the capital.
Police and prosecutors have opened an investigation. They said it aims to establish the exact cause of death and the circumstances around it, and to rule out any involvement by another person. They gave no further details.
Aiwanger led the populist Free Voters party and also served as Bavaria’s economy minister.
He had traveled to Berlin to attend the opening of a new office for his party. But he missed the event because he was feeling unwell, the German daily Bild reported. Another minister from the party spoke in his place, according to the public broadcaster ZDF.
Later in the day, he could no longer be reached, Swiss and German media reported. His body was then found in his room. Bild said police discovered him.
The party’s general secretary, Susann Enders, confirmed his death, ZDF reported. The Berlin prosecutor’s office also confirmed it. Police officers were seen at the entrance to the hotel on Wednesday evening.
Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder called Aiwanger’s death an absolute tragedy.
“We are all deeply shocked,” Soeder said. He said his thoughts were first of all with Aiwanger’s family and his children.
The Free Voters are the junior partner in Bavaria’s state government, led by the Christian Social Union under Soeder. The two parties have governed the southern German state together since 2018.
Aiwanger had led the Bavarian branch of the Free Voters since 2006. Under his leadership, the party entered the state government for the first time in 2018.
However, it never won enough votes to enter the Bundestag, Germany’s national parliament in Berlin. The party opened an office in the capital as part of its effort to raise its national profile.
Aiwanger was known for his blunt, folksy style and strong regional accent, which made him popular with many voters in rural Bavaria. He often presented himself as a voice for farmers and small business owners, and he worked as a farmer before entering politics.
He also faced controversy. In 2023, he was at the center of a national scandal after reports emerged that he had written an antisemitic leaflet when he was a 17-year-old schoolboy. The leaflet described the Auschwitz death camp as an “entertainment quarter.”
Aiwanger denied writing the document. He admitted that he had one or a few copies of it in his school bag at the time. He apologized over the affair but refused to resign.
Soeder kept him in his post. A few weeks later, the Free Voters made gains in the Bavarian state election, and the two parties renewed their coalition.
His death leaves a significant gap at the top of both his party and the Bavarian government. It was not immediately clear who would replace him as deputy premier or as economy minister.
Aiwanger had two children and lived with his partner, German media reported. He was widely regarded as one of the most recognizable figures in Bavarian politics, known for his outspoken defense of the state’s rural communities and local businesses.
Further details about the cause of death are expected once the investigation is complete. Authorities have not said whether there were any signs of foul play, and officials have urged the public not to speculate until the inquiry has concluded.
