Diether Breitenbach

Diether Breitenbach (1986)

Diether Breitenbach (born May 13, 1935 in Dortmund ) is a German psychologist and politician ( SPD ).

education and profession

After graduating from high school in 1955, Breitenbach studied psychology, philosophy, geography and German in Münster , Freiburg and Hamburg . He graduated in psychology in 1959 and obtained his doctorate in 1974. phil.

In 1959 he worked as a research assistant in Hamburg . From 1960 he headed the study office of the German Foundation for Developing Countries in Berlin . In 1962 he moved to the Institute for Development Aid at Saarland University , where he worked as a research assistant. From 1974 to 1978 Breitenbach was professor for psychology at the PH Saarbrücken and head of the institute for teaching research; from 1975 he was also rector of the university. In 1978 he accepted a position at Saarland University. His main research interests were in the field of intercultural communication and educational psychology .

politics

Breitenbach has been a member of the SPD since 1970. From 1972 to 1985 he chaired the Education and Science Commission at the Saarland State Executive. Oskar Lafontaine appointed him to his first cabinet in 1985 as Saarland Minister for Culture, Education and Science . In the Lafontaine II cabinet (1990–1994), Breitenbach was responsible for science and culture, then in the Lafontaine III cabinet again for education, culture and science. He sat down u. a. for a greater spread of comprehensive schools in Saarland and the integration of disabled people into regular schools. From 1991 to 1996 he was the representative of the federal states in the Council of Education Ministers of the European Union, and since the end of 1993 as the federal state minister appointed by the Federal Council. In September 1996 he was replaced by Henner Wittling .

Breitenbach has been a member of the Education and Science Union since 1972 . He also heads the Friends of the Saarland University Hospital , which was founded in 1997 on his initiative.

Private

Breitenbach is married and has three children.