CDU Hamburg

The CDU Hamburg is the regional state association of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) in Hamburg, Germany. As of 2019, there are about 6,474 members[1] in the association, about 40 percent are women. In 1946, from 1953 to 1957 and from 2001 to 2011, the party appointed the First Mayor of Hamburg. The CDU Hamburg has been part of the opposition since 2011. Seven district associations and 47 local associations form the basis for the political commitment of the CDU Hamburg.

In 2020, two-time member of the BundestagChristoph Ploß had been elected as chairman[2] of the party. Ploß stepped down in April 2023 and passed the chairmanship to Dennis Thering.[3]

History

2011 state election

In the early state election in 2011, former First Mayor Christoph Ahlhaus (CDU) had to admit defeat to his challenger Olaf Scholz (SPD). Compared to the 2008 election, the CDU Hamburg had lost almost half their voters and received their worst result of all time, while the Social Democrats achieved the absolute majority of the parliamentary mandates. After the election results, then chairman Frank Schira announced his resignation. Marcus Weinberg succeeded him as chairman in 2011.[4]

2015 state election

The frontrunner for the 2015 Hamburg state election was parliamentary group leader Dietrich Wersich. With 15.9% of the state vote lists, the CDU Hamburg fell to a new historic low and thus only appointed 20 of 121 members of the 21st Hamburg Parliament. The CDU won at least one direct mandate in all 17 constituencies, as well as two in the Alstertal-Walddorfer constituency. Just like in the 2013 federal election, the Alstertal-Walddörfer, Süderelbe and Bergedorf constituencies remained the strongholds of the CDU Hamburg. After the state election, Marcus Weinberg announced his resignation as state chairman. On 31 March 2015, Roland Heintze was elected as his successor.[5]

2020 state election

In the 2020 Hamburg state election, the CDU lost around a third of its share of votes and, at 11.2%, had to accept its second-lowest result in a state election since the party's founding 68 years prior - the worst result being 9% in the 1951 Bremen state election. The then front runner and member of the Bundestag Marcus Weinberg,[6] the former front runner Dietrich Wersich, then chairman Roland Heintze and chairman of the Hamburg Young UnionPhilipp Heißner also missed the entry into the Hamburg Parliament. Since 15 direct mandates were won in both the constituencies as well as for the party itself, only 15 seats in the Hamburg Parliament were given to the CDU.[7]

Chairmen of the state association

Former chairman Dietrich Rollmann at the CDU's federal party convent in 1973
Former chairman Jürgen Echternach at the party's federal convent in 1978
Former chairman Christoph Ploß

On October 1, 1945, Franz Beyrich was elected as the party's first chairman. Beyrich, who belonged to the Roman Catholic minority in Hamburg, had been a government employee until the National Socialists came to power. Dismissed by the Nazi regime, he changed fields to work in the private sector. After the 20 July plot, Beyrich was arrested and imprisoned in the Fuhlsbüttel concentration camp.

Complete list of chairmen

YearChairman[8]
1945 (Oct./Nov.)Franz Beyrich
1945 (Nov.)Johannes Speckbötel
1945–1946Otto Wilhelm Wendt
1946–1948Max Ketels
1948–1954Hugo Scharnberg
1954–1956Josef von Fisenne
1956–1958Hugo Scharnberg
1958–1968Erik Blumenfeld
1968–1973Dietrich Rollmann
1974–1992Jürgen Echternach
1992–2007Dirk Fischer
2007–2010Michael Freytag
2010–2011Frank Schira
2010–2015Marcus Weinberg
2015–2020Roland Heintze
2020-2023Christoph Ploß
since 2023Dennis Thering

State Parliament

There are 15 members in the CDU parliamentary group[9] in the Hamburg Parliament.[10]

Chair

The board of the CDU parliamentary group consists of nine members:[11]

  • Dennis Thering, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group
  • Anke Frieling, deputy parliamentary group leader
  • Richard Seelmaecker, deputy parliamentary group leader
  • Dennis Gladiator, Parliamentary Secretary
  • David Erkalp, assessor
  • Götz T. Wiese, assessor
  • Silke Seif, assessor
  • Thilo Kleibauer, party representative[12] in the Hamburg Parliament Budget Committee,[13][14] member by virtue of office
  • André Trepoll, Vice President of the Hamburg Parliament, member by virtue of office

Other members

Birgit Stöver, Eckard H. Graage, Andreas Grutzeck, Sandro Kappe, Ralf Niedmers, Stephan A. Gamm, Anna-Elisabeth von Treuenfels-Frowein.

Election results

Bürgerschaft of Hamburg

ElectionPopular VoteSeats+/–Government
Votes%
1946749,15326.7 (#2)
16 / 110
Opposition
1949272,64934.5 (#2)
40 / 120
As VBHOpposition
1953504,08450.0 (#1)
62 / 120
As HBMajority
1957330,99132.2 (#2)
41 / 120
As CDUOpposition
1961287,61929.1 (#2)
36 / 120
Decrease 5Opposition
1966284,50130.0 (#2)
38 / 120
Increase 2Opposition
1970329,33732.8 (#2)
41 / 120
Increase 3Opposition
1974423,91240.6 (#2)
51 / 120
Increase 10Opposition
1978360,40937.6 (#2)
51 / 120
Steady 0Opposition
1982-06413,36143.2 (#1)
56 / 120
Increase 5Opposition
1982-12398,51838.6 (#2)
48 / 120
Decrease 8Opposition
1986402,08141.9 (#1)
54 / 120
Increase 6Opposition
1987398,68640.5 (#2)
49 / 120
Decrease 5Opposition
1991287,46735.1 (#2)
44 / 121
Decrease 5Opposition
1993212,18625.1 (#2)
36 / 121
Decrease 8Opposition
1997252,64030.7 (#2)
46 / 121
Increase 10Opposition
2001223,01526.2 (#2)
33 / 121
Decrease 13CDU-Schill-FDP
2004389,17047.2 (#1)
63 / 121
Increase 30Majority
2008331,06742.6 (#1)
56 / 121
Decrease 7CDU-Greens
2011753,80521.9 (#2)
28 / 121
Decrease 28Opposition
2015561,37715.9 (#2)
20 / 121
Decrease 8Opposition
2020452,37211.2 (#3)
15 / 123
Decrease 5Opposition
2025864,70019.8 (#2)
26 / 123
Increase 11Opposition

References

  1. Bildung, Bundeszentrale für politische. "Parteimitglieder nach Bundesländern | Infografiken | Parteien in Deutschland | bpb". bpb.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  2. "Der Landesvorstand • Hamburger CDU". Hamburger CDU (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  3. "Hamburger CDU wählt Thering zum neuen Landesvorsitzenden". NDR (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  4. "Informationen zur Wahl der 20. Hamburgischen Bürgerschaft". Statistikamt Nord. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  5. "Informationen zur Wahl der 21. Hamburgischen Bürgerschaft am 15. Februar 2015". Statistikamt Nord. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  6. Pergande, Frank; Hamburg. "CDU nach der Hamburg-Wahl: Kein Stein bleibt auf dem anderen". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  7. "Informationen zur Wahl der 22. Hamburgischen Bürgerschaft am 23. Februar 2020". Statistikamt Nord. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  8. Geschichte der CDU Hamburg – Geschichte des Landesverbandes, Artikel der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
  9. "CDU-Bürgerschaftsfraktion • CDU-Bürgerschaftsfraktion Hamburg". CDU-Bürgerschaftsfraktion Hamburg (in German). Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  10. "123 Abgeordnete im Überblick". Hamburgische Bürgerschaft (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  11. "CDU-Fraktion wählt weitere Vorstandsmitglieder". www.cdu-hamburg.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  12. MdHB, Thilo Kleibauer. "Thilo Kleibauer - Ihr Bürgerschaftsabgeordneter für den Wahlkreis Alstertal-Walddörfer - Persönlicher Werdegang -". Thilo Kleibauer, MdHB (in German). Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  13. "Die Bürgerschaft"(PDF). hamburgische-buergerschaft.de (in German). Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  14. "Thilo Kleibauer - Ihr Bürgerschaftsabgeordneter für den Wahlkreis Alstertal-Walddörfer - Funktionen im Rathaus -". Thilo Kleibauer, MdHB (in German). Retrieved 2022-05-01.