Ruprecht Polenz

Ruprecht Polenz, born in 1946, was a member of the German Bundestag from 1994 to 2013 and served as Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2013. Prior to his parliamentary career, the lawyer worked as Managing Director for Press and Public Relations at the Münster Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In 2000, Polenz served as Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany. Since 2013, he has been President of the German Association for East European Studies (DGO). He acts as Special Envoy of the Federal Foreign Office for negotiations with Namibia concerning the colonial past. In recognition of his activities on Twitter, Polenz received the “Goldener Blogger” award in 2020. He writes columns and books. Polenz is married, has four children with his wife, and is grandfather to ten grandchildren.