Bavarian Deputy Premier Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel at 55
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy minister-president, economics minister and federal and state leader of the Free Voters, was found dead at age 55 in a Berlin-Mitte hotel room on Wednesday evening after withdrawing from a scheduled speech at the opening of a Free Voters capital office due to health problems. The Berlin public prosecutor's office confirmed the death and opened a death investigation, not a criminal probe, to establish the cause and rule out third-party involvement; an autopsy was scheduled for Thursday. Bavarian Premier Markus Söder called the death "an absolute tragedy," vowed to continue the CSU-Free Voters coalition and ordered flags at half-mast. Aiwanger is survived by his partner Tanja Schweiger and two sons.
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Hubert Aiwanger Dies at 55: The Free Voters' Controversial Leader
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy premier and leader of the Free Voters, has died at 55 after being found lifeless in a Berlin hotel room. The taz.de obituary describes him as 'streitbar' (combative), a label echoed across party lines by figures including Cem Özdemir and Hendrik Wüst. Aiwanger grew up on a farm in Lower Bavaria and entered politics at 30, leading the Free Voters into the Bavarian state parliament in 2008 and into government in 2018 as economy minister and deputy premier. He was known for fishing openly on the right fringe, notably during the 2023 leaflet affair and his appearance at a protest against the heating law, where he told the crowd democracy must be 'taken back.' Critics called him a 'textbook right-wing populist.' The obituary also credits him with turning a loose conglomerate of voter associations into a governable party focused on ordinary people's local concerns, polling around 9 percent and helping end CSU single-party rule in Bavaria.
Read sourceColleague Says He Assumed Aiwanger Had a Cold Before Death
Following the unexpected death of Hubert Aiwanger, the Bavarian economics minister and federal chairman of the Free Voters, at age 55 in a Berlin hotel, colleagues have expressed shock and grief. Fabian Mehring, deputy chairman of the Free Voters in Bavaria, wrote on LinkedIn that he had texted Aiwanger at midday to arrange dinner in Berlin, but was later asked to fill in for him due to illness. Mehring said he wished Aiwanger a speedy recovery and assumed it was merely a cold. He described the news of Aiwanger's death as surreal and expressed condolences to the family. Jürgen Marks, a spokesperson for the Bavarian Economics Ministry, said Aiwanger had been full of energy and drive during a recent delegation trip to Poland, and that staff are in tears and cannot comprehend the loss. State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt will temporarily take over official duties. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder announced that the CSU and Free Voters coalition will continue their joint policies and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast.
Read sourceSöder Vows to Continue Coalition in Aiwanger's Spirit as Autopsy Planned in Berlin
Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) said he was deeply shocked and saddened by the death of his deputy Hubert Aiwanger, telling a press conference in Nuremberg on Thursday that he initially could not believe the news. Söder praised Aiwanger as a 'real Bavarian,' a good economics minister and a warm-hearted person, and said that despite differing views the two had worked closely together with fundamental political agreement. He vowed to continue the coalition in Aiwanger's spirit and ordered flags at state buildings flown at half-mast on Thursday and on the day of the funeral. Aiwanger, 55, was found dead Wednesday in a Berlin-Mitte hotel room on Friedrichstraße after failing to attend the opening of the Free Voters' capital office due to health problems. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday in Berlin. Prosecutors stressed they are conducting a death investigation, not a criminal probe, and police did not assume third-party involvement.
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Bavarian Deputy Premier Hubert Aiwanger Dies Unexpectedly at 55
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy minister-president and leader of the Free Voters party, died unexpectedly at age 55. He was found lifeless in his Berlin hotel room on Wednesday evening after complaining of feeling unwell during a party appointment. The Berlin public prosecutor's office confirmed the death and opened a death investigation to determine the cause and rule out third-party involvement. Aiwanger is survived by his partner, Regensburg district administrator Tanja Schweiger, and their two sons. Politically, he leaves multiple gaps: he served as Bavarian vice-minister-president, economics minister, state parliament member, and party leader at both state and federal levels, with his re-election as federal chairman due in two weeks. His Free Voters party, which he brought into the state parliament in 2008 and into government as CSU's junior partner in 2018, scored 15.8 percent in the 2023 state elections. No clear successor has emerged; faction leader Florian Streibl is expected to play a key role in the personnel process, while State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt temporarily takes over ministry affairs.
Read sourceBavarian Deputy Premier Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel
Bavarian Economy Minister and Deputy Premier Hubert Aiwanger, leader of the Free Voters party, was found dead in his hotel room at the Hotel Neuer Fritz in Berlin-Mitte near Friedrichstrasse station, the Berlin public prosecutor's office confirmed. Prosecutors and the Berlin state criminal police homicide unit have opened a death investigation to determine the cause and circumstances and to rule out third-party involvement. A spokesperson declined to disclose the exact discovery situation for investigative reasons, and an autopsy is expected to be ordered after the body is removed. According to dpa, Aiwanger had been scheduled to speak that afternoon at the opening of a Free Voters capital office but withdrew for health reasons and was represented; he later became unreachable and was found lifeless. He is survived by his partner, Regensburg district administrator Tanja Schweiger, and two children. Bavarian Premier Markus Söder called the death "an absolute tragedy," and other politicians expressed shock and condolences.
Read sourceBavarian Deputy Premier Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead; Politicians React in Shock
Hubert Aiwanger, federal and state leader of the Free Voters and Bavarian deputy premier and economy minister, was found dead at age 55 in a Berlin hotel room on Wednesday, according to the Berlin public prosecutor's office. He had been due to speak at the opening of a Free Voters capital office but withdrew for health reasons and was later found unresponsive; no cause of death was initially given. Bavarian Premier Markus Söder called the death 'an absolute tragedy' and said he was deeply shocked, sending condolences to Aiwanger's family and two children. Other figures, including Baden-Württemberg Premier Cem Özdemir, Landtag President Ilse Aigner, FDP's Wolfgang Kubicki and Martin Hagen, Greens' Katharina Schulze, AfD's Alice Weidel, and Free Voters officials, praised Aiwanger as a combative, plain-spoken politician with rough edges who fought for his convictions. Several described his death as a heavy loss for Bavarian politics.
Read sourceHubert Aiwanger found dead in Berlin hotel, cause unknown
Hubert Aiwanger, leader of the Free Voters party, has died after being found lifeless in a Berlin hotel, according to a WELT report. The article states that the cause of death is not yet known. No further details about the circumstances, timing, or official response are provided in the source text. The report identifies Aiwanger as the head of the Freien Wähler and attributes the information to WELT, with the item carrying a publication date of November 5, 2026.
Read sourceBavarian Minister Hubert Aiwanger Dies at 55, Germany Loses a Free Spirit
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's economics minister and leader of the Free Voters party, has died at the age of 55, according to a WELT report dated November 4, 2026. The article characterizes Aiwanger as a figure for whom freedom was not a theoretical concept but a form of fearlessness, which he lived out consistently, even when he occasionally overstepped the mark. His supporters, the report says, loved him precisely for that quality. The piece frames his death as Germany losing a free spirit. No cause of death or further circumstances are provided in the source text.
Read sourceGerman politicians stunned by sudden death of Hubert Aiwanger at 55
Hubert Aiwanger, federal and state chairman of the Free Voters and Bavarian deputy minister-president, was found dead in a Berlin hotel room on Wednesday at age 55. He had been scheduled to speak at the opening of a Free Voters capital office but canceled for health reasons. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder called the death "an absolute tragedy" and expressed shock. Baden-Württemberg's minister-president Cem Özdemir praised Aiwanger as a combative politician with rough edges who fought for his convictions. Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner described the death as a heavy loss for the Bavarian parliament and politics. FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki said Aiwanger shaped and shook up Bavaria's political landscape with his unconventional, down-to-earth style. The AfD's Bavarian parliamentary group credited him with representing rural areas with passion and clear language. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Read sourceBavarian Economy Minister Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel at 55
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's economy minister and leader of the Free Voters party, has died at the age of 55, according to a report by Die Welt. The article states that Aiwanger was found dead in a hotel in Berlin. The report does not provide further details on the circumstances of death, cause, or timing beyond the discovery location. Aiwanger was a prominent figure in Bavarian state politics, serving as economy minister and heading the Free Voters, a party that has been part of Bavaria's governing coalition. The death of a sitting state minister and party leader is a significant political event in Germany, though the source item offers only the core facts of the death and discovery.
Read sourceBavarian Free Voters Leader Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel at 55
Hubert Aiwanger, leader of Bavaria's Free Voters and the state's economy minister, was found dead in a Berlin hotel on Wednesday at the age of 55, according to a report by Bild. Sources from the Bavarian state government and Berlin police confirmed the death to the newspaper. The cause of death remains unknown. Earlier in the afternoon, Aiwanger had failed to appear at a Free Voters event where he was scheduled to speak, with his party citing health reasons. Aiwanger served as economy minister in Markus Söder's CSU-led cabinet and was also deputy minister-president of Bavaria. The report was published as a breaking-news item, with further details expected shortly.
Bavarian Minister Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel at 55
Hubert Aiwanger, the 55-year-old Bavarian economics minister and leader of the Free Voters party, was found dead on Wednesday in a Berlin hotel. He had reportedly canceled a scheduled speech at the opening of a Free Voters capital office due to health reasons and was later found lifeless in his room at the 'Neuer Fritz' hotel in Berlin-Mitte. Police and prosecutors have opened a death investigation to determine the cause and rule out third-party involvement. Aiwanger, born in 1971 in Ergoldsbach, led the Bavarian Free Voters since 2006 and served as deputy premier and economics minister under Markus Söder since 2018. He is survived by his partner, Free Voters district administrator Tanja Schweiger, and their two sons. In 2023 he faced political pressure over an antisemitic school-era flyer affair, which his brother claimed to have written.
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