The first woman president of the Bundestag

Annemarie Renger is the world’s first head of a democratically elected parliament

Born in Leipzig in 1919, Annemarie Wildung was forced to leave school due to her parents’ membership of the Social Democratic Party. She completed a commercial apprenticeship and married, but her husband was killed during the Second World War. In 1945, as a new member of the SPD, she met its leader, Kurt Schumacher, and in 1952 became his private secretary, confidante and partner. A year later, she was elected to the Bundestag and was returned to parliament every election until 1990. She also rose to prominence in the SPD party management.

After the SPD won the 1972 election, Annemarie Renger was elected as the first woman president of the Bundestag on 13 December 1972. She later described how this came about: “I nominated myself for the position. Do you think they would have chosen me otherwise?” Renger remained in what was the second most important German state office (after the Federal President) for almost four years. When the Union regained its position as the strongest force in the Bundestag, she was elected vice-president and remained so until she left parliament. Annemarie Renger died near Bonn in 2008.