Botho Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Botho Eberhard Ernst August Clovis Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein- Hohenstein ( born February 16, 1927 in Eisenach, † January 27, 2008 in Bad Reichenhall ) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union ( CDU). He was a member of parliament from 1965 to 1980. After retiring from the Bundestag from 1982 to 1994 he was President of the German Red Cross, and then Honorary President of the DRC and Chairman of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross and Crescent in Geneva.

Life

Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein was born as the youngest of four children of George, Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein (1873-1960) and Marie, Baroness of Freusburg, born Rühm (1892-1975), the daughter of a prince Lippischen the Forestry Council, . The mother was awarded Dame of Freusburg by the Prince of Lippe Detmold ceremony in the peerage on 12 December 1916. Because of the former aristocratic and imperial era house not lawful marriage, the parents, the children were on the mother's civil law family name of Baron or Baroness of Freusburg Freusburg.

Except for those born already in the imperial period in 1914 oldest brother Botho, Rolf Georg Freiherr von Freusburg, applied for the 1919 born in Weimar Germany siblings one of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein related to her father George Prince name was changed to Princess or Prince of Sayn - Wittgenstein -Hohenstein, the prior consent of August Fürst zu Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein (1868-1948), which until 1919 the last prince of Laaspher zu Sayn -Wittgenstein- Hohenstein- line and eldest brother of George, Prince of the district court in Eisenach Sayn -Wittgenstein- Hohenstein, on April 1, 1946 issued by arrangement.

Since 1959, Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein with Elisabeth Baroness von Zedlitz and Leipe ( b. 1937 ) was married. The marriage produced three children, son George, born on April 4, 1960, and the daughters Friederike, born on 21 November 1962 and Catherine on September 22, 1965.

Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein moved in 1945 from Eisenach to Laasphe, Bad Laasphe today, the hometown of his ancestors, where he graduated. He then trained as a nurse. He then studied medicine at the University of Marburg and was from 1955 to 1956 as a doctor of the German expedition worked in India. From 1957 to 1958 he managed a Waldgut the family. Later he was until 2001 Chairman of the Board of Prince Wittgenstein forest owners company in Bad Laasphe.

Work

In the years 1958/1959 Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein was first deputy mayor, 1959-1969 Mayor of Laasphe. From 1965 to 1980, Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein for the CDU member of the Bundestag. During his first parliamentary candidacy in 1965, he won the direct mandate in the federal election district of Siegen -Wittgenstein. In the subsequent parliamentary elections of 1969, 1972 and 1976 respectively, he moved about the country's list of the CDU -Sydney in the Bundestag.

As a member of the Bundestag for the CDU was Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein- Hohenstein to 1972 Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Youth, Family and Health and also health spokesman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group. In this role, he led until 1976 and the Subcommittee pharmaceutical legislation of the German Bundestag, who worked out the first drug law passed by the Bundestag. From 1973 to 1980 he was successively Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international association of parliamentarians from different countries. In the 90 and 2000s Botho Prince Wittgenstein was a member of the Television of the Second German Television ( ZDF).

Already in 1944 Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein had become a member of the German Red Cross ( DRK ). In 1979 he was elected to the Red Cross Bureau In 1982, he became president of the DRC and 1988, re-elected for a further term until 1994. During his tenure there came the end of 1990 to the union of the Federal Republic of DRC with the DRC of the GDR. Since 11 November 1994 he was honorary president of DRC and continued a member of the Board of Trustees of the DRC as a member. In the years 1993-1995, he was also Chairman ( Chairman ) of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Federal President Karl Carstens gave Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein -Hohenstein 1984 Constitution Day on May 22, the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1995 Great Cross of Merit to him by President Roman Herzog was awarded with Star and Sash. 2002 received the Mayor Laaspher the years 1959-1969, which was located on a farm Breitenbach between the bathroom Laaspher districts Herbertshausen and Feudingen the honorary letter of Bad Laasphe. On January 27, 2008 Botho Prince of Sayn -Wittgenstein died -Hohenstein at the age of 80 years.