German Politician Hubert Aiwanger Dies in Berlin Hotel Room

Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy leader of Bavaria and head of the Free Voters party, died in a Berlin hotel room on Wednesday. He was 55. Local police in the Berlin-Mitte district discovered him in his room. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of death. They launched an immediate investigation to understand the events leading up to his death.

Aiwanger traveled to the German capital on Wednesday to attend the opening of a new office for the Free Voters. According to reports from the Bild daily, he felt unwell and did not attend the event. Police later found his body at the hotel. Prosecutors stated their inquiry aims to rule out the involvement of any other person. No further details were released to the public.

Aiwanger had served as Bavaria's economy minister and led the regional branch of the Free Voters since 2006. Under his leadership, the party joined the state government for the first time in 2018. The Free Voters acted as the junior partner in a coalition led by Christian Social Union premier Markus Soeder. Despite this regional success, the party never won enough seats to enter the federal parliament.

State Premier Soeder reacted to the news with shock. He described the death as an absolute tragedy in a statement. Soeder said the government’s thoughts were with Aiwanger’s family and children. Aiwanger had two children and lived with his partner, German media reported.

The politician faced national scrutiny in 2023 over a decades-old pamphlet. Reports alleged he wrote an antisemitic text as a 17-year-old schoolboy. The document referred to Auschwitz as an entertainment quarter. Aiwanger rejected authorship but admitted to carrying copies in his school bag. He apologized for the affair but refused to resign from his post.

The Free Voters remain a key player in Bavarian politics despite the leader's sudden departure. The party’s status as a coalition partner means the death will impact the state government's current operations. Police and prosecutors continue to work on establishing the precise timeline of events. They have not scheduled a press conference or released a preliminary cause of death as of this morning.