Christa Luft German economist and politician Date of Birth: 22.02.1938 Country: Germany

1. Education and Academic Career
2. Political Career in the GDR
3. Post-Unification Roles

Education and Academic Career

Krista Luft's educational journey began at a workers' academy in Halle, where she earned her high school diploma. From 1956 to 1960, she studied at the University of Foreign Trade in Staaken and the Berlin School of Economics. She went on to work as a research assistant and completed her doctoral dissertation in 1964.

In 1967, Luft was appointed deputy dean for distance learning and headed research in 1969. From 1971 onwards, she held a full professorship in socialist foreign trade. She worked as deputy director of the International Institute for Economic Problems of the Socialist World System of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) in Moscow from 1978 to 1981 before returning to teaching until 1988.

Political Career in the GDR

Luft joined the Free German Youth (FDJ) in 1952 and the Socialist Unity Party of East Germany (SED) in 1958. In the aftermath of the Peaceful Revolution in the GDR, she served as deputy chairperson of the Council of Ministers of the GDR under Hans Modrow from November 1989 to March 1990. She was also the Minister of Economics during this time.

Post-Unification Roles

After German reunification, Luft became a member of the Bundestag for the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) from 1994 to 2002. She also worked as an associate professor and member of the governing board of the Institute for International Education in Berlin from 1991 to 1995.

Luft served on the governing board of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation until 2013. She is married and has two children.