Markus Soder
GermanyMarcus Söder
Early Life and EducationMarcus Söder was born on 5 January 1967, in Nuremberg, West Germany. He grew up in a conservative Protestant family. His parents owned a small construction company in Nuremberg. Söder attended the Albrecht-Dürer-Gymnasium in Nuremberg, graduating in 1986. He completed his military service in a transport battalion in Nuremberg.
In 1987, Söder began studying law at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he received a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. He passed his first state law exam in 1991 and worked as a research associate in the department of public, administrative, and religious law. In 1998, Söder earned his doctorate with a dissertation on 19th-century municipal law in Bavaria.
Political Career
Söder's political involvement began early, joining the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Junge Union (JU) in 1983. He served as leader of the JU's regional branch in Bavaria from 1995 to 2003. From 2003 to 2007, Söder was Secretary-General of the CSU.
In 2007, Söder was appointed Minister for Federal and European Affairs of Bavaria. From 2008 to 2011, he served as Minister of Finance and Regional Development of Bavaria.
Premiership
On 16 March 2018, Söder was elected Premier of Bavaria by an overwhelming majority in the Bavarian Landtag. He has since become a prominent figure in German politics, leading the CSU to victory in the 2018 Bavarian state election.
Personal Life
Marcus Söder has been married to Karin Baumüller-Söder since 1999. They have three children: a daughter and two sons. Söder also has a daughter from a previous relationship.
