The CDU politician Dagmar Schipanski has died. Born in Thuringia, she ran for the office of Federal President in 1999, but was defeated by the SPD politician Johannes Rau. A spokeswoman for the federal CDU confirmed her death on Friday, which was reported by several media. Schipanski was 79 years old.

After German reunification, the physicist and temporary rector of the Technical University of Ilmenau was primarily active as a university politician. She was science minister and state parliament president in Thuringia and was a member of the federal presidium and executive board of the CDU for many years. "An important voice for us, which unfortunately has been silenced," wrote the CDU Germany on Twitter.