Günther Krause

Günther Krause (born 3 September 1953) is a German engineer, academic, politician and businessman.

He was born and raised in East Germany. After the Peaceful Revolution, he entered politics, serving in the East German Volkskammer and as a senior adviser to Minister-President Lothar de Maizière. In that role, he was a co-signatory to the Unification Treaty.

After German reunification, he was elected to the Bundestag and served in various roles in the Helmut Kohl government. He served as Minister for Special Affairs from 1990 to 1991 and then as Minister of Transport from 1991 to 1993. He resigned from the office due to numerous scandals. Legal problems and scandals followed after his career in politics, earning him the nickname Sause-Krause.

Former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel was his protégée. As leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, he helped her garner the nomination in her constituency. Merkel succeeded him as leader after he resigned.

Early life and education Krause is a native of Güstrow near Mecklenburg, East Germany. He worked as an engineer on computerized planning in housing in Rostock. He served as state secretary and the chief reunification negotiator for East Germany's only freely elected government headed by Lothar de Maizière. Krause was also his senior advisor.

Following the reunification of West and East Germany, Krause served at the Bundestag and in its committee on research and technology. He was the most prominent eastern German politician in the government Krause resigned from the office on 6 May 1993 after his alleged involvement in scandals, and was replaced by Matthias Wissmann, another CDU member, in the post.

In 1993, Krause resigned from politics and public office and began to deal with business.

In 2020, he entered the 14th season of the TV reality show, Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!, the German version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, filmed in Australia, but had to withdraw for medical reasons after one day.

Personal life Krause married twice and has six children, three from his previous marriage. He lives in Admannshagen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with his second wife.