Sylvia Bretschneider

Sylvia Bretschneider (14 November 1960 – 28 April 2019) was a German teacher, education administrator and politician (SPD). She was a member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern between 1994 and 2017, taking over as speaker of the state parliament in 2002, and serving in that office, formally, till her death.

Early life and career Sylvia Bretschneider was born on 14 November 1960 in Waren (Müritz), a small town located between Rostock and Berlin. She attended school locally, successfully completing her Abitur in 1979. Between 1994 and October 2002, she served as her party's speaker on education, youth policies and culture. In 2002, she was elected president of the Landtag, a position she continued to hold until her withdrawal from office.

Bretschneider withdrew from her offices in 2017 for cancer treatment.