Franz Götz (born 16 September 1945 in

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (; Austro-Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an Independent city#Germany, independent city on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2023). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan ...

, Germany) is a German politician. He was a member of the state parliament of Bavaria for the SPD from 1978 to 2003. In 2007, he left the SPD and joined the

Free Voters Free Voters (, FW) is a political party in Germany. It originates as an umbrella organisation of several Free Voters Associations (), associations of people which participate in an election without having the status of a registered party. These a ...

Early life

Götz attended the Reuchlin Gymnasium school in Ingolstadt, where he obtained his ''

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

''. After leaving school, Götz studied

Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; Rhenish Franconian: ''Sabrigge'' ; ; ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken has 181,959 inhabitants and is Saarland's administrative, commerci ...

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

, and

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. He passed his general civil engineering examination in 1968 and obtained an additional qualification in civil engineering business administration in 1970. He was then employed in industry for two years. He then studied to be a teacher in the subjects Construction and Ergonomics at occupational schools, passing the first and second ''

Staatsexamen The ("state examination" or "exam by state"; pl.: ''Staatsexamina'') is a German government licensing examination that future physicians, dentists, physical therapists, teachers, research librarians, archivists, pharmacists, food chemists, psyc ...

'' in 1973 and 1975, respectively. Until 1978 he taught in Ingolstadt and then became a consultant ergonomist. In 1982 he was awarded a doctorate by the

Technical University Munich The Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; ) is a Public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied science, applied and natural sciences. Est ...

Political career

Götz joined the SPD in 1970. From 1978 he was a member of the Ingolstadt town council. He was elected (indirectly) to the Bavarian state parliament on the SPD list in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998. He was a member of the following committees: *Education and Culture committee: 30 October 1978 to 19 October 1982 *Federal and European Matters committee: 20 October 1982 to 21 October 1986, 6 May 1988 to 23. October 1990, 30 October 1990 to 14 October 1994 und 29 October 1998 to 31 May 2001 *Petitions committee: 15 October 1985 to 1 December 1985 *Civil Service committee: 15 October 1985 to 21 October 1986 *Constitutional, Legal, and Local Government committee: 12 November 1986 to 23 October 1990 and 30. October 1990 to 14 October 1994 *Economics, Transport, and Border Areas committee: 10 November 1994 to 27 September 1998 *Local Government and Security committee: 31 May 2001 to 5 October 2003 In 2007, without laying down his town council mandate, Götz left the SPD and joined the parliamentary party of the Free Voters.

Commercial and social activities

Götz was the sole managing director of ''GERO Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Beziehungen in Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft zwischen Deutschland und Rumänien mbH'', a company he founded in 2001. He liquidated this company 2010. In 2003 he was co-founder of the ''Hilfswerks des

Lions Club Lions Clubs International, is an international service organization, currently headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. , it had over 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members (including the youth wing Leo clubs, Leo) in more than 200 ge ...

Ingolstadt "Auf der Schanz" e.V.'' and was its president until 2009.

Honours

Bavarian Order of Merit The Bavarian Order of Merit () is the Order of Merit of the Free State of Bavaria. It is awarded by the Minister-President of Bavaria as a "recognition of outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people". The or ...

*Bavarian Constitutional Medal ('' Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille'') in silver and in gold. *Honorary doctorate of the University of Oradea

Personal life

Götz is Roman Catholic, unmarried, and has one child.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gotz, Franz Members of the Landtag of Bavaria Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians People from Ingolstadt Technical University of Munich alumni 1945 births Living people Politicians from Bavaria