Bavaria's Deputy Premier Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel Room
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy minister-president and leader of the Free Voters party, was found dead in a Berlin hotel room, with prosecutors investigating the circumstances and unable to rule out foul play.
Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy minister-president of Bavaria and leader of the populist Free Voters party, has been found dead in a hotel room in Berlin, according to German media reports. The 55-year-old politician was in the capital ahead of a scheduled speech marking the opening of a new party office when he reportedly fell ill the night before the event.
According to Bild, Aiwanger chose to remain in his third-floor room at Berlin's boutique Hotel Neuer-Fritz to recover. He was found dead later that night after associates were unable to reach him. The father of two had served as a Bavarian lawmaker since 2008 and as Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria since 2018.
Berlin's public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the death. A spokesperson, Michael Petzold, told Bild that there is no initial suspicion of any crime, though he added that nothing could be ruled out at this stage. The specific circumstances surrounding the discovery were not disclosed for investigative reasons. Sources indicated that no external injuries were found on the body.
The cause of death remains unclear. According to Bild, members of the Christian Social Union, the Free Voters' senior coalition partner in the Bavarian government, said Aiwanger had been experiencing gastrointestinal problems before his death.
Aiwanger's death comes roughly three years after he became embroiled in an antisemitism controversy that threatened to damage the Free Voters' campaign ahead of the 2023 Bavarian state elections. A report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung alleged that he had published a leaflet mocking the Holocaust while at school in the 1980s. Aiwanger admitted to having copies of the pamphlet in his backpack and described its contents as disgusting and inhumane. His older brother, Helmut Aiwanger, later claimed to have produced the material.
Authorities have not yet released further details on the case, and the investigation into the exact circumstances of Aiwanger's death is ongoing.
