Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt (born 30 April 1950) is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

politician and judge who served on the First Senate of the

Federal Constitutional Court of Germany The Federal Constitutional Court ( ; abbreviated: ) is the supreme court, supreme constitutional court for the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, Basic Law ...

from 1999 until 2011.

Biography

After being a lecturer for Labour at the

University of Hamburg The University of Hamburg (, also referred to as UHH) is a public university, public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('':de:Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen, ...

from 1975 to 1977, Hohmann-Dennhardt became a researcher at the

Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Goethe University Frankfurt () is a public research university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealthy and active liberal citizenry of Frankfurt ...

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

. She earned her doctorate there in 1979. From 1981 to 1984 she was a judge at the ''Sozialgerichten'' ("Social Courts") in

and

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...

and the ''Landessozialgericht'' ("Country Social Courts") of

Hessen Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major historic cities are Da ...

. In 1984 she was appointed Director of the Wiesbaden ''Sozialgerichten'' and remained in that position until 1989. From 1988 to 1989 she was also a substitute member of the Hessen State Constitutional Court, ''Staatsgerichtshof des Landes Hessen''. From 1989 to 1991 she was a ''Dezernentin der Stadt'' (roughly, "City Councillor") of Frankfurt am Main under

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

Volker Hauff. In 1991 she was appointed State Minister of Justice in the Hessen state government under Minister-President

Hans Eichel Hans Eichel (born 24 December 1941) is a German politician (Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD) and the co-founder of the G20, or "Group of Twenty", an international forum for the governments and central bank governors of twenty developed ...

. From 1995 to 1999 she served as State Minister of Science and Arts.

Judge of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, 1999–2011

From January 1999 to January 2011, Hohmann-Dennhardt served as judge on the First Senate of the

. In that capacity, she was the court’s rapporteur on

family law Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Overview Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include: * Marriag ...

and therefore involved in various rulings on issues like the

recognition of same-sex unions in Germany Same-sex marriage has been legal in Germany since 1 October 2017. A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriage passed the Bundestag on 30 June 2017 and the Bundesrat on 7 July. It was signed into law on 20 July by President Frank-Walter S ...

and the Transsexuals Act (TSG). When

Evelyn Haas Evelyn Haas, born Evelyn Traeger (born 7 April 1949) is a German people, German former First Senate Constitutional Court judge and current Honorary Professor of Law. She was the first woman to be elected to the Constitutional Court in Germany. ...

left the ''Bundesverfassungsgericht'' in 2006, Hohmann-Dennhardt was the only woman on the First Senate. In January 2011, Hohmann-Dennhardt was succeeded by judge Gabriele Britz.

Member of the Board at Daimler, 2011–2015

In 2011,

Dieter Zetsche Dieter Zetsche (; born 5 May 1953) is a German engineer and business executive. He serves as the chairman of TUI AG. Zetsche was the chairman of the board of management at Daimler AG and the head of Mercedes-Benz until 22 May 2019, a position he ...

, chairman of

Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-B ...

's management board, asked Hohmann-Dennhardt to take charge of the company's compliance program. Daimler created her role at the company after hiring

Louis Freeh Louis Joseph Freeh (born January 6, 1950) is an American attorney and former judge who served as the fifth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from September 1993 to June 2001. Graduated from Rutgers University and New York Univers ...

, a former director of the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

, as an independent monitor, a post mandated by its settlement with U.S. regulators on foreign-bribery investigations. Hohmann-Dennhardt set about discussing ethics with many of the company's 275,000 or so employees in town-hall style meetings. She also introduced and oversaw controls designed to help identify incidents of suspected bribery.Rachel Louise Ensign (January 15, 2014)
At Daimler, a Former German High-Court Judge Leads Compliance Program
''The Wall Street Journal''. In 2013, Hohmann-Dennhardt’s contract was extended by another three years.

Member of the Board at Volkswagen, 2016–2017

In October 2015, Europe's biggest carmaker

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

named Hohmann-Dennhardt to the newly created post of board member for integrity and legal affairs; she was the first woman to join Volkswagen’s board.Prashant S. Rao (January 26, 2017)
VW Executive, Hired to Help Overhaul Carmaker’s Culture, Is to Leave
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. In January 2017, it was announced that Hohmann-Dennhardt would be leaving her job barely a year after joining the company, due to differences in the understanding of responsibilities and future operating structures within the function she led.Dr. Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt to leave the Volkswagen Group Board of Management by mutual agreement – Hiltrud Werner appointed as successor

, press release of January 26, 2017.

Hiltrud Werner Hiltrud Dorothea Werner (born 1966) is a German business executive. She is the lone woman on Volkswagen AG's Board of Management, serving as the head of integrity and legal affairs. As one of three women from East Germany to serve on the board ...

was named as her successor.

Other activities

Corporate boards

Messe Frankfurt Messe Frankfurt () is one of the world's largest trade fair, congress and event organizer with its own exhibition grounds. The organization has 2,500 employees at some 30 locations, generating annual sales of around €661 million. Its services ...

, Member of the Supervisory Board (2016–2017) *

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

, Member of the Supervisory Board (2016–2017)

Non-profits

Amadeu Antonio Foundation The Amadeu Antonio Foundation, established in 1998, is a German foundation engaging against far-right-wing parties, racism and antisemitism (including anti-Zionism). It was founded by Karl Konrad Graf von der Groeben, with author Anetta Kahane ...

, Member of the Council * ''Arbeiterwohlfahrt'' (AWO) Frankfurt chapter, Member of the Board of Trustees * Dimitris Tsatsos Institute for European Constitutional Law at the

FernUniversität Hagen The University of Hagen (, informally often referred to as FU Hagen) is a public research university that is primarily focused on distance teaching. While its main campus is located in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the university ma ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees *

Einstein Foundation Berlin The Einstein Foundation Berlin is a foundation based in Berlin, Germany "that aims to promote science and research of top international caliber in Berlin and to establish the city as a centre of scientific excellence." It does this through various ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees * Ernst Reuter Foundation for Advanced Study, Member of the Board of Trustees *

Friedrich Ebert Foundation The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (''German: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.; Abbreviation: FES'') is a German political party foundation associated with, but independent from, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Established in 1925 as t ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees *

German Institute for Economic Research The German Institute for Economic Research (), or, more commonly DIWBerlin, is a economic research institute in Germany, involved in economic research and policy advice. According to Repec, it is among the top-10 percent of non-profit economic ...

, Department of Gender Studies, Member of the Circle of Supporters *

Humboldt University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees * International Willy Brandt Prize, Member of the Jury *

Ifo Institute for Economic Research The Ifo Institute for Economic Research is a Munich-based research institution. Ifo is an acronym from Information and Forschung (research). As one of Germany's largest economic think-tanks, it analyses economic policy and is known for its mon ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees *

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; ) is both a German public research university in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, and a research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 when the University of Karlsruhe (), founde ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees *

Leibniz Association The Leibniz Association (German: ''Leibniz-Gemeinschaft'' or ''Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz'') is a union of German non-university research institutes from various disciplines. Funding and Structure As of 2020, 96 non-u ...

, Member of the Senate *

Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (German: Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung von Kriminalität, Sicherheit und Recht) is a non-university research institute located in Freiburg, Germany. The institute is part of t ...

, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees

. *

Phi Delta Phi Phi Delta Phi (), commonly known as Phid or PDP, is an international legal honor society and the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States. Founded in 1869 at the University of Michigan as a professional fraternity, ...

–

Richard von Weizsäcker Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker (; 15 April 1920 – 31 January 2015) was a German politician ( CDU), who served as President of Germany from 1984 to 1994. Born into the aristocratic Weizsäcker family, who were part of the German nobili ...

Inn Tübingen, Honorary Member

References

External links

Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt auf der Website des Bundesverfassungsgerichtes
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hohmann-Dennhardt, Christine Living people 1950 births Justices of the Federal Constitutional Court Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Constitutional court women judges 20th-century German women politicians 21st-century German judges 20th-century German politicians 21st-century German women politicians 21st-century German women judges