Elke Altmann (born 19 June 1957,

Rostock Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

) is a German politician and member of the Left Party of Germany. From October 1999 until September 2009, she was a member of the

Landtag of Saxony The Landtag of Saxony (), also known in English as the Saxon State Parliament, is the legislature of the Free State of Saxony, one of Germany's sixteen states. It is responsible for legislation, control of the government, and electing some sta ...

Biography

In 1978, Altmann began an internship as an animal keeper at the St. Michaelis pig breeding facility. Subsequently, she studied

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...

at the

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 ...

and the

University of Rostock The University of Rostock () is a public university located in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Founded in 1419, it is the third-oldest university in Germany. It is the oldest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Se ...

until 1983. Afterwards, from 1985 to 1988, she was deputy plant manager of the pig facility at St. Michaelis until she returned to school from 1990 to 1993 to study geriatric nursing. Following this, from 1993 to 1999, she worked in outpatient services. Altmann is mother to five children.

Politics

Beginning in 1976, Altmann was a member of the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (, ; SED, ) was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Mar ...

(SED, for ''Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands'') and later, she became a member of its successor party, the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS, for ''Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus''). As a member of the PDS, she served on the city council of Brand-Erbisdorf from 1992 to 2003. From June 2004, she was a City Councillor for the PDS in Freiberg. In October 1999 she became a member of the

, in which she was a member of the Committee for the Environment and for Agriculture. In 1999 and 2004, she ran as a direct candidate for the first electoral district of Freiberg, and was also included on her party's statewide list of candidates. Following the 2009 state elections in Saxony, she lost her mandate and was forced to leave the parliament.

External links

Elke Altmann, Linksfraktion
1957 births Living people Politicians from Rostock People from Bezirk Rostock Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany) politicians Die Linke politicians Members of the Landtag of Saxony Humboldt University of Berlin alumni {{Germany-Left-politician-stub