What is Thomas de Maizière?
[[File:Thomas de Maiziere Dresden.jpg|thumb|Thomas de Maizière]] '''Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière''' (born 21 January 1954 in [[Bonn]]) was the [[Minister for Special Affairs]] in the German government and [[Head of the Federal Chancellery]]. On 3 March 2011, because of [[Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg]]'s resignation, de Maizière became [[Ministry of Defence of Germany|Federal Minister for Defence]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thomas de Maizière: On the frontlines of refugee integration|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/news/thomas-de-maiziere-on-the-frontlines-of-refugee-integration|access-date=2021-05-31|website=World Council of Churches|language=en}}</ref> His father was [[Ulrich de Maizière]], who was Inspector General of the [[Bundeswehr]]. The senior officer in all German Armed Forces. In the UK, he would be Chief of the Defence Staff and in the US, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|title=Thomas de Maiziere: A look at 'Merkel's best man' {{!}} DW {{!}} 16.12.2013|url=https://www.dw.com/en/thomas-de-maiziere-a-look-at-merkels-best-man/a-16874033|access-date=2021-05-31|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref> Karl's cousin [[Lothar de Maizière]] was the only democratically elected Prime Minister of the [[German Democratic Republic]]. He later taught at the [[University of Leipzig]]. ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Maiziere, Thomas de}} [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:German academics]] [[Category:Interior ministers of Germany]] [[Category:Members of the German Bundestag]] [[Category:People from Bonn]] [[Category:Politicians from North Rhine-Westphalia]] [[Category:Politicians of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany]] [[Category:Defence ministers of Germany]] [[Category:Special Affairs ministers of Germany]] [[Category:Heads of the German Chancellery]] {{bio-stub}}