Karin Prien, a prominent Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, has been appointed Germany’s federal minister for education, family, women,
and youth. Her appointment marks a historic moment as she becomes the first Jewish woman to serve in the German cabinet since the Holocaust.
The announcement was made by incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with the new government set to take office on May 6. Prien, 59, has been Schleswig-Holstein’s education minister since 2017 and co-chairs the CDU’s national board. Born in Amsterdam, she moved to Germany as a child and became a citizen at 26 — a decision her mother, who was hesitant about returning to a country that had killed members of their family, did not support.
In recent years, Prien has become more vocal about her Jewish identity and the growing problem of antisemitism in Germany. Following the Hamas attacks on October 7, she shared a photo of herself wearing her mother’s Star of David necklace visibly over her clothing, writing: “For decades, you only wore it hidden. You were afraid to show you were Jewish in Germany. I thought that was an exaggeration. I was wrong. You were right.”
Prien has taken firm stances on antisemitism. In 2021, she initially supported singer Gil Ofarim over claims of an antisemitic incident in Leipzig, later apologizing when the story was discredited. She has condemned labeling Israel an apartheid state as antisemitic and signed a petition last year opposing academic boycotts of Israel.
Her entry into federal office comes at a time of heightened concern over antisemitism and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party she believes should be confronted with what she calls “civilised disdain.” Photo by Matthias Süßen, Wikimedia commons.