Kurt Biedenkopf supported the development of the Hertie School since its founding in 2003. He was Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees, having served from 2003 until 2010 as Chairman. He was also the founding President and Honorary President of Dresden International University. For the past several years, he devoted his time to his literary works and journals. After the reunification of Germany in 1990, he served for 12 years as Minister President of the state of Saxony. He studied law and economics in the United States, as well as in Munich and Frankfurt. After receiving his doctorate, he became Professor of Trade, Economics and Employment Law at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) in 1964, where he was Vice-Chancellor from 1967 to 1969. From 1968 to 1970 he was Chairman of the German government's Commission for Workers' Participation (Biedenkopf-Kommission), and General Secretary of the CDU from 1974 to 1977.
