Bavaria’s deputy minister-president and economy minister Hubert Aiwanger was found dead in his hotel room in Berlin-Mitte on Wednesday evening, 4 November. Berlin police and prosecutors said they had opened an investigation to establish the cause and circumstances of his death.
The investigation involves the Berlin State Criminal Police Office’s 6th homicide unit. Authorities said they also aim to rule out any third-party involvement. They have not disclosed a cause of death.
Aiwanger, 55, had served as Bavaria’s deputy minister-president and state minister for economic affairs, regional development and energy since November 2018. He had led the Free Voters in Bavaria since 2006 and served as the party’s national chairman since 2010.
The Free Voters have governed Bavaria in coalition with the Christian Social Union (CSU) since 2018. Bavarian Premier Markus Söder described Aiwanger’s sudden death as an absolute tragedy and said the state government was deeply shocked.
