Göttingen (electoral district)

Göttingen is located in southern Lower Saxony. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the district of Göttingen excluding the municipalities of Bad Grund, Osterode am Harz, and Walkenried, the Samtgemeinde of Hattorf am Harz, and the Harz area.

Göttingen was created in 1949, then known as Göttingen – Münden. It acquired its current name in the 1965 election. In the inaugural Bundestag election, it was Lower Saxony constituency 34 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 56. From 1965 through 1998, it was number 49. In the 2002 and 2005 elections, it was number 53. In the 2009 election, it was number 54. Since the 2013 election, it has been number 53.

Originally, the constituency comprised the independent city of Göttingen and the districts of Göttingen and Münden. In the 1965 through 1972 elections, it comprised the districts of Göttingen, Münden, and Duderstadt, and the municipality of Fürstenhagen from the Northeim district. In the 1976 election, it comprised the Göttingen and the municipality of Fürstenhagen from the Northeim district. In the 1980 through 1998 elections, it comprised only the district of Göttingen. In the 2002 though 2013 elections, it comprised the district of Göttingen and the municipalities of Bad Lauterberg, Bad Sachsa, and Herzberg am Harz from the district of Osterode. Osterode district was merged into Göttingen ahead of the 2017 election, but the constituency's borders did not change.

The constituency was first held by Arno Hennig of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who served from 1949 to 1953. Walter Drechsel of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) was elected in 1953 and served a single term. Franz Blücher, Vice-Chancellor of Germany and former chairman of the FDP, was elected as candidate for the German Party in 1957. He died in 1959, and was succeeded by Günter Frede of the SPD in the 1961 election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the constituency in 1965, and Willy Steinmetz served a single term as representative. Günter Wichert was elected in 1969 and served two terms. Fellow SPD member Lothar Curdt served from 1976 to 1983. In 1983, Hans Hugo Klein won the constituency for the CDU, and was succeeded in 1987 by Rita Süssmuth, also of the CDU. Süssmuth served as President of the Bundestag from 1988 to 1998. The SPD regained the constituency with candidate Inge Wettig-Danielmeier in 1998. In 2005, Thomas Oppermann was elected representative. He was re-elected in 2009, 2013, and 2017. Oppermann died in October 2020. Andreas Philippi was elected as his successor in 2021.

{{MMP election box begin

|title=Federal election (2025): Göttingen[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2025/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-53.html Results for Göttingen]

}}

{{MMP election box candidate win|

|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany

|candidate = Fritz Güntzler

|votes = 50,738

|percentage = 29.1

|change = {{increase}} 2.2

|party votes = 44,788

|party percent = 25.6

|party change = {{increase}} 4.1

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Thorsten Heinze

|votes = 44,620

|percentage = 25.6

|change = {{decrease}} 6.6

|party votes = 38,345

|party percent = 22.0

|party change = {{decrease}} 10.0

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Alliance 90/The Greens

|candidate = Viola von Cramon-Taubadel

|votes = 26,770

|percentage = 15.4

|change = {{decrease}} 7.9

|party votes = 27,390

|party percent = 15.7

|party change = {{decrease}} 4.6

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Alternative for Germany

|candidate = Erik Heß

|votes = 24,752

|percentage = 14.2

|change =

|party votes = 25,266

|party percent = 14.5

|party change = {{increase}} 8.4

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = The Left (Germany)

|candidate = Thomas Goes

|votes = 15,937

|percentage = 9.1

|change = {{increase}} 4.1

|party votes = 19,429

|party percent = 11.1

|party change = {{increase}} 6.1

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance

|party votes = 6,601

|party percent = 3.8

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)

|candidate = Konstantin Kuhle

|votes = 6,320

|percentage = 3.6

|change = {{decrease}} 5.9

|party votes = 6,911

|party percent = 4.0

|party change = {{decrease}} 5.8

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Volt Germany

|candidate = Tarek Zaibi

|votes = 2,557

|percentage = 1.5

|change =

|party votes = 1,199

|party percent = 0.7

|party change = {{increase}} 0.4

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Free Voters

|candidate = Dirk Kaitschick

|votes = 2,217

|percentage = 1.3

|change =

|party votes = 1,126

|party percent = 0.6

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Human Environment Animal Protection

|party votes = 1,864

|party percent = 1.1

|party change = {{steady}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Die PARTEI

|party votes = 756

|party percent = 0.4

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.6

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate =

|votes =

|percentage =

|change = {{decrease}} 2.1

|party votes = 300

|party percent = 0.2

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.8

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany

|candidate = Kay Langemeier

|votes = 292

|percentage = 0.1

|change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

|party votes = 84

|party percent = 0.0

|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Pirate Party Germany

|party votes = 262

|party percent = 0.2

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Bündnis Deutschland

|party votes = 179

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Party of Humanists

|party votes = 127

|party percent = 0.1

|party change = {{steady}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Team Todenhöfer

|party votes =

|party percent =

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Ecological Democratic Party

|party votes =

|party percent =

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box informal vote|

|votes = 1,341

|party votes = 917

}}

{{MMP election box total vote|

|votes = 174,203

|party votes = 174,627

}}

{{MMP election box turnout|

|turnout = 175,544

|percentage = 83.5

|change = {{increase}} 8.1

}}

{{MMP election box majority gain|

|winner = Christian Democratic Union of Germany

|loser = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|votes = 6,118

|percent = 3.5

|change = {{increase}} 8.8

}}

{{MMP election box begin

|title=Federal election (2021): Göttingen[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-53.html Results for Göttingen]

}}

{{MMP election box candidate win|

|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Andreas Philippi

|votes = 51,385

|percentage = 32.2

|change = {{decrease}} 2.7

|party votes = 51,180

|party percent = 31.9

|party change = {{increase}} 3.7

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany

|candidate = Fritz Güntzler

|votes = 42,958

|percentage = 26.9

|change = {{decrease}} 6.3

|party votes = 34,588

|party percent = 21.6

|party change = {{decrease}} 8.6

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Alliance 90/The Greens

|candidate = Jürgen Trittin

|votes = 37,060

|percentage = 23.2

|change = {{increase}} 11.9

|party votes = 32,448

|party percent = 20.2

|party change = {{increase}} 8.6

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)

|candidate = Konstantin Kuhle

|votes = 15,261

|percentage = 9.6

|change = {{increase}} 5.0

|party votes = 15,638

|party percent = 9.8

|party change = {{increase}} 0.6

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Alternative for Germany

|party votes = 9,785

|party percent = 6.1

|party change = {{decrease}} 1.8

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = The Left (Germany)

|candidate = Thomas Goes

|votes = 8,057

|percentage = 5.1

|change = {{decrease}} 0.8

|party votes = 8,132

|party percent = 5.1

|party change = {{decrease}} 3.6

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Human Environment Animal Protection

|party votes = 1,713

|party percent = 1.1

|party change = {{increase}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Die PARTEI

|party votes = 1,625

|party percent = 1.0

|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Gabriele Winkel

|votes = 3,428

|percentage = 2.1

|change =

|party votes = 1,570

|party percent = 1.0

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Free Voters

|party votes = 1,259

|party percent = 0.8

|party change = {{increase}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Pirate Party Germany

|party votes = 569

|party percent = 0.4

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Volt Germany

|party votes = 512

|party percent = 0.3

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Team Todenhöfer

|party votes = 379

|party percent = 0.2

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = National Democratic Party of Germany

|party votes = 174

|party percent = 0.1

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Party of Humanists

|party votes = 164

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Ecological Democratic Party

|party votes = 136

|party percent = 0.1

|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = V-Partei3

|party votes = 125

|party percent = 0.1

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei

|party votes = 111

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Liberal Conservative Reformers

|candidate = Olaf Töpperwien

|votes = 767

|percentage = 0.5

|change =

|party votes = 78

|party percent = 0.0

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = German Communist Party

|candidate = Manfred Sohn

|votes = 329

|percentage = 0.2

|change =

|party votes = 73

|party percent = 0.0

|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany

|candidate = Kay Langemeier

|votes = 232

|percentage = 0.1

|change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

|party votes = 46

|party percent = 0.0

|party change = {{unchanged}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box informal vote|

|votes = 2,399

|party votes = 1,571

}}

{{MMP election box total vote|

|votes = 159,477

|party votes = 160,305

}}

{{MMP election box turnout|

|turnout = 161,876

|percentage = 75.5

|change = {{decrease}} 1.9

}}

{{MMP election box majority hold|

|winner = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|loser =

|votes = 8,427

|percent = 5.3

|change = {{increase}} 3.7

}}

{{MMP election box begin

|title=Federal election (2017): Göttingen[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-53.html Results for Göttingen]

}}

{{MMP election box incumbent win|

|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Thomas Oppermann

|votes = 59,032

|percentage = 34.9

|change = {{decrease}} 5.5

|party votes = 47,871

|party percent = 28.3

|party change = {{decrease}} 4.8

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany

|candidate = Fritz Güntzler

|votes = 56,250

|percentage = 33.3

|change = {{decrease}} 4.9

|party votes = 51,177

|party percent = 30.2

|party change = {{decrease}} 5.7

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Alliance 90/The Greens

|candidate = Jürgen Trittin

|votes = 19,131

|percentage = 11.3

|change = {{increase}} 1.1

|party votes = 19,676

|party percent = 11.6

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.6

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Alternative for Germany

|candidate = Pierre Hillebrecht

|votes = 11,870

|percentage = 7.0

|change =

|party votes = 13,446

|party percent = 7.9

|party change = {{increase}} 4.2

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = The Left (Germany)

|candidate = Konrad Kelm

|votes = 9,905

|percentage = 5.9

|change = {{increase}} 0.6

|party votes = 14,748

|party percent = 8.7

|party change = {{increase}} 2.4

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)

|candidate = Konstantin Kuhle

|votes = 7,734

|percentage = 4.6

|change = {{increase}} 3.0

|party votes = 15,421

|party percent = 9.1

|party change = {{increase}} 5.0

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Die PARTEI

|candidate = Christian Prachar

|votes = 2,159

|percentage = 1.3

|change =

|party votes = 1,776

|party percent = 1.0

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Human Environment Animal Protection

|party votes = 1,434

|party percent = 0.8

|party change = {{increase}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Free Voters

|candidate = Rainer Nowak

|votes = 1,458

|percentage = 0.9

|change = {{decrease}} 0.5

|party votes = 1,063

|party percent = 0.6

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Pirate Party Germany

|candidate = Dana Maria Rotter

|votes = 1,400

|percentage = 0.8

|change = {{decrease}} 1.1

|party votes = 785

|party percent = 0.5

|party change = {{decrease}} 1.5

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = National Democratic Party of Germany

|party votes = 423

|party percent = 0.2

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.5

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Basic Income Alliance

|party votes = 401

|party percent = 0.2

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box historic party only|

|party = DiB

|color = #263D80

|party votes = 315

|party percent = 0.2

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box historic party only|

|party = DM

|color =

|party votes = 253

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box historic party only|

|party = V-Partei³

|color = #99CC33

|party votes = 224

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Ecological Democratic Party

|party votes = 163

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany

|candidate = Kay Langemeier

|votes = 169

|percentage = 0.1

|change =

|party votes = 76

|party percent = 0.0

|party change = {{steady}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = German Communist Party

|party votes = 72

|party percent = 0.0

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box informal vote|

|votes = 1,439

|party votes = 1,223

}}

{{MMP election box total vote|

|votes = 169,108

|party votes = 169,324

}}

{{MMP election box turnout|

|turnout = 170,547

|percentage = 77.4

|change = {{increase}} 2.7

}}

{{MMP election box majority hold|

|winner = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|votes = 2,782

|percent = 1.6

|change = {{decrease}} 0.6

}}

{{MMP election box begin

|title=Federal election (2013): Göttingen[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99/land-3/wahlkreis-53.html Results for Göttingen]

}}

{{MMP election box incumbent win|

|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Thomas Oppermann

|votes = 66,192

|percentage = 40.4

|change = {{increase}} 3.6

|party votes = 54,410

|party percent = 33.1

|party change = {{increase}} 3.5

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany

|candidate = Fritz Güntzler

|votes = 62,558

|percentage = 38.2

|change = {{increase}} 3.8

|party votes = 59,000

|party percent = 35.9

|party change = {{increase}} 7.1

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Alliance 90/The Greens

|candidate = Jürgen Trittin

|votes = 16,740

|percentage = 10.2

|change = {{decrease}} 2.8

|party votes = 20,076

|party percent = 12.2

|party change = {{decrease}} 2.2

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = The Left (Germany)

|candidate = Gerhard Nier

|votes = 8,581

|percentage = 5.2

|change = {{decrease}} 2.4

|party votes = 10,432

|party percent = 6.3

|party change = {{decrease}} 2.5

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Alternative for Germany

|party votes = 6,121

|party percent = 3.7

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Pirate Party Germany

|candidate = Niels-Arne Münch

|votes = 3,219

|percentage = 2.0

|change =

|party votes = 3,173

|party percent = 1.9

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.3

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)

|candidate = Lutz Knopek

|votes = 2,633

|percentage = 1.6

|change = {{decrease}} 4.9

|party votes = 6,667

|party percent = 4.1

|party change = {{decrease}} 9.4

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = Free Voters

|candidate = Theodor Sommer

|votes = 2,187

|percentage = 1.3

|change =

|party votes = 1,427

|party percent = 0.9

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = National Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Marco Borrmann

|votes = 1,730

|percentage = 1.1

|change = {{decrease}} 0.4

|party votes = 1,280

|party percent = 0.8

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.5

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Human Environment Animal Protection

|party votes = 1,178

|party percent = 0.7

|party change = {{steady}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box historic party only|

|party = PRO

|party votes = 234

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box historic party only|

|party = PBC

|party votes = 145

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = The Republicans (Germany)

|party votes = 93

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany

|party votes = 67

|party percent = 0.0

|party change = {{steady}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box informal vote|

|votes = 1,974

|party votes = 1,511

}}

{{MMP election box total vote|

|votes = 163,840

|party votes = 164,303

}}

{{MMP election box turnout|

|turnout = 165,814

|percentage = 74.7

|change = {{increase}} 0.5

}}

{{MMP election box majority hold|

|winner = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|votes = 3,634

|percent = 2.2

|change = {{decrease}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box begin

|title=Federal election (2009): Göttingen[https://web.archive.org/web/20100726042209/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_09/ergebnisse/wahlkreisergebnisse/l03/wk054/ Results for Göttingen]

}}

{{MMP election box incumbent win|

|party = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Thomas Oppermann

|votes = 60,483

|percentage = 36.8

|change = {{decrease}} 10.0

|party votes = 48,788

|party percent = 29.6

|party change = {{decrease}} 12.5

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Christian Democratic Union of Germany

|candidate = Hartwig Fischer

|votes = 56,503

|percentage = 34.4

|change = {{decrease}} 1.3

|party votes = 47,343

|party percent = 28.8

|party change = {{decrease}} 1.7

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Alliance 90/The Greens

|candidate = Jürgen Trittin

|votes = 21,360

|percentage = 13.0

|change = {{increase}} 5.2

|party votes = 23,708

|party percent = 14.4

|party change = {{increase}} 3.7

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = The Left (Germany)

|candidate = Gerd Nier

|votes = 12,493

|percentage = 7.6

|change = {{increase}} 3.3

|party votes = 14,635

|party percent = 8.9

|party change = {{increase}} 3.7

}}

{{MMP election box candidate list|

|party = Free Democratic Party (Germany)

|candidate = Lutz Knopek

|votes = 10,765

|percentage = 6.6

|change = {{increase}} 3.0

|party votes = 22,086

|party percent = 13.4

|party change = {{increase}} 4.5

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Pirate Party Germany

|party votes = 3,707

|party percent = 2.3

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box candidate lose|

|party = National Democratic Party of Germany

|candidate = Michael Hahn

|votes = 2,323

|percentage = 1.4

|change = {{increase}} 0.1

|party votes = 2,072

|party percent = 1.3

|party change = {{decrease}} 0.1

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Human Environment Animal Protection

|party votes = 1,176

|party percent = 0.7

|party change = {{increase}} 0.2

}}

{{MMP election box historic party only|

|party = RRP

|party votes = 724

|party percent = 0.4

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box independent|

|candidate = Bayram Kurnaz

|votes = 361

|percentage = 0.2

|change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Ecological Democratic Party

|party votes = 195

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = German People's Union

|party votes = 115

|party percent = 0.1

|party change =

}}

{{MMP election box party only|

|party = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany

|party votes = 58

|party percent = 0.0

|party change = {{steady}} 0.0

}}

{{MMP election box informal vote|

|votes = 2,227

|party votes = 1,908

}}

{{MMP election box total vote|

|votes = 164,288

|party votes = 164,607

}}

{{MMP election box turnout|

|turnout = 166,515

|percentage = 74.2

|change = {{decrease}} 5.6

}}

{{MMP election box majority hold|

|winner = Social Democratic Party of Germany

|votes = 3,980

|percent = 2.4

|change = {{decrease}} 8.7

}}

{{reflist}}

{{Electoral districts of Lower Saxony}}

{{coord missing|Lower Saxony}}

Category:Federal electoral districts in Lower Saxony

Category:1949 establishments in West Germany

Category:Constituencies established in 1949