Ulrich Thoden
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =
| image =
| caption =
| office = Member of the Bundestag
from North Rhine-Westphalia
| term_start = 2025
| term_end =
| party = Die Linke (since 2018)
| otherparty = SPD (until 2018)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|16 May 1973|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Münster
| alma_mater = University of Münster
| predecessor =
| birth_name =
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Ulrich Thoden (born 16 May 1973){{cite web|access-date=2025-02-25 |language=de |title=Thoden, Ulrich |url=https://www.mitmischen.de/wissen/abgeordnetensuche/thoden-ulrich}} is a German politician from Die Linke. He was elected to the German Bundestag via the North Rhine-Westphalia state list in the 2025 German federal election.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-25 |date=2025-02-25 |language=de-de |title=Zwei Linke aus dem Kreis Steinfurt im Bundestag |url=https://wirin.de/lokal-nachrichten/28-ueberregional/33316-zwei-linke-aus-dem-kreis-steinfurt-im-bundestag}}
Life and career
Thoden was born in the Münster district of {{Ill|Münster-Hiltrup (district)|lt=Münster-Hiltrup|de|Münster-Hiltrup}}. After graduating from the Ratsgymnasium in Münster in 1992, Thoden studied Catholic theology at the University of Münster, graduating with distinction in 1999. In 2005, he passed the First State Examination for secondary school teachers and the Second State Examination in 2008. From 2006 , Thoden taught English, Latin, and Catholic theology at the {{Ill|Canisianum Gymnasium|de|Gymnasium Canisianum}} in Lüdinghausen,{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-25 |author=Peter Werth |language=de |title=Cani-Lehrer ordnet sich selbst als „links“ ein |url=https://www.wn.de/muensterland/kreis-coesfeld/luedinghausen/cani-lehrer-ordnet-sich-selbst-als-links-ein-1697861}} where he also served as a class teacher. From 2017 until his entry into the 21st Bundestag in 2025, he worked as a teacher at the Rheine vocational college in the Steinfurt district, where he taught English, Latin, philosophy, and Catholic religion.
Politics
Thoden was already politically active during his school days at the Ratsgymnasium in Münster, for example by participating in demonstrations against the Gulf War in 1991. In 2008, he joined the SPD. In 2016 applied within the party to succeed Münster SPD MP {{Ill|Christoph Strässer|de}}.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-25 |author=Martin Kalitschke |language=de |title=Vom Klassenraum in den Plenarsaal: Lehrer aus Münster sitzt nun im Bundestag |url=https://www.wn.de/muenster/ulrich-thoden-linke-bundestag-lehrer-spd-bedauern-3252584?pid=true}} In 2018, he joined Die Linke, where he was parliamentary group spokesman for the Münster council group from 2020 to 2024. In 2022, he became deputy state spokesperson for The Left Party in North Rhine-Westphalia and in 2023, delegate for North Rhine-Westphalia to the party council.
On 14 December 2024, a general meeting was held, at which Thoden was elected as the direct candidate in Steinfurt III.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-26 |date=2024-12-14 |language=de-DE |title=Direktkandidat:innen-Wahl Borken I - Steinfurt I |url=https://www.dielinke-kvborken.de/termine-1/direktkandidatinnen-wahl-borken-i-steinfurt-i-1/}}{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-26 |date=2024-12-22 |language=de-DE |title=Mareike Hermeier und Ulrich Thoden als Direktkandidierende gewählt |url=https://www.dielinke-steinfurt.de/aktuelles/detailansicht-nachrichten/mareike-hermeier-und-ulrich-thoden-als-direktkandidierende-gewaehlt/}} At the state representative meeting of Die Linke NRW on 11 January 2025, it was announced that he would be running for the 2025 German federal election for the state list position 4.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-26 |language=de-DE |title=Landesvertreter:innenversammlung Die Linke NRW 11.01.2025 / Kamen |url=https://www.youtube.com/live/hJIFAKbSFdo&t=17415}} In his constituency, Die Linke received 6.0% for the first vote and 6.4% for the second vote.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-25 |language=de |title=Detail-Ergebnis |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/wahl/archiv/2025-02-23-BT-DE/wk-detail/WK127.shtml?externalEmbed=}}
Trade union activity
In addition to his political work, Thoden is active in the Education and Science Union (GEW) . In 2017, he was elected chairman of the GEW Münster city association for the first time.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-27 |author=wn |language=de |title=Neuer Vorsitzender lobt Tarifabschluss |url=https://www.muensterschezeitung.de/lokales/staedte/muenster/neuer-vorsitzender-lobt-tarifabschluss-1527625}}{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-26 |author=Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft NRW |language=de |title=GEW-Stadtverband wählt neuen Vorstand |url=https://muenster.gew-nrw.de/neuigkeiten/detail/gew-stadtverband-waehlt-neuen-vorstand}} In this role, he advocates for better working conditions in the education sector and, in connection with the "Education Construction Site" campaign, criticized unequal pay for teachers and called for more staff through better pay and better working conditions.{{cite web|access-date=2025-02-26 |author=Münster Tube |date=2022-04-06 |title=GEW-Aktion "Baustelle Bildung" in Münster - Statement von Ulrich Thoden (Vors. GEW Münster) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNzmvk0mO-Q&feature=youtu.be}}
References
{{Members of the 21st Bundestag}}
{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Thoden, Ulrich}}
Category:Die Linke politicians
Category:Members of the Bundestag for North Rhine-Westphalia
Category:University of Münster alumni
Category:21st-century German politicians
Category:Members of the Bundestag for Die Linke
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2025–2029