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Johann Wadephul
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Johann Wadephul
Johann David Walter Rudolf "Jo" Wadephul (German: [ˈjoːhan ˈvaːdəˌfuːl]; born 10 February 1963) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as the federal minister of foreign affairs in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz since 2025.
He has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009, where he also served as deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2017 until 2025. Previously, he was a member of the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein from 2000 until 2009, where he also served as chairman of the CDU parliamentary group from 2005.
Wadephul was born in Husum, Schleswig-Holstein, to teachers Werner and Karin (née Schäfer). He attended primary school in Nordhastedt before attending the Meldorfer Gelehrtenschule gymnasium, where he graduated in 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served as a reserve officer in the German Air Force at the Rendsburg base. In 1986, he retired as a first lieutenant and later rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel (retired). In 1986, he began studying law at the Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, completing his studies in 1991 with the First State Examination.
From 1992 to 1993, Wadephul received a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a legal trainee in the Kiel Regional Court. In 1995, he passed his Second State Examination and, in March 1996, earned his doctorate at the University of Kiel under Professor Dieter Reuter with a dissertation entitled Die Vereinbarung der Betriebspartner, transl. the Agreements between Company Partners.
Since 1995, Wadephul has practiced law, initially in Lübeck before establishing his own firm in Neumünster in 2001. He qualified as a specialist lawyer in medical law and social law in 2009, and has since worked with law firms in both Neumünster and Berlin.
Wadephul joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its youth organization, the Young Union, in 1982.
Starting in 1993, he became part of the CDU leadership in Schleswig-Holstein. From 1997 to 2000, Wadephul served as Secretary General of the CDU in the state under party chairman Peter Kurt Würzbach. He then briefly chaired the CDU in Schleswig-Holstein from 2000 to 2002 before being succeeded by Peter Harry Carstensen. During his tenure as chairman, Wadephul publicly endorsed Edmund Stoiber as the CDU’s candidate to challenge incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the 2002 federal elections.
After the 2000 state elections, Wadephul was elected to the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein. Following the CDU’s victory in the 2005 elections, he succeeded Carstensen as chairman of the CDU parliamentary group. Wadephul chose not to seek re-election in 2009.
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Johann Wadephul
Johann David Walter Rudolf "Jo" Wadephul (German: [ˈjoːhan ˈvaːdəˌfuːl]; born 10 February 1963) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as the federal minister of foreign affairs in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz since 2025.
He has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009, where he also served as deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2017 until 2025. Previously, he was a member of the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein from 2000 until 2009, where he also served as chairman of the CDU parliamentary group from 2005.
Wadephul was born in Husum, Schleswig-Holstein, to teachers Werner and Karin (née Schäfer). He attended primary school in Nordhastedt before attending the Meldorfer Gelehrtenschule gymnasium, where he graduated in 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served as a reserve officer in the German Air Force at the Rendsburg base. In 1986, he retired as a first lieutenant and later rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel (retired). In 1986, he began studying law at the Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, completing his studies in 1991 with the First State Examination.
From 1992 to 1993, Wadephul received a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a legal trainee in the Kiel Regional Court. In 1995, he passed his Second State Examination and, in March 1996, earned his doctorate at the University of Kiel under Professor Dieter Reuter with a dissertation entitled Die Vereinbarung der Betriebspartner, transl. the Agreements between Company Partners.
Since 1995, Wadephul has practiced law, initially in Lübeck before establishing his own firm in Neumünster in 2001. He qualified as a specialist lawyer in medical law and social law in 2009, and has since worked with law firms in both Neumünster and Berlin.
Wadephul joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its youth organization, the Young Union, in 1982.
Starting in 1993, he became part of the CDU leadership in Schleswig-Holstein. From 1997 to 2000, Wadephul served as Secretary General of the CDU in the state under party chairman Peter Kurt Würzbach. He then briefly chaired the CDU in Schleswig-Holstein from 2000 to 2002 before being succeeded by Peter Harry Carstensen. During his tenure as chairman, Wadephul publicly endorsed Edmund Stoiber as the CDU’s candidate to challenge incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the 2002 federal elections.
After the 2000 state elections, Wadephul was elected to the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein. Following the CDU’s victory in the 2005 elections, he succeeded Carstensen as chairman of the CDU parliamentary group. Wadephul chose not to seek re-election in 2009.
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